FSSAI proposes ban on added sugar in baby food and new pesticide limits for tea

India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has proposed a complete ban on added sugars in infant food products for babies up to six months old, alongside strict new scientific limits for pesticide residues in tea.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released the draft notification, titled the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Amendment Regulations, 2026, for public consultation. Stakeholders have 60 days to submit objections and feedback before the rules are finalised.

Ban on added sugar for infants

Under the proposed rules, manufacturers will be prohibited from adding sucrose and fructose to food products intended for infants aged up to six months. Existing standards allow lactose and glucose polymers as primary carbohydrate sources, permitting sucrose or fructose only when strictly required as a carbohydrate source.

The health ministry stated that the first six months of life represent a critical window for healthy growth and development. Restricting added sugars during this period is intended to protect young infants from early exposure to dietary health risks, including childhood obesity, while reinforcing the government’s public health push for exclusive breastfeeding during a baby’s first six months.

Pesticide residue benchmarks for tea

In a parallel measure under the draft Food Safety and Standards Amendment Regulations, 2026, published in the Gazette of India on 16 October, FSSAI introduced maximum residue limits (MRLs) for two commonly used pesticides in tea: acetamiprid and imidacloprid.

The regulatory benchmarks set clear safety thresholds to support monitoring, compliance, and consumer health across the tea supply chain:

The ministry noted that India's proposed threshold for acetamiprid in tea is lower than limits enforced in Japan or the United States, reflecting the country's proactive commitment to high safety standards. India's overall agricultural pesticide usage averages less than 0.5 kg per hectare, well below the global average of 2.38 kg per hectare.

The move follows previous regulatory steps, including the delisting of 13 high-toxicity pesticides under the 2024 amendments, demonstrating steady progress in enhancing national food safety and consumer protection.