Context: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made it mandatory for schools to set up sugar boards in schools to educate students on the risks of high sugar intake.
The National Commission For Protection of Child Rights has pushed for the introduction of a ‘sugar board’ in all schools- not only CBSE affiliated but affiliated to various State boards.
Relevance of the topic:
Prelims: Key facts about the Initiative- Sugar Boards.
Mains: Efforts by the government in promoting healthy dietary habits and nutritional intake.
What are Sugar Boards?
- Sugar board is a visual representation of the quantity of sugar contained in commonly consumed foods and drinks.
- Objective: To educate students about the risks of excessive sugar intake.
- It provides essential information including- recommended sugar intake, sugar content in commonly consumed foods (such as junk food and cold drinks), health risks associated with high sugar consumption and healthier dietary alternatives.
- Significance: It is a significant initiative towards nutritional literacy and preventive healthcare to create awareness in nearly 2 crore students and their families.
Sugar Intake and Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes
- Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in Type 2 Diabetes among children, a condition primarily seen in adults. The incidence of Type 2 Diabetes among children and adolescents is 397 per lakh population, next only to China which has 734 estimated cases per lakh.
- Studies indicate that sugar constitutes 13% of daily calorie intake for children aged 4-10 years and 15% of those aged 11-18 years, substantially exceeding the recommended limit of 5%.
This alarming trend is attributable to high sugar intake and easy availability of sugary snacks, beverages and processed foods within school environments.
India’s Regulatory Stand
- Food Standards and Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) had convened a scientific panel of experts in 2025 to decide on a High Fat, Salt and Sugar (HFSS) definition pertaining only to school meals. However, the FSSAI has still not set HFSS standards or finalized the ‘health-star rating system’, for front-of-pack labelling regulations.
- While there are regulations in place for making claims on packaged food, FSSAI has not fixed a cut-off for High Fat, Salt, Sugar consumption for the Indian population.
- India currently relies on World Health Organisation (WHO) cut-offs for ideal HFSS intake. For instance, WHO guidelines restrict daily sugar intake in adults and children to 25 grams (six teaspoons).
Experts emphasise the need for India-specific sugar intake cut-offs based on indigenous epidemiological data, as Indians are genetically more prone to heart diseases, necessitating studies on BMI, insulin resistance, and other health indicators.
The initiative must be complemented by stringent food regulations in school canteens, formulation of India-specific HFSS standards, and widespread parental and community engagement.
Also Read: Tackling Obesity and Regulating Ultra-Processed Foods in India