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FSSAI directive on sugar, salt contents in food products for schools
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Wednesday, 26 August, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi
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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued draft regulations establishing maximum threshold limits for added fat, sugar, and salt in food products for school children.
Called the Food Safety and Standards (Safe food and balanced diets for children in school) Amendment Regulations, 2026, a new section, Regulation 7, under 'Monitoring and Surveillance’ is added to the previous 2020 regulations.
The framework formally incorporates nutritional benchmarks established by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in its Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024.
Under the proposed amendment, food products provided or sold in and around school premises will be classified as high in fat, sugar, or salt (HFSS) if they exceed specific dietary thresholds.
For fat content, products containing more than 4.2 grams per 100g in solid form, or more than 1.5 grams per 100ml in liquid form, will be designated as high. High sugar classification will apply to foods exceeding 3 grams per 100g in solid form or 2 grams per 100ml in liquid form. And, products containing more than 0.625 grams of salt per 100g in solid form or 0.175 grams per 100ml in liquid form will fall under the high salt category.
The draft guidelines aim to strengthen institutional monitoring, curb childhood consumption of ultra-processed food items, and enforce higher nutritional safety standards across educational institutions.
This proposal builds on previous advisories by the Union Health Ministry encouraging government departments, schools, and public eateries to install display boards detailing the salt, sugar, and fat/oil content per serving based on National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) recommendations.
ICMR-NIN played a key role in designing these display boards alongside the FSSAI. Their updated 2024 guidelines set a daily oil (fat) limit of 27–30g per day, and a recommended sugar limit of 25g per day for adults and 20g per day for children, based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet.
According to scientific analysis by NIN, these daily limits can be breached by consuming just a single 500ml ultra-processed soft drink, highlighting the critical need for consumer awareness.
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