ICMR-NIN-led ‘Let’s Fix Our Food’ Consortium Releases Policy Priorities to - 22nd July 2026 - Ministry of Health and Family Welfare - Gazette Notification PDF
Read or download the official PDF of this gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 22nd July 2026. Classified under Press Release.
Executive Summary
On July 22, 2026, the ICMR-NIN-led ‘Let’s Fix Our Food’ (LFOF) Consortium launched a policy document outlining evidence-based recommendations to promote healthier diets for children and adolescents in India. The document, released during a consultation workshop in New Delhi, summarizes three years of multidisciplinary research aimed at preventing diet-related non-communicable diseases. Key deliverables include the launch of the Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for Schools (NEAT-S) and specific fiscal and regulatory policy priorities.
Key Points / Main Content
Core Policy Recommendations
Food Environment Regulation: Establishment of healthy school food environments and strict regulation of marketing unhealthy foods to children.
Labeling and Literacy: Implementation of front-of-pack nutrition labeling and e-learning modules to improve nutrition literacy and understanding of food labels.
Fiscal Measures: Proposals for the taxation of foods high in fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) and the use of other fiscal measures to promote healthier dietary choices.
Nutritional Standards: Promotion of healthier dietary fats, salt reduction strategies, and the introduction of low-sodium salt substitutes.
Launched Knowledge Products
LFOF Website: A digital platform to host consortium resources and policy briefs.
NEAT-S Toolkit: The Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for Schools designed to evaluate and improve school food settings.
Educational Resources: A suite of ICMR-NIN materials focused on the risks of excess fats, sugars, and salt, alongside social and behavior change communication tools.
Consortium Goals and Research
Evidence-Based Action: The consortium translates high-quality research into public health policy to address the growing burden of childhood obesity and overweight.
Multisectoral Collaboration: The initiative involves diverse partners, including NITI Aayog, FSSAI, WHO, UNICEF India, and various academic institutions, to address the commercial and social determinants of unhealthy diets.
Impact Analysis
Children and AdolescentsImpact
They are the primary beneficiaries of improved food environments, increased nutrition literacy, and reduced exposure to unhealthy food marketing.
Action Required
Engage with new educational resources and participate in youth-led initiatives to adopt healthier dietary behaviors.
Educational Institutions (Schools)Impact
Schools are identified as critical environments for nutritional intervention and will be subject to new assessment standards.
Action Required
Utilize the Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for Schools (NEAT-S) to evaluate and improve the quality of food provided on campuses.
Government and PolicymakersImpact
The document provides a framework for multisectoral policy action, including taxation and marketing regulations.
Action Required
Translate the provided evidence into actionable legislation regarding HFSS food taxation, front-of-pack labeling, and salt reduction.
Food Industry and RegulatorsImpact
The industry faces potential new requirements for nutrition labeling, salt reduction, and restrictions on marketing products to minors.
Action Required
Align product formulations and marketing strategies with the recommended standards for healthier dietary fats and reduced salt/sugar content.
Key Entities Referenced
'Let's Fix Our Food' (LFOF) Consortium: A multi-institutional national platform led by ICMR-NIN that seeks to prevent diet-related non-communicable diseases by transforming food environments for children and adolescents.
Priority Policy Actions to Promote Healthier Diets and Food Environments for Children and Adolescents in India: A policy document outlining evidence-based recommendations for nutrition labeling, regulation of unhealthy food marketing, and fiscal measures to promote healthier diets.
Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN): The primary research institution leading the LFOF Consortium and responsible for generating the evidence-based dietary policy recommendations.
Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for Schools (NEAT-S): A specific knowledge product and toolkit launched to assess and facilitate the creation of healthier food environments within school settings.
NITI Aayog: The apex public policy think tank of India, whose Member (Health) launched the policy document, indicating the high-level strategic nature of the initiative.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
ICMR-NIN-led ‘Let’s Fix Our Food’ Consortium
Releases Policy Priorities to Promote Healthier
Diets for Children and Adolescents
Policy document outlines evidence-based recommendations
to create healthier food environments and improve dietary
behaviours among children and adolescents
NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr. M. Srinivas launches policy
document during LFOF Dissemination and Consultation
Workshop in New Delhi
प्रव तथ: 22 JUL 2026 6:03PM by PIB Delhi
The Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN)-led 'Let's Fix Our
Food' (LFOF) Consortium today released a policy document titled 'Priority Policy Actions to Promote
Healthier Diets and Food Environments for Children and Adolescents in India', outlining evidence-based
recommendations to support healthier food environments and improve dietary behaviours among children
and adolescents across the country.
