Summary: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a draft notification dated 15 October 2026 proposing amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020. Issued under F. No. RCD-09002/3/2026-Regulatory-FSSAI and published in the Official Gazette on 16 October 2026, the proposal seeks to prohibit the addition of sucrose and fructose in products intended for infants up to the age of six months. The draft has been published under Section 92(1) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with the proposed regulations to be made under Section 92(2), subject to the previous approval of the Central Government.
The principal change concerns Regulation 3(6) of the Foods for Infant Nutrition Regulations, 2020. FSSAI proposes inserting a proviso expressly stating that sucrose and fructose shall not be added to products intended for infants up to six months of age. The proposed restriction specifically addresses the addition of these two sugars to the relevant infant nutrition products. It does not expressly prohibit naturally occurring sugars or extend the restriction to all products intended for older infants. The amendment would therefore establish a specific formulation requirement for manufacturers and other food business operators dealing with products covered by the provision.
The notification invites objections and suggestions from stakeholders, including manufacturers, industry associations, healthcare professionals and consumers. Representations may be submitted to the Chief Executive Officer, FSSAI, FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi–110002, or emailed to [email protected]. The draft regulations will be considered after the expiry of 60 days from the date on which copies of the Official Gazette containing the notification are made available to the public. FSSAI will consider objections and suggestions received within the specified period. As this is a draft notification, the proposed prohibition does not itself constitute an immediately enforceable amendment to the existing regulations.
FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS AUTHORITY OF INDIA
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 15th October, 2026
F. No. RCD-09002/3/2026-Regulatory-FSSAI.—The following draft of certain regulations, further to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020, which the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India proposes to make with the previous approval of the Central Government, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub- section (2) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006), is hereby published as required by sub-section (1) thereof, for the information of all persons likely to be affected thereby; and notice is hereby given that the said draft regulations shall be taken into consideration after the expiry of a period of sixty days from the date on which copies of the Official Gazette in which this notification is published are made available to the public.
Objections or suggestions, if any, may be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi- 110002 or sent on email at [email protected].
Objections or suggestions, which may be received from any person with respect to the said draft regulations before the expiry of the period so specified, shall be considered by the Food Safety and Standards Authority.
Draft Regulations
1. These regulations may be called the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Amendment Regulations, 2026.
2. In the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020, in regulation 3, in sub-regulation 6, after the para, the following proviso shall be inserted, namely:
‘provided that sucrose and fructose shall not be added in the products intended for infants up to the age of 6 months’
RAJIT PUNHANI, Chief Executive Officer
[ADVT.-III/4/Exty./401/2026-27]
Note. -The principal regulation were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary Part III, Section 4, vide notification number F. No. Stds./03/Notification (IFR)/FSSAI-2017, the dated 4th December, 2020 and last amended vide notification number F.No. Std/SP-05/T(IFR-01), dated 30th August, 2022.
