Swiss NGO Public Eye on Tuesday accused Nestlé of applying double standards, alleging that the company sells infant cereal in Africa with higher added sugar content than products marketed in more developed regions, claims Nestlé rejected as misleading and unfounded.
Working alongside civil society organisations in Africa, Public Eye collected nearly 100 Nestlé Cerelac instant infant cereal products and said laboratory tests showed that, unlike in European markets, more than 90% contained high quantities of added sugar.
According to the NGO, the average serving analysed contained nearly six grams of added sugar, twice the amount found in India, one of Cerelac’s major markets.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the findings. Nestlé, however, said the levels of all types of added sugars in its infant cereals remain well below the standards set by Codex Alimentarius, the international food safety body.
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“It is misleading and scientifically inaccurate to refer to the sugars coming from the cereals and naturally present in fruits as refined sugars added to the products,” a Nestlé spokesperson said.
“If we exclude sugars coming from ingredients like milk, cereals and fruit, our Cerelac infant cereals do not contain the levels of added refined sugars mentioned in the report.”
According to Reuters, Public Eye made similar allegations in April 2024, claiming Nestlé added sugar to baby foods sold in low-income countries, including India, while avoiding the practice in European markets. That earlier report prompted an inquiry from India’s food regulator. The new report revisits the accusation, this time focusing on Africa.
In an open letter dated November 17, the International Babyfood Action Network (IBFAN) and 19 civil society groups across 13 African countries, ranging from Morocco to Nigeria and South Africa, urged Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil to end what they described as a double standard regarding added sugar in baby food sold across the continent.
“We do not have double standards, our approach to nutrition is consistent across all countries,” Nestlé said in a statement. “We treat all children equally, regardless of where they are.” The company added that it is accelerating the global rollout of no-added-sugars variants that are already available in 97% of its markets. “We aim to reach 100% by end of 2025,” Nestlé said.
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Image Credit: Reuters
