Infant food may lose sweet tooth

Babies may not like this one bit, but India's top food safety regulator is looking to tighten limits on the sugar content in their food.

- Priyanka Sharma

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is considering new rules to cut down sugar added to foods for toddlers and babies aged 6 to 24 months, people aware of the matter said. The move, which could affect popular products such as infant cereals and milk formulae, is part of an effort to fight the country's rising rates of obesity and diabetes.

Baby food regulations in India encourage the use of lactose and glucose polymers as main carbohydrates. The rules strictly limit added sugars like sucrose and fructose. These can't make up more than 20% of the total carbohydrates in the product.

Some of India's prominent baby food brands are Cerelac from Nestle, Amulspray from Amul, Similac from Abbott, and Slurrp Farm. To be sure, these products keep sugar within permitted limits, but the food regulator believes it's time to go further.