India Moves to Tighten Junk Food Rules Around Schools

India is moving to tighten the rules governing high-fat, high-sugar and high-salt foods around schools as authorities seek to strengthen measures aimed at improving children’s diets.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, FSSAI, published draft amendments in August that would establish specific thresholds for identifying foods considered high in added fat, added sugar or salt under the country’s school-food regulations. The proposal remains a draft and has not yet become a final nationwide regulation.

The development comes as India faces growing concerns about childhood obesity and diet-related health problems.

Existing school restrictions could become more specific

India already has regulations governing the sale and marketing of certain unhealthy foods around schools.

The Food Safety and Standards (Safe Food and Balanced Diets for Children in School) Regulations, 2020 prohibit the sale or marketing of specified foods high in saturated fat, trans-fat, added sugar or sodium in school premises and within 50 metres of a school gate. The regulations also restrict the advertising of such foods to schoolchildren in that area.

The latest FSSAI proposal does not create that 50-metre principle from nothing.

Instead, it seeks to provide clearer nutritional definitions for products covered by the school-food rules.

FSSAI proposes nutritional thresholds

Under the draft amendment published in August, a solid food would be considered high in added fat if it contains more than 4.2 grams of added fat per 100 grams.

For liquid products, the proposed threshold is more than 1.5 grams of added fat per 100 millilitres.

The draft also proposes that solid foods containing more than 3 grams of added sugar per 100 grams would fall within the high-sugar definition, while the threshold for liquids would be more than 2 grams per 100 millilitres.

For salt, the proposed thresholds are more than 0.625 grams per 100 grams for solid foods and more than 0.175 grams per 100 millilitres for liquid foods.

The thresholds are based on India’s Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024, issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research.

The proposal is still open for comments

FSSAI’s proposal is not yet a final rule.

The authority invited objections and suggestions from affected parties as part of the regulatory process. Its consultation platform lists October 9, 2026 as the deadline for comments on the draft.

The final wording could therefore change before the amendment takes effect.

This distinction is important for businesses and consumers because the current proposal establishes definitions rather than announcing an immediate new nationwide enforcement regime.

Shops near schools could be affected

If the amended definitions are adopted, retailers operating around schools could face clearer requirements concerning which food products fall within the restricted category.

Reuters reported that the potential rules could affect family-run shops, restaurants and food stalls around India’s roughly 1.5 million schools.

Products that could be affected include sugary drinks, salty snacks and various fried or highly processed foods, depending on whether they meet the final nutritional definitions.

The potential effect therefore extends beyond large packaged-food companies to small businesses operating near schools.

Food companies face a wider regulatory debate

The school-food proposal forms part of a broader debate in India over the regulation and marketing of foods high in fat, sugar and salt.

Reuters reported that multinational companies including PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Mondelez and Nestlé could face additional pressure as India considers stronger controls on unhealthy food products.

The debate includes proposed approaches to nutritional labelling as well as restrictions on the marketing and sale of certain foods around schools.

For manufacturers, clearer definitions could make it easier for regulators to identify products covered by the rules.

Maharashtra has already taken action

The national proposal comes after individual Indian states have introduced their own measures.

Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration announced a statewide ban in July on the sale, distribution and advertising of high-fat, high-sugar and deep-fried foods inside schools and within 50 metres of school premises.

The state-level action provides an example of how restrictions can be implemented on the ground while the federal regulatory framework develops.

However, enforcement and implementation can vary between jurisdictions.

Childhood nutrition is driving the policy debate

The policy discussion is closely linked to concerns about children’s exposure to foods with high levels of added fat, sugar and salt.

India has a large school-age population, meaning changes to the food environment around schools could affect a significant number of children.

The government has also been seeking to promote healthier food choices within schools through the existing 2020 regulations.

Those rules include provisions concerning nutritious food in school canteens and restrictions on the promotion of unhealthy food products to children.

The definition of “high” matters for enforcement

One of the practical challenges is determining exactly which products should be classified as high in a particular nutrient.

The proposed thresholds provide regulators with numerical standards that can be applied to product labels and food samples.

That could make enforcement more consistent than relying on broad descriptions of foods as “junk food.”

The proposal specifically refers to added fat, added sugar and salt, meaning the final regulatory interpretation will matter for manufacturers whose products contain naturally occurring nutrients as well as ingredients added during production.

Businesses may need to review products

If the draft becomes final in its current form, food manufacturers and retailers could need to examine products sold or marketed around schools against the new thresholds.

Businesses may also need to consider how products are advertised to children.

For small retailers, the practical challenge could be identifying which packaged and prepared foods fall within the restricted categories.

For larger manufacturers, the rules could increase pressure to reformulate some products or adjust marketing strategies.

India follows a wider global trend

India’s approach reflects a broader international debate over the food environment surrounding children.

Countries including Chile and Mexico have adopted stronger measures covering the marketing and sale of certain foods considered high in fat, sugar or salt.

India’s proposed nutritional thresholds could therefore become part of a wider effort to use regulation, labelling and restrictions on marketing to influence children’s access to less nutritious foods.

However, the precise design and effectiveness of such policies depend heavily on enforcement and consumer behaviour.

What happens next

FSSAI is continuing the consultation process on its proposed amendment.

The October 9 deadline gives businesses, industry groups, health organisations and other interested parties an opportunity to submit comments before the proposal is considered further.

The final rules could retain, modify or otherwise adjust the proposed nutritional thresholds.

Until that process is completed, the 2026 proposal should be described as a draft amendment rather than a new nationwide ban.

The existing 50-metre restrictions around schools remain part of India’s regulatory framework, while the proposed amendment would provide more precise definitions for the foods covered by those rules.