lowered sugar in infant food by thirty percent: Nestle

According to a study, the multinational food and beverage company Nestle adds honey and sugar to cereal and newborn milk products that are offered in India and other Asian and African nations.

The results of an analysis by NGO Public Eye show that the 15 Cerelac products from India had an average of 2.7 grams of added sugar per serving.

It also showed that in the UK, Germany, Switzerland, and other industrialized countries, these kinds of items are sugar-free. According to the World Health Organization, removing sugar from children’s food items would be a significant step toward early obesity prevention. The World Health Organization states that honey and sucrose are sweets and should not be added to infant food.

“All Cerelac infant cereals in India, whose sales are expected to top $250 million in 2022, include added sugar—on average, about 3 grams per serving. According to the research, “the same situation exists in South Africa, the continent’s largest market, where every serving of Cerelac baby cereal has four grams or more of added sugar.” Nestle India Ltd.

defended itself by stating that over the previous five years, the business has lowered the overall quantity of added sugars in its portfolio of baby cereals by 30% and that it is still reviewing and reformulating products to further decrease them. “We prioritise utilising high-quality ingredients and believe in the nutritional quality of our products for early childhood,” the statement said. The Public Eye study is under examination by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.