Report reveals Nestlé adds sugar to baby food in low-income countries

In Switzerland, the label for Nestlé’s Cerelac baby cereal says “no added sugar.” However, in Senegal and South Africa, the same product reportedly has 6 grams of added sugar per serving. Recent Public Eye research.And in the Philippines, one serving Cerelac cereal version Babies between 1 and 6 months of age contain a whopping 7.3 grams of sugar, which is the equivalent of about 2 teaspoons.

This “double standard” in how Nestlé manufactures and sells its popular baby food brands around the world was reported by Swiss-based independent, non-partisan investigative organizations Public Eye and the International Baby Food Foundation. This is claimed in the Action Network report.

The group claims that nestle adds sugar and honey It is used in some baby cereals and baby formula in low-income countries, but products sold in Europe and other countries are advertised as having “no added sugar.” Disparities revealed in the report, Published in BMJ in Aprilis sounding the alarm among global health experts.

Nestlé says on its website: “We have reduced sugar in many of our infant cereals. Some contain added sugar, but we are working to reduce this further and offer more options with no added sugar.” We are moving forward.”

Public Eye sent 115 baby food products for lab testing under the Cerelac and Nido brands, which the food giant sells in Africa, Asia and Latin America.As a result of the survey, 94% of them added sugar.

“For 67 of these products, we were able to determine the amount of added sugar. On average, they contain about 4 grams per serving, or about 1 serving. [cube] amount of sugar,” according to the report.

Public Eye researcher Laurent Gaberel said it had been difficult to find laboratories to test food samples from around the world.

“All the laboratories we approached in Switzerland refused to cooperate with this project, fearing that it could have a negative impact on their customers,” Gaberel said. “Therefore, we had to carry out the research in collaboration with a laboratory based in Belgium.”

Nestlé is the parent company of popular baby food brands such as Cerelac and Nido.The company’s infant nutrition products “Biggest growth contributor” It outperformed all other categories in 2023, contributing $11.2 to net income.

Gaberell said the amount of added sugar ignored international guidance on child and infant nutrition.

“There’s really a consensus that there’s no room for sugar in baby food,” he says.

In the European region, who The guidelines state that no added sugar should be added to food for infants under three years of age.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has reportedly launched an independent investigation into Nestlé following the release of the report. Reuters.

According to FSSAI Website“Sucrose and/or fructose shall not be added unless required as a carbohydrate source, provided that their sum does not exceed 20 percent of the total carbohydrate.”

and the National Food and Drug Regulatory Authority of Nigeria. issued a statement This was in response to reports that domestic Nestlé products comply with standards.

“Our infant formula products for babies under 12 months do not contain any added sugar,” Nestlé said on its website, adding: “Our infant formula products, intended for babies under 12 months of age, do not contain any added sugar. ), we recently phased out added sugar and the majority of these products are free of refined sugar, with the aim of reaching 100% by the end of 2024.

“Such double standards are unwarranted,” WHO scientist Nigel Rollins told Public Eye researchers.

A Nestlé spokesperson told NBC News that the company is working to reduce added sugars around the world and offers sugar-free products in several countries.

Nestlé says on its website: “Our products comply with all applicable local and/or international regulations.”

They also responded with the following statement: “Supporting a start in life with the right nutritional status is fundamental to who we are and how we operate. All of our early childhood meals and milk are generally accepted, including CODEX. Nutritionally balanced as defined by published scientific guidelines and dietary recommendations.

food standards codex is a collection of international food standards and guidance developed in collaboration with the WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Experts say consuming too much sugar at an early age can have long-term health effects on infants and young children.

“We have reduced the recommended amount of sugar, especially for infants and children, because we know we face an obesity crisis in this country and around the world. We now know that the increase is actually helping to increase the problem of the obesity crisis,” said Dr. Sara Siddiqui, a pediatrician at New York University Langone Health.

Developing healthy eating habits from a young age is essential, she said.

“Sugar is addictive and can change the brain, so it’s really important to reduce your relationship with sugar from a young age,” Siddiqui says.

Siddiqui said financial stressors may also be influencing parents to continue buying sugary formula and infant cereals that their children might like.

“In some developing countries, and even here in the United States where there are people who are not doing well economically, they don’t want to waste the product once they buy it,” Siddiqui said. “So if you try to get your child to drink a drink that’s sweet to them, once they finish the product, you won’t feel like you’re wasting money or resources.”

Siddiqui encouraged parents to be kind to themselves.

“My advice is always to give yourself a little bit of grace. You’re a parent, so that’s tough,” Siddiqui said. “It’s always best to read the ingredients and try to do the best you can and try to emulate the behavior you want to see in your children.”

Gaberell’s solutions include educating local communities about traditional methods of infant feeding and requiring Nestlé to stop producing all infant products with added sugar.

“You did it in Switzerland, but you can do it all over the world,” Gaberel said.