New Delhi: Popular baby food in India Nestle’s Cerelac found to contain high levels of added sugar, while these products are found to be sugar-free in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and other developed nations, according to an investigation by Public Eye.
A report has stated that Nestle, which is the world’s largest consumer goods company adds sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products in several countries, which is a violation of international guidelines aimed at preventing obesity and chronic diseases. Violations were found only in Asian, African and Latin American countries. India has taken note of this serious violation and examining charges against these baby food products.
In a conversation with a news channel Nestle spokesperson said that the company has reduced the total amount of added sugars in its infant cereals portfolio by 30% over the past five years and continues to review and reformulate the products to reduce them further. Nestle in a statement said that the company believes in the nutritional quality of its products for early childhood and prioritises using high-quality ingredients.
According to the research, each serving of the 15 Cerelac baby products sold in India had an average of about 3 grams of sugar. However, the study found that whereas the same food is marketed in Ethiopia and Thailand with almost 6 grams of added sugar, it is offered in Germany and the UK with no added sugar.
The nutritional information that is accessible on the package of these kinds of items does not even include the quantity of added sugar. According to the paper, Nestle uses idealizing graphics to highlight the vitamins, minerals, and other elements included in its products, but it is opaque about the extra sugar it uses.
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 addicting, to items intended for babies. “This is a serious issue. Because sugar is superfluous and highly addictive, it shouldn’t 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.
Furthermore, he mentioned that kids grow accustomed to sweetness and seek out more sugary foods, which creates a vicious cycle that raises the chance of developing nutrition-related problems as adults. These include high blood pressure, diabetes, and other chronic, non-communicable disorders like obesity.