The policy document was launched by Dr. M. Srinivas, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, during the LFOF
Dissemination and Consultation Workshop held at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, in the presence of
Dr. Bharati Kulkarni, Director, ICMR-NIN, Prof. (Dr.) K. Srinath Reddy, Founder President, Public
Health Foundation of India (PHFI), and senior representatives from the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare, FSSAI, UNICEF India, Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), consortium partner institutions,
researchers, development partners and youth representatives.
The Let's Fix Our Food (LFOF) Consortium is a multi-institutional national platform led by ICMR-NIN,
with participation from Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) India, UNICEF India, Global Health Advocacy
Incubator (GHAI), PHFI, WHO, FSSAI, IEG, WFP, Lady Irwin College, IFPRI, Deakin University and
other national and international partners. Through research, policy analysis, advocacy and stakeholder
engagement, the Consortium seeks to support India's efforts to prevent diet-related non-communicable
diseases by transforming food environments, particularly for children and adolescents.
The publication brings together nearly three years of multidisciplinary research, stakeholder consultations
and policy dialogues. It sets out policy recommendations across key areas, including healthy school food
environments, nutrition literacy, front-of-pack nutrition labelling, regulation of marketing of unhealthy
food to children, taxation of foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS), healthier dietary fats, salt reduction,
low-sodium salt substitutes, social and behaviour change communication, youth engagement and fiscal
measures to promote healthier diets.Speaking on the occasion, Dr. M. Srinivas, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, said, "Evidence-based,
multisectoral policy action is essential to create healthier food environments for children and adolescents.
Collaborative initiatives such as the Let's Fix Our Food Consortium are important for addressing the
growing burden of overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases in India."
Dr. Bharati Kulkarni, Director, ICMR-NIN, said, "ICMR-NIN is committed to generating high-quality
evidence and fostering partnerships that translate research into public health action. The policy
recommendations reflect the collective efforts of researchers, policymakers, development partners and
young people working towards healthier food environments for India's future generations."
Prof. (Dr.) K. Srinath Reddy, Founder President, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), underscored
the need for comprehensive policy interventions addressing the commercial, social and environmental
determinants of unhealthy diets, and called for sustained action to protect children and adolescents from
obesogenic food environments.
The workshop also witnessed the launch of several knowledge products developed under the Consortium,
including the LFOF website, the Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for Schools (NEAT-S) and its
report, an e-learning module on understanding food labels, and a suite of ICMR-NIN educational
resources on fats, sugars and salt to strengthen nutrition literacy among children and adolescents.
Marie-Claude Desilets, Chief of Nutrition, UNICEF India, said, "Malnutrition is no longer only about
undernutrition. Rising obesity, driven by unhealthy diets, challenges healthy growth among children and
adolescents. The release of these ten policy briefs and the Nutrition Environment Assessment Toolkit for
Schools (NEAT-S) marks a step towards creating policies for healthier school food environments. Every
child has the right to grow up in a food environment that enables them to thrive, learn and achieve their
full potential."
Dr. Syed Imran Farooq, Executive Director, Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), highlighted the need to reduce
excess salt, fat and sugar intake alongside food policies that support healthier food environments and
lower the burden of cardiovascular diseases and other health threats. He also acknowledged the leadership
of ICMR-NIN and reaffirmed RTSL's commitment to the shared vision of healthier food environments
across India.
The consultation showcased new evidence generated by consortium partners on school food environments,
unhealthy food marketing, nutrition education, dietary behaviours, fiscal policy options and nutrition
environment assessments across multiple states. The workshop concluded with thematic discussions on
translating evidence into actionable policy recommendations to support healthier food environments for
children and adolescents.
Background
The Let's Fix Our Food Consortium was established to generate evidence and catalyse policy action for
healthier food environments in India, with a special focus on children and adolescents. The policy
priorities released today draw on multidisciplinary research and consultations and seek to support efforts
to prevent diet-related non-communicable diseases through coordinated, evidence-informed action.
The policy briefs are available at: https://letsfixourfood.org/LFOF-policy-brief.php.***
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