Let’s Fix Our Food Consortium Releases Nutrition Policy to Promote Healthier Diets for Indian Children and Adolescents

Key Facts

• Date of release: 22 July 2026
• Lead institution: Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN)
• Title of document: Priority Policy Actions to Promote Healthier Diets and Food Environments for Children and Adolescents in India
• Partner organizations: UNICEF India, World Health Organization (WHO), Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Public Health Foundation of India, Resolve to Save Lives, World Food Programme
• Major policy tools recommended: establishment of healthy school food environments, implementation of front-of-pack nutrition labelling, regulation of marketing unhealthy foods directed at children, and taxation of foods high in fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS)
• New resources launched: Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for Schools (NEAT-S), an e-learning module on food labels, and educational resources on fats, sugars, and salt
• Focus conditions: diet-related non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease

Background & Context

India is experiencing a rising burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are a significant public health concern, especially among children and adolescents. To address this, the Let’s Fix Our Food Consortium, led by ICMR-NIN, conducted nearly three years of multidisciplinary research, stakeholder consultations, and policy discussions. The consortium is a multi-institutional platform partnering with UNICEF India, WHO, FSSAI, Public Health Foundation of India, Resolve to Save Lives, and the World Food Programme. Their collective effort aims to provide evidence-based policy actions to improve nutrition and food environments for young populations in India.

Why This Matters for Exams

This policy initiative is critical for understanding current developments in India’s public health and nutrition domains, particularly related to child and adolescent health. Relevant topics include the role of frontline nutrition institutions such as ICMR-NIN and FSSAI, international partnerships (WHO, UNICEF), and emerging policy tools like front-of-pack labelling and regulation of marketing unhealthy foods to children. It also highlights the government’s attempts to curb diet-related NCDs via taxation on HFSS foods, a significant public health strategy. Such knowledge is pertinent for competitive exams focusing on health policies, nutrition, and non-communicable disease control in India.

Points to Remember

• The policy was released on 22 July 2026 in New Delhi by the Let’s Fix Our Food Consortium led by ICMR-NIN.
• The document is titled: Priority Policy Actions to Promote Healthier Diets and Food Environments for Children and Adolescents in India.
• Key partners include UNICEF India, WHO, FSSAI, Public Health Foundation of India, Resolve to Save Lives, and the World Food Programme.
• Policy recommendations focus on healthy school food environments, front-of-pack nutrition labelling, regulation of unhealthy food marketing targeted at children, and taxation of HFSS foods.
• Additional resources launched include NEAT-S (Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for Schools), an online e-learning module on food labels, and educational material concerning fats, sugars, and salt intake.
• Diet-related non-communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are major public health challenges addressed.