Achi news desk-
New Delhi: Two of Nestlé’s best-selling baby food brands in India contain high levels of added sugar, while such products are sugar-free in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and other developed countries, according to a Public Eye investigation. The report states that Nestlé, which is the largest consumer products company in the world, adds sugar and honey to baby milk and cereals in several countries, a violation of international guidelines aimed at preventing obesity and chronic diseases. The violations were found only in Asian, African and Latin American countries.
The findings showed that in India, all 15 Cerelac baby products contain an average of almost 3 grams of sugar per serving. The same product is sold without added sugar in Germany and the UK, while in Ethiopia and Thailand, it contains almost 6 grams, the study said.
The amount of added sugar is often not even disclosed in the nutritional information available on the packaging of these types of products.
“While Nestlé prominently highlights the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients contained in its products using idealized imagery, it is not transparent when it comes to added sugar,” the report said.
Nestlé sold over 20,000 crores worth of Cerelac products in India in 2022.
Experts say that adding sugar, which is highly addictive, to baby products is a dangerous and unnecessary practice.
“This is a big concern. Sugar must not be added to the foods offered to babies and small children because it is unnecessary and highly addictive,” says Rodrigo Viana, an epidemiologist and professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Federal University of Fariba in Brazil.
“Children get used to the sweet taste and start looking for sweeter foods, starting a negative cycle that increases the risk of nutrition-based disorders in adult life. These include obesity and other non-communicable chronic diseases, such as diabetes or high blood pressure,” he added.
However, a Nestlé India spokesperson said they comply with all local regulations and international standards, and have already reduced added sugars in its baby cereal range by up to 30% over the past five years.
“Over the past five years, Nestlé India has reduced added sugars by up to 30%, depending on the variant, in our baby cereal (milk cereal-based complementary food) portfolio,” the spokesperson told LiveMint.
(Except for the headline, this story was not edited by the Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
