The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed specific limits for high fat, high sugar and high salt (HFSS) foods in schools. The proposed standards set different limits for solid and liquid foods, based on the amount of added fat, added sugar and salt they contain.
The proposal comes through a draft notification issued August 10, 2026, seeking to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Safe Food and Balanced Diets for Children in School) Regulations, 2020. The proposed thresholds are based on the Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024.
Under the proposal, a solid food product would be classified as high in added fat if it contains more than 4.2 grams of added fat per 100 grams, while the threshold for liquid products has been set at more than 1.5 grams per 100 millilitres.
For added sugar, the proposed limits are more than 3 grams per 100 grams for solid foods and more than 2 grams per 100 millilitres for liquid products.
Foods would be categorised as high in sodium if they contain more than 0.625 grams of salt per 100 grams in the case of solid products and more than 0.175 grams per 100 millilitres for liquid products.
The proposed provision would be inserted after the existing regulation dealing with monitoring and surveillance in schools.
According to the notification, the draft regulations have been framed under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with the prior approval of the Central government.
FSSAI has invited comments and objections from stakeholders and the public on the proposed amendments. Representations can be submitted within 60 days from the date the Gazette notification is made available to the public.
The regulator said all representations received within the stipulated period would be considered before the regulations are finalised.
