An investigation by Public Eye has revealed that Nestle, the world’s largest consumer goods company, adds significant amounts of sugar to its Cerelac baby-food products sold in India, raising concerns about the nutritional quality of these products. While Cerelac is marketed as sugar-free in developed nations like the United Kingdom and Germany, findings show that each serving in India contains an average of nearly 3 grams of added sugar.
According to the report, Nestle’s practice of adding sugar to infant milk and cereal products in countries like India, Ethiopia, and Thailand violates international guidelines aimed at preventing obesity and chronic diseases. Despite these violations, the amount of added sugar is often not disclosed on the product packaging, raising transparency issues.
In response to the investigation, a spokesperson for Nestle India Ltd. stated that the company has reduced the total amount of added sugars in its infant cereals portfolio by 30% over the past five years. Nestle also affirmed its commitment to reviewing and reformulating products to further reduce sugar content while prioritizing the use of high-quality ingredients.
However, experts have expressed concerns about the health implications of adding sugar to baby products, emphasizing its addictive nature and the risks of nutrition-related disorders later in life. Rodrigo Vianna, an epidemiologist and Professor at the Department of Nutrition of the Federal University of Paraiba in Brazil, highlighted the negative impact of introducing sugary foods to children, which can lead to obesity and other chronic non-communicable diseases.
Nestle’s Cerelac products generated over ₹20,000 crore in sales in India in 2022, underlining the significance of the issue and the need for greater transparency and accountability in the baby-food industry.
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