New Delhi: The baby-food brands sold by global giant Nestle in India contain high levels of added sugar, while such products are sugar-free in the United Kingdom, Germany Switzerland, and other developed nations, an investigation by Public Eye, a Swiss organisation and the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) has revealed.
Findings showed that in India, all Cerelac baby products contain an average of nearly 3 grams of sugar per serving. The same product is being sold with no added sugar in Germany and the UK, while in Ethiopia and Thailand, it contains nearly 6 grams, the study said.
The report said that Nestle adds sugar 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.
However, a Nestle India Ltd spokesperson 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.”
On Wednesday, the leading UK paper The Guardian reported that the Swiss food giant adds sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold in “poorer countries”. It cited data from Public Eye and IBFAN that examined Nestle baby food brands sold in these markets. Public Eye examined 115 products sold in Nestle’s main markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America across two key brands — Cerelac and Nodi.
Nestle and Maggi Controversy
Roughly 38,000 tonnes of Maggi Noodles were taken off Indian store shelves between June 5 and September 1, 2015, and later destroyed.
Nestle India suffered greatly as a result of the pullout; Maggi’s market share fell from 80% to 0%. Nestle India’s operations were seriously threatened by Maggi sales, which accounted for almost 25% of the company’s income.
During a regular inspection in March 2014, Sanjay Singh, a food inspector with the Uttar Pradesh government’s Food Safety and Drug Administration, discovered the issue.
Singh discovered Maggi noodle packs with the claim, “no added MSG (monosodium glutamate)” and forwarded a sample for examination to the state laboratory in Gorakhpur. The Central Food Laboratory had to conduct additional testing when the results verified the presence of MSG by over 1,000 times.