Nestlé, the multinational food and beverage company, is under scrutiny for allegedly selling baby food with added sugar in low and middle-income countries, including South Africa, while marketing sugar-free alternatives with the same branding in Western markets.
A joint investigation conducted by Public Eye and the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) analyzed 150 Nestlé baby food products sold in lower- and middle-income countries like Argentia, Zimbabwe and Madagascar. The investigation revealed that popular Nestlé brands, such as Nido and Cerelac, contained higher sugar content in these regions compared to wealthier countries, despite being marketed under the same brand names and packaging.
On average, Cerelac contained four grams of added sugar per serving in these regions, while Nido had an average of two grams of added sugar per serving. In contrast, the same products sold in Switzerland, Nestlé's home country, had zero grams of added sugar per serving.
According to the report, all variants of Cerelac sold in South Africa, which is identified as the largest market for the product on the continent, contained four or more grams of sugar per serving. The Nido products intended for children aged one to three years contained an average of 0.9 grams of sugar in South Africa.
These findings contradict the guidance provided by health authorities, as the addition of sugar to baby food products is discouraged. US federal guidelines recommend that children under two years of age should not consume processed sugar due to its link to childhood obesity and potential future health issues, such as heart disease. The World Health Organization has also called for a ban on added sugar in products for babies and young children under three since 2022.
The report's authors interviewed Karen Hofman, a professor of public health at the University of Witwatersrand and a qualified pediatrician, who criticized the discrepancy in sugar levels, referring to it as a form of "colonization." She emphasized that there is no valid reason to add sugar to baby food, irrespective of the country.
In response to the allegations, Nestlé spokesperson Mota Mota stated that regional recipe adjustments were made to the products but maintained that the nutritional integrity of Nestlé products for infants and young children remained uncompromised. Mota cited factors such as regulations, consumer preferences, and ingredient availability as reasons for the variations in recipe
Mota also highlighted that Nestlé has made efforts to reduce sugar content across its product range, including the phased removal of added sugars from growing-up milks for children above 12 months worldwide. Nestlé claims to adhere to the standards set by local and international regulators, ensuring that its formulations include balanced, high-quality ingredients to support children's growth and development.
The controversy surrounding Nestlé's baby food products underscores the ongoing debate about sugar content in infant nutrition and the need for consistent standards across markets. You may want to read more on Nestle's 5 Biggest Scandals here.
