NEW DELHI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed two changes to food safety rules: prohibiting the addition of sucrose and fructose to products meant for babies up to six months and setting maximum residue limits for two pesticides in tea.The draft amendments were published in the Gazette of India on Oct 16. Currently, lactose and glucose polymers are the preferred carbohydrate sources in infant foods. Sucrose and fructose can be added when needed, but their combined amount cannot exceed 20% of total carbohydrates. The proposed amendment seeks to prohibit their addition in products for babies up to six months.The proposal aims to limit early exposure to added sugars amid concerns over childhood obesity and related health risks. It also complements recommendations for exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months. A doctor said the restriction must be enforced at the licensing stage. “FSSAI should also consider extending the ban to products intended for children above six months, given concerns over obesity.
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”FSSAI has also proposed maximum residue limits of 20 parts per million (ppm) for acetamiprid and 50 ppm for imidacloprid in tea. Maximum residue limits specify the highest legally permitted concentration of pesticide residues in food and provide benchmarks. They do not indicate the amount necessarily present in a particular sample.One doctor said the proposed limits need to be accompanied by realistic assessments of consumer exposure. “Since tea is consumed several times a day, it is important to assess how much of these chemicals passes from the leaves into the brewed drink.”
