Have cut sugar by 30% in baby food: Nestle

New Delhi, April 18

A report has revealed that food and beverages giant Nestle adds sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold in India, and other Asian and African countries.

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In Switzerland, where the company is headquartered, the main infant cereals and formula brands sold by the multinational come without added sugar. On the other hand, most Cerelac and Nido products marketed in lower-income countries contain added sugar, often in high levels. Public Eye report

The 15 Cerelac products analysed from India contained 2.7 grams of added sugar per serving on average, reveals findings by NGO Public Eye.

It further revealed that such products are sugar-free in the UK, Germany, Switzerland, and other developed nations. The WHO has said that eliminating sugar from the food products of children would be an important way to implement early prevention of obesity. Honey and sucrose are both considered by the WHO as sugars and should not be added to baby food, it said.

“In India, where sales surpassed $250 million in 2022, all Cerelac baby cereals contain added sugar, on average nearly 3 grams per serving. The same situation prevails in South Africa, the main market in the African continent, where all Cerelac baby cereals contain four grams or more of added sugar per serving” the report said. In its defence, Nestle India Ltd has said the company has reduced the total amount of added sugars in its infant cereals portfolio by 30 per cent over the past five years and it continues to review and reformulate products to reduce them further. “We believe in the nutritional quality of our products for early childhood and prioritise using high-quality ingredients,” it said in a statement. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is examining the report by Public Eye.