A report has discovered that Nestle is adding sugar to infant milk and cereal products sold in many poor nations. This goes against international guidelines that aim to prevent obesity and chronic illnesses.
Samples of the multinational company’s baby food products sold in Asia, Africa, and Latin America were sent by Public Eye, a Swiss investigative organization, to a Belgian laboratory for testing.
Upon analyzing the product packaging, it was discovered that Nido, a milk formula designed for infants aged one and older, and Cerelac, a cereal targeted towards children aged six months to two years, contained additional sugar in the form of sucrose or honey.
In Nestle’s primary European markets, such as the UK, formulas for young children do not contain added sugar. Although some cereals designed for older infants may have added sugar, products intended for babies aged six months to one year are sugar-free.
Nestle India informed multiple publications that they have decreased the amount of “added sugars” by as much as 30 percent in their infant cereals range over the last five years.
The company stated that they consistently assess their product lineup and are committed to developing and reformulating their products to lower the added sugar content while maintaining high standards of quality, safety, and taste.
The Guardian was the first to report the findings of the Public Eye, stating that in India, all Cerelac baby cereals contain added sugar, with an average of nearly three grams per serving.
According to a press release on Public Eye’s website, Public Eye and IBFAN analyzed approximately 150 products sold by the food company in lower-income countries.
The study found that nearly all the Cerelac infant cereals examined contained added sugar, with an average of almost 4 grams per serving, equivalent to about one sugar cube. Despite being marketed for babies as young as six months old, the cereals still contained significant amounts of added sugar.
According to the European guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO), it is recommended that food for children under the age of three should not contain any sugars or sweetening agents.
The issue of obesity is on the rise in low- and middle-income nations. In Africa, the World Health Organization reports a nearly 23% increase in the number of children under five who are overweight since 2000. On a global scale, over 1 billion individuals are currently affected by obesity.
According to a spokesperson from Nestle, we have confidence in the nutritional value of our products for young children and focus on using top-quality ingredients that are tailored to modify their growth and development.
She stated that Nestle consistently follows local regulations or international standards within the highly regulated category of baby food. This includes meeting labeling requirements and starting with carbohydrate content, which includes sugars. Nestle also discloses the total sugar content in its products, including sugars from honey.
She stated that the company has decreased the overall added sugar content in its infant cereals line by 11% globally in the last ten years and is still working on reformulating products to reduce them even more.
Additionally, she mentioned that sucrose and glucose syrup are being eliminated from “growing-up milk” targeted at infants worldwide.
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