Cerelac is a popular baby food choice among Indian parents for their newborn kids. In a surprising investigation, it was found that Nestle adds sugar to the baby food products sold in Asian and African countries that are relatively poorer. However, it doesn’t do the same in European countries or the ones in the United Kingdom. Exposure to sugar at an early stage is known to be problematic. Hence, authorities have found this move to be ethically dubious.
Investigation Shows Nestle Adds Sugar To Baby Food Products
According to an article which was recently published by The Times Of India or TOI, the matter came to light on April 17, Wednesday. International Baby Food Action Network or IBFAN and Public Eye sent samples of their baby food products from different parts of the world for testing.
Public Eye is an investigative organisation based in Switzerland and the food samples were sent to a laboratory in Belgium. The samples of the baby food were from Asia, Africa and Latin America.
It was found that, in India, an average of three grammes of sugar was added per serving in all Cerelac baby cereals. In the UK, Germany and France, however, baby food products sold by the company had no added products.
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What Did The Company Say Regarding This Particular News?
Nestle racked up $250 million in sales in India in 2022. This is problematic because as per the World Health Organisation or WHO, exposure to sugar in early life can lead to a lifelong preference for sugar which can lead to a number of health problems later in life like obesity and diabetes.
In 2022, the WHO also urged companies to be mindful of the same. It called for a ban on sugar in baby food products. As per a Nestle spokesperson cited in the TOI article, over the past five years, Nestle India has reduced up to 30 per cent of added sugars in their baby food portfolio.
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Do you consume Nestle’s baby food products regularly? Did you find this news shocking? Let us know in the comments section below!
Cover Image Credits: Canva Images and @kaysha/Flickr
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