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FSSAI defines HFSS food products for schools
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Monday, 31 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 formally defined foods high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS). Although initially targeted at school children, the move is widely seen as a foundational step toward broader regulations governing HFSS foods across the broader consumer market.
Under the newly issued draft regulations, the food regulator has established strict maximum threshold limits for added fat, sugar, and salt in food products aimed at school-going 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.
Meanwhile, commenting on the draft, Prof. Arpita Mukherjee of ICRIER noted that defining HFSS foods creates a baseline to regulate public procurement, children's channel advertisements, and meal programs.
"It is important what children eat and not where they eat," she stated, emphasising that home diets like puris and ladoos must also be managed, while urging FSSAI to relaunch its Eat Right campaign to raise parental awareness.
Ravin Saluja, director of Sterling Agro Industries Ltd, called the draft a step in the right direction but advocated for a broader evaluation of overall food worthiness, particularly in dairy where portion sizes and natural formulations vary. He emphasised that the long-term success of the policy depends on creating healthy, affordable choices that children embrace outside school as well.
Supporting the initiative, Dr. Alka Kapur, principal of Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi highlighted that food safety is integral to education.
"The proposed regulations remind us that food matters as much as books and sports in the school day," said Dr. Kapur, adding that true impact will require joint execution across schools, parents, food manufacturers, and policymakers to deliver healthy options that remain palatable and accessible.
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