Nestle Could Face Trouble For Sugar In Infant Milk Sold In India, Other Asian And African Countries: Reports

A new report has revealed that the World¡¯s largest consumer goods and manufacturer of baby formula, Nestle, is adding sugar to infant milk and cereal products sold in India, and other Asian, and African countries.

They found this out when a Swiss group called Public Eye and another group called IBFAN sent some Nestl¨¦ baby food from Asia, Africa, and Latin America to a lab in Belgium for testing.

Regional Differences in Sugar Content

In India, where Nestl¨¦ made over $250 million in sales in 2022, all of their Cerelac baby cereals have sugar added, about 3 grams in each serving on average. The investigation, made public on Wednesday, showed that Cerelac cereals for six-month-old babies sold in Germany, France, and the UK had no added sugar, but in Ethiopia, each serving had over 5 grams and in Thailand, it had 6 grams.

Nestle Could Face Trouble for Sugar In Infant Milk Sold In India, Other Asian And African Countries: Reports | Stock Image

WHO Raises Concerns

A scientist from the World Health Organization (WHO) said that it's not fair that Nestl¨¦ doesn't add sugar to these products in Switzerland but does in places with fewer resources. He said it's a problem for both public health and ethics. WHO warns that giving babies sugar early in life can make them prefer sugary foods and increase the risk of obesity and other health problems.

Discrepancy with Nutrition Advice

Even though WHO said in 2022 that there should be no added sugars in baby food and asked companies to change their products, Nestl¨¦'s website still says not to add sugar to baby food. But it seems like they don't follow their own advice in poorer countries.

Nestl¨¦'s Response

Nestl¨¦ said they've reduced the amount of added sugars in baby cereals by 11% over the past ten years and plan to reduce it more without changing the quality, safety, or taste of the products. A spokesperson for Nestl¨¦ India said they've reduced added sugars by up to 30% in the past five years and are always trying to make their products better.

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