A recent investigative report by Swiss NGO Public Eye has sounded the alarm over Nestle’s practices concerning the sugar content in its baby food products. The report revealed a marked disparity between the products sold in high-income countries, such as the US, UK, Germany, and Switzerland, where no added sugar is used, and those sold in low- and middle-income countries, including India, where added sugars are prevalent.
The Public Eye investigation delved into the Nestle Cerelac brand, a prominent line of baby cereals. In India, a burgeoning market where Nestle’s sales soared above $250 million in 2022, all Cerelac baby cereals were found to contain added sugars, at nearly 3 grams per serving. The pattern remains consistent in South Africa, the largest market for these products in Africa, with more than four grams of added sugar per serving detected. Similarly, in Brazil, which holds the title of the second-largest market worldwide with approximately $150 million in sales last year, an astounding 75% of Cerelac cereals have additional sugars.
This trend extends across several Nestle baby food products sold in various low- and middle-income regions. According to the findings, which initially came to light via The Guardian, out of 29 such products from Nestle, 21 contained added sugars, translating to a staggering 72%. Upon examining 115 products from Nestle’s primary markets spread throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America, researchers discovered that an overwhelming majority—108 products, or 94%—contained added sugars. This analysis yielded an average sugar content approaching 4 grams per serving, roughly equivalent to a standard sugar cube.
Among the most concerning examples is a product sold in the Philippines—aimed at babies as young as six months—which contains 7.3 grams of sugar per serving. Furthermore, in Panama, a particular Nestle baby food product was found to have 5.3 grams of added sugar in each serving.
This report stands in stark contrast to the company’s operations in developed nations, where added sugars are notably absent from their baby food products, highlighting a disquieting inconsistency in nutritive standards based on the economic status of consumer markets.
In response to the significant findings, Nestle India communicated with Livemint, contending that the company has conscientiously “reduced added sugars” in their infant cereals portfolio by as much as 30 percent over the past five years. This statement, nevertheless, does not entirely address the report’s findings regarding the differences in sugar content between products sold in various countries.
As global concern grows over sugar intake for infants and children, due largely to its links with obesity, diabetes, and other health issues, the Public Eye’s revelations about Nestle’s practices raise critical questions surrounding the responsibility of multinational corporations in ensuring consistent health standards in their products, regardless of the local market’s economic status.
Parents and caregivers in lower-income nations, aiming to provide nutritious meals to their children, may unwittingly be serving products with higher sugar content due to the lack of more stringent regulations or the demographics of the target market. As sugar content in baby foods becomes a mounting concern for health authorities and consumer rights organizations, reports such as this by Public Eye underscore the pressing need for transparency and equity in food production practices.
The full report on Nestle Baby Food by Public Eye can be found here, offering a detailed breakdown of the investigative findings and shedding light on a pressing global health concern. As stakeholders scrutinize Nestle’s practices, the broader conversation about the ethics of food marketing to vulnerable populations continues to intensify.
