You will be amazed to know that the two of the best-selling baby-food brands by Nestle in India contain high levels of added sugar.
Nestle Adds Sugar In Baby Products
Contrary to this, baby food products are sugar-free in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, and other developed nations, highlighted by a latest investigation done by Public Eye.
Further, this report highlights that Nestle, which is the world’s largest consumer goods company, adds sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products.
You will be surprised to know that in several countries, this is a violation of international guidelines which are aimed at preventing obesity and chronic diseases.
Besides India, these violations were also found in Asian, African, and Latin American countries.
Different Sugar Contains For Different Countries
In its defense, a Nestle India Ltd. spokesperson said in a media interview that the company has reduced the total amount of added sugars in its infant cereals portfolio by 30% over the past five years.
Further adding that the company continues to “review” and “reformulate” products to reduce them further.
“We believe in the nutritional quality of our products for early childhood and prioritize using high-quality ingredients,” the spokesperson added in a statement.
On an average, all 15 Cerelac baby products contain nearly 3 grams of sugar per serving, as per these findings in India.
Ironically, the same product is being sold with no added sugar in Germany and the UK.
This gets worse in Ethiopia and Thailand, where the baby product contains nearly 6 grams of sugar, as per the study.
Wrong Information On Content
The amount of added sugar is often not even disclosed in the nutritional information available on the packaging of these kinds of products.
Further, the report highlights, “While Nestle prominently highlights the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients contained in its products using idealizing imagery, it’s not transparent when it comes to added sugar.”
When it comes to revenues, Nestle sold over Rs 20,000-Crore worth of Cerelac products in India in 2022.
Added Sugar Dangerous For Babies
According to experts, adding sugar to baby products is highly addictive, it is a dangerous and unnecessary practice.
The epidemiologist and Professor at the Department of Nutrition of the Federal University of Paraiba in Brazil, Rodrigo Vianna, raised a big concern saying, “Sugar should not be added to foods offered to babies and young children because it is unnecessary and highly addictive.”
With the use of such products, children get used to the sweet taste and start looking for more sugary foods.
This further starts a negative cycle that increases the risk of nutrition-based disorders in adult life.
This subsequently results in obesity and other chronic non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
