According to a Public Eye investigation, two of Nestle’s best-selling baby food brands in India have a lot of added sugar, whereas similar products are sugar-free in the UK, Germany, Switzerland, and other developed countries. According to the report, Nestle, the largest consumer goods company globally, violates international guidelines meant to prevent obesity and chronic diseases by adding sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products in a number of countries. Only countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America had violations.
According to research, each serving of the 15 Cerelac baby products sold in India has an average of almost 3 grams of sugar. According to the study, the same product is sold in Ethiopia and Thailand with roughly 6 grams of added sugar, but not in Germany or the UK.
The nutritional information that is provided on the packaging of these kinds of products frequently does not even mention the amount of added sugar.
The report stated that “Nestle is not transparent when it comes to added sugar, even though it prominently highlights the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients contained in its products using idealizing imagery.”
In India, Nestle sold Cerelac products for more than Rs 20,000 crore in 2022.
According to experts, it is risky and needless to add sugar, which is extremely addictive, to items intended for babies.
“This is a serious issue. Because sugar is superfluous and highly addictive, it should not be added to foods given to infants and young children, according to epidemiologist and professor Rodrigo Vianna of the Federal University of Paraiba in Brazil’s Department of Nutrition.
“As children grow accustomed to the sweetness, they seek out more sugary foods, which sets off a vicious cycle that raises the possibility of nutrition-related problems in later life. These comprise chronic non-communicable diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure, as well as obesity,” he continued.
However, a representative for Nestle India stated that the company complies with all national and international laws and has already cut the amount of added sugar in all of its infant cereal products by up to 30% over the previous five years.
“In our infant cereals portfolio (milk cereal-based complementary food), Nestlé India has reduced added sugars by up to 30%, depending on the variant,” the spokesperson said, referring to the previous five years.
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