Nestle Under Fire for Adding Sugar to Baby Products Across Global Market

18 Apr 2024 , 11:37 AM

Nestle, the world’s leading consumer goods manufacturer and a prominent producer of baby formula, has come under scrutiny for its inclusion of sugar in infant milk and cereal products marketed in India, Asia, and Africa.

The revelation stems from investigations conducted by Swiss organization Public Eye and IBFAN, which sent samples of Nestle baby food from various regions to a laboratory in Belgium for testing, uncovering the addition of sucrose or honey in products such as Nido follow-up milk formula and Cerelac cereal.

Notably, in India, where Nestle’s Cerelac sales surpassed $250 million in 2022, all Cerelac baby cereals were found to contain an average of nearly 3 grams of added sugar per serving, indicating a widespread practice.

Cerelac cereals sold in different countries displayed varying levels of added sugar, with those in Germany, France, and the UK showing no such addition, while those in Ethiopia contained over 5 grams per serving, and Thailand recorded 6 grams.

The situation is echoed in South Africa, where all Cerelac baby cereals contained four grams or more of added sugar per serving, emphasizing a consistent pattern across diverse markets.

Brazil, Nestle’s second-largest market with sales of approximately $150 million in 2022, witnessed three-quarters of Cerelac baby cereals (branded as Mucilon) containing added sugar, averaging around 3 grams per serving.

WHO raised concerns regarding Nestle’s practice, highlighting disparities in sugar content between products sold in countries with differing economic resources, which could exacerbate health issues and ethical dilemmas.

Further testing on Nestle’s Nido brand products revealed significant variations in sugar levels across different regions, indicating a lack of uniformity in product formulation and composition.

Despite criticism, Nestle emphasized its efforts to reduce added sugars in baby cereals by 11% over the past decade and pledged to continue reducing sugar content without compromising product quality, safety, or taste.

Nestle India reported a reduction of up to 30% in added sugars over the past five years, demonstrating a commitment to product improvement and addressing consumer health concerns.

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