- The FSSAI has proposed draft restrictions regarding the inclusion of added sugars in infant foods and milk substitute products. - High intake of added sugars in early childhood poses long-term health risks, including childhood obesity, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and metabolic disorders. - Regulatory loopholes and commercial lobbying by baby food manufacturers often challenge stringent public health regulations. - Strengthening food safety standards for infants is crucial for tackling malnutrition, stunting, and protecting vulnerable consumer groups. - **Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):** The apex statutory food regulator in India, established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to lay down science-based standards for food items and regulate their manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale, and import. - **Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006:** The comprehensive legislation enacted in 2006 that consolidated multiple pre-existing food laws in India into a single framework to regulate food safety standards and establish the FSSAI. **Introduction** The editorial discusses the FSSAI's draft regulations concerning added sugars in infant foods. It highlights the public health imperative of protecting infants from early exposure to high sugar levels, which contribute to lifelong health complications like obesity and chronic diseases, while emphasizing the need to plug regulatory gaps against aggressive marketing by food corporations. **Core Issue and Detailed Points** - The FSSAI has proposed draft restrictions regarding the inclusion of added sugars in infant foods and milk substitute products. - High intake of added sugars in early childhood poses long-term health risks, including childhood obesity, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and metabolic disorders. - Regulatory loopholes and commercial lobbying by baby food manufacturers often challenge stringent public health regulations. - Strengthening food safety standards for infants is crucial for tackling malnutrition, stunting, and protecting vulnerable consumer groups. **Key Statutory Bodies, Acts & Concepts** - **Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):** The apex statutory food regulator in India, established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to lay down science-based standards for food items and regulate their manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale, and import. - **Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006:** The comprehensive legislation enacted in 2006 that consolidated multiple pre-existing food laws in India into a single framework to regulate food safety standards and establish the FSSAI.