To promote awareness about sugar consumption among children, CBSE has mandated the creation of ‘sugar boards’ in over 24,000 schools across India.

What is a Sugar Board?

• Sugar boards are visual displays in schools that depict the amount of sugar in commonly consumed packaged foods and beverages like aerated drinks and juices.
• The boards display recommended sugar intake levels, health risks linked to high sugar intake (e.g., diabetes, obesity), and healthier dietary alternatives.

Need for Sugar Boards in India

• Alarming Rise in Type-2 Diabetes: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has highlighted a sharp increase in Type-2 Diabetes among Indian children, a condition once largely seen in adults.
• High Sugar Consumption: Children aged 4–10 consume 13% of their daily calories from sugar, while those aged 11–18 consume up to 15% which is  three times the WHO-recommended limit of 5%.
• Incidence Rates: Though nationwide data is lacking, India has an estimated incidence rate of 397 Type-2 Diabetes cases per lakh among children and adolescents, second only to China (734/lakh).
• Environment of Excess: Easy access to sugary beverages, snacks, and processed foods in and around school environments further amplifies unhealthy consumption patterns.

Regulatory Framework for Food Standards in India

• FSSAI Oversight: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) oversees food safety and labelling regulations, including claims related to sugar, fat, and salt content.
• Pending HFSS Definition: A scientific panel was convened in 2025 to define High Fat, Salt, and Sugar (HFSS) standards specific to school meals, but consensus has not yet been reached.
• Current Regulations:
  • A food product can claim to be “low in sugar” only if it contains ≤5g sugar per 100g.
  • No finalized Indian-specific cut-offs exist for HFSS content; India currently uses WHO recommendations.
  • WHO suggests limiting daily sugar intake to 25g (six teaspoons) for both adults and children.
• Health-Star Rating: A front-of-pack labelling system is in development but not yet implemented.

Gaps in Regulations: India vs. EU and U.S.

• Lack of Indigenous Benchmarks: Unlike the EU and U.S., India lacks country-specific dietary cut-offs based on native population data such as  BMI, lipid profiles, insulin resistance, etc.
• EU Framework:
  • Mandatory front-of-pack nutrient declarations including sugars.
  • Implementation of “traffic light” labelling for quick visual understanding of sugar, fat, and salt content.
• U.S. Framework:
  • Nutrition Facts labels require disclosure of “Added Sugars” in grams and as a % of the daily recommended limit.
  • The FDA restricts health claims and promotes nutrition education in schools through programs like “Smart Snacks in School.”
• India’s Challenges:
  • No legally binding HFSS threshold values.
  • Limited availability of population-level dietary data.
  • Absence of comprehensive school nutrition policies for private and unaided schools.

Way Forward

• Finalising HFSS Standards: FSSAI must expedite its definition of HFSS for both packaged food and school meals, based on scientific and demographic evidence relevant to India.
• Indigenous Epidemiological Data: There is a pressing need for national dietary studies that consider BMI, insulin levels, biochemical markers, and regional dietary patterns to set India-specific sugar intake limits.
• Expanding the Sugar Board Initiative:
  • State Boards should adopt CBSE’s sugar board model.
  • Workshops involving pediatricians and nutritionists should become routine in schools.
  • Sugar boards should evolve to include visual data on salt and trans-fat content.
• Parental and Community Engagement: NCPCR plans to involve parents during Parent-Teacher Meetings and conduct sensitisation drives on healthy eating habits.
• Comprehensive School Health Policy: India should introduce a national school nutrition policy addressing cafeteria offerings, marketing of HFSS foods, and nutrition literacy.
• Adopting Labelling Systems: A clear and India-specific front-of-pack labelling system (like EU’s traffic lights or U.S. sugar disclosures) should be introduced and enforced.

Conclusion

The introduction of sugar boards is a small but significant step towards combating the growing epidemic of lifestyle diseases in Indian children. For it to be impactful, India needs holistic regulatory frameworks, indigenous research-based dietary standards, and a collective push from schools, regulators, parents, and healthcare professionals.

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