Indus Valley Times

NEW DELHI, APR 18 : Nestle’s leading baby food brands contain high levels of added sugar and honey, a report has revealed. According to the Public Eye, a Swiss investigative organisation, the sugar contents were found in Nestle’s brands promoted in low and middle-income countries. This is contrary to international guidelines aimed at preventing obesity and chronic diseases.

In India, where sales surpassed 250 million dollars in 2022, all Cerelac baby cereals contain added sugar, on average nearly 3 grams per serving, the study revealed.

The same situation prevails in South Africa, the main market on the African continent, where all Cerelac baby cereals were found to contain four grams or more of added sugar per serving.

In Brazil, the world’s second-largest market, with sales of around 150 million dollars in 2022, three-quarters of Cerelac baby cereals (known as Mucilon in the country) contain added sugar, on average 3 grams per serving.

In the Philippines, products aimed at toddlers were found to contain no added sugar.

However, in Indonesia, Nido baby-food products, sold as Dancow, all contained about 2g of added sugar per 100g of product in the form of honey, or 0.8g a serving.

In Mexico, two of the three Nido products available for toddlers contained no added sugar, but the third contained 1.7g per serving. Nido Kinder 1+ products sold in South Africa, Nigeria and Senegal all contained nearly 1g per serving, the report said.

The results were found after campaigners from Public Eye sent samples of the Swiss multinational’s baby-food products sold in Asia, Africa and Latin America to a Belgian laboratory for testing.

The results, and examination of product packaging, revealed added sugar in the form of sucrose or honey in samples of Nido, a follow-up milk formula brand intended for use for infants aged one and above, and Cerelac, a cereal aimed at children aged between six months and two years.

The result also found that there was no added sugar in formulas for young children in Nestle’s main European markets, including the UK. While some cereals aimed at older toddlers were found to contain added sugar, none was found in products targeted at babies between six months and one year.

According to the guidelines from the World Health Organisation for the European region, no added sugars or sweetening agents should be permitted in any food for children under three.

Meanwhile, tests on products from the Nido brand, which has worldwide retail sales of more than 1 billion dollars, revealed significant variation in sugar levels.

-PTI