New Delhi: India is moving to tighten controls on foods high in fat, sugar and salt around schools as the country steps up efforts to improve children's diets and address concerns over rising levels of overweight and obesity.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, or FSSAI, has proposed specific nutritional thresholds to define foods that are high in added fat, added sugar and salt. The proposal is aimed at strengthening the country's existing rules on food sold to schoolchildren and around schools.
The changes are part of a draft amendment published by FSSAI on August 11. The draft is still under public consultation and has not yet become a new nationwide regulation. The official consultation process is currently open until October 9.
Under the proposed amendment, food would be considered high in added fat if it contains more than 4.2 grams per 100 grams for solid food or more than 1.5 grams per 100 millilitres for liquid food. Food would be considered high in added sugar if it contains more than 3 grams per 100 grams for solid food or more than 2 grams per 100 millilitres for liquid food.
For salt, the proposed thresholds are more than 0.625 grams per 100 grams for solid food and more than 0.175 grams per 100 millilitres for liquid food.
The 50 metre restriction around schools itself is not new. It was included in India's 2020 school food regulations, which restrict the sale of certain foods high in saturated fat, trans fat, added sugar or sodium to schoolchildren in school canteens and within 50 metres of school gates.
The 2026 proposal seeks to provide clearer nutritional definitions for the foods covered by these regulations. The proposed thresholds could make enforcement more consistent by giving authorities specific levels against which products can be assessed.
The issue has gained fresh attention as some states have stepped up enforcement of the existing rules. Maharashtra has adopted a stricter enforcement approach.
In July, Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration directed government, aided and private schools to enforce the 2020 regulations. The state has also restricted the sale, distribution and advertising of specified high fat, sugar and salt foods within school premises and within 50 metres of school gates.
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has said that enforcing the restriction only when a shop is known to be selling to schoolchildren would be difficult because many shops near schools serve the wider public.
According to data reported by Reuters, inspectors in Maharashtra found violations at 133 shops within 50 metres of schools and ordered 51 of them to discontinue their business.
The approach has raised concerns among some retailers and food industry representatives. Many schools are located in busy commercial areas where shops serve both children and adults. Retailers have warned that restrictions could affect their businesses and livelihoods.
The proposed changes come as India faces growing concerns about childhood overweight and obesity. Data from the World Obesity Federation cited in the current debate estimates that the number of Indian children aged 5 to 19 considered overweight or obese increased from about 28 million in 2015 to 41 million in 2025.
The figure is projected to reach about 56 million by 2040. The projection refers to children who are overweight or obese and should not be interpreted as a forecast of obesity alone.
Implementation of the existing school food rules has also received judicial attention. In August, a court in Rajasthan directed the state government and FSSAI to report on the implementation of the 2020 regulations.
The directions included monthly inspections, enforcement of the 50 metre restriction, nutritional information in school canteens and the creation of School Food Safety and Nutrition Committees. The court also directed Rajasthan to ensure that high fat, sugar and salt foods are not sold in schools in violation of the existing regulations.
The proposed national changes could also affect food manufacturers and small retailers. Manufacturers of snacks, confectionery, noodles, soft drinks and other processed foods could face pressure to reformulate products if they want them to remain outside the proposed high fat, sugar and salt definitions.
PepsiCo and Nestle told Reuters about their existing policies concerning food sold in schools, while Coca Cola and Mondelez did not respond to the agency's questions.
India's proposal comes as other countries have introduced measures aimed at reducing children's exposure to foods high in fat, sugar and salt. Chile, for example, has introduced restrictions on the sale and promotion of certain unhealthy foods in schools, along with warning labels on products.
The Indian proposal is still being considered and could change following the consultation process.
The main question now is how the government will strengthen enforcement of the existing 50 metre restriction and apply the proposed nutritional thresholds consistently across the country. The final rules will also determine how the measures affect shops, food businesses and manufacturers operating near India's schools.