Nestle Adds Sugar In Baby Foods Sold In Low And Middle Income Countries Including India, But Not In Developed Nations: Report

New Delhi: An investigation report published by Swiss investigative organisation Public Eye has found that Nestle adds sugar in its baby food sold across poor and middle income countries including India, however for the same baby foods, it adds zero sugar in countries like US, United Kingdom, Germany Switzerland, and other developed countries. 

"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 on the African continent, where all Cerelac baby cereals contain four grams or more of added sugar per serving. In Brazil, the world’s second-largest market, with sales of around $150 million in 2022, three-quarters of Cerelac baby cereals (known as Mucilon in the country) contain added sugar, on average 3 grams per serving," the report by Public Eye has found.

The findings, first reported by the Guardian, further said, 29 of these products sold by Nestlé in some of the main markets in low- and middle-income countries while the result predicted that 21 of them (which is 72 percent) contained added sugar.

"For ten of these products, we were able to determine the amount of added sugar. On average, our analysis found almost two grams per serving. The maximum value – 5.3 grams per serving – was detected in a product sold in Panama," it added.

Highlighting further, Public Eye said that it examined 115 products sold in Nestlé’s main markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America. 

"No less than 108 of them (94 percent) contained added sugar. For 67 of these products, we were able to determine the amount of added sugar. On average, our analysis found almost 4 grams per serving, or about one sugar cube. The highest amount – 7.3 grams per serving – was detected in a product sold in the Philippines and targeted at six-month-old babies," the report said.

Meanwhile, Nestle India told Livemint that the company has 'reduced added sugars' by up to 30 percent in its infant cereals portfolio over the past five years.

The full report on Nestle Baby Food by Public Eye can be found here.