A recent investigation conducted by Public Eye and the Baby Food Action Network has revealed alarming discrepancies in the sugar content of Nestlé baby foods sold across different regions.
An international study, conducted in Belgium, sampled Nestlé’s baby food products, collected from Asia, Latin America, and Africa, that were analyzed for sugar content. The results showed that certain products, particularly Cerelac, contained up to 6.8 grams of added sugar per serving in middle-income countries. In contrast, similar products sold in Europe were found to have no added sugar.
Laurent Gaberell, an agriculture and nutrition expert at Public Eye, criticized Nestlé for these discrepancies, stating, “Nestlé must put an end to these dangerous double standards and stop adding sugar in all products for children under three years old, in every part of the world.”
The high levels of added sugar in baby foods are concerning due to their potential health impacts. Excessive sugar consumption in young children is linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes, which are prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. Dr. Nigel Rollins, a medical officer at the World Health Organization (WHO), condemned the findings as an unjustifiable “double standard.” It must be noted here that many studies in the past decade have found type 2 diabetes to be more prevalent in low-and-middle- income countries.
In response, a Nestlé spokesperson defended the company’s practices, stating that their products comply “with local regulations or international standards, including labeling requirements and thresholds on carbohydrate content that encompasses sugars.” The spokesperson also mentioned that recipe variations are influenced by local regulations and ingredient availability.
Advocacy Action: The defence presented by Nestle should serve as a reflection for local policy makers and regulatory authorities. Engage with your country’s food regulatory authorities and ask whether they will impose restrictions on sugar content in all baby foods, with the aim to reduce factors that can lead to a rise in type 2 diabetes. You could take the matter up with your elected representative to raise with the company, or your country’s food regulator body, or just to raise in Parliament to make the company take note.
Picture credit: BBC