The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has constituted an expert committee to review the use of added sugar in infant food products, following global criticism over Nestlé’s Cerelac range in developing markets such as India.
Two officials familiar with the matter said the panel will examine whether sugar should be permitted in baby foods sold in India, and if so, to what extent. “The committee will assess if India should allow companies to add sugar to infant food and, if yes, then how much,” one of the officials said on condition of anonymity. No deadline has yet been fixed for the panel’s recommendations.
The move comes after a 2024 investigation by Swiss NGO Public Eye and the International Baby Food Action Network alleged that Nestlé added sugar to Cerelac sold in India and other developing countries, while selling sugar-free variants in developed markets.
Nestlé India has denied the claims, maintaining that there are no differences in formulations across countries. In its latest annual report, the company said it has cut sugar content in Cerelac by up to 30% over the past five years and recently launched a range with “no refined sugar.”
Under the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2019, sucrose and fructose may only be added if required as a carbohydrate source, and cannot exceed 20% of total carbohydrates in the product.
India already has strict laws prohibiting the marketing and promotion of infant foods, but current rules allow limited sugar addition. The committee’s review could potentially reshape infant nutrition standards in the country at a time when childhood obesity and non-communicable diseases are on the rise.