A New Report Claims Nestle Adds Sugar to Baby Food in Low-Income Countries

Nestlé is coming under fire following the release of a new report that shows the brand's infant milk and cereal products contain added sugars in many low-income countries around the world.

In April, Public Eye, a Swiss NGO that works to promote corporate responsibility and sustainability, and the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), released a report on Nestlé baby products. Using data from Euromonitor, the two organizations found significant differences in the products the company sells in markets like Switzerland, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom with the rest of the world.  

"... For Nestlé, not all babies are equal when it comes to added sugar," the report stated. "While in Switzerland, where the company is headquartered, the main brands of infant cereals and growing-up milks sold by the food giant are free of added sugar, most Cerelac and Nido products marketed in lower-income countries contain it, often at high levels." 

For a specific example, it states that in Switzerland, Nestlé's “biscuit flavor” cereals, meant for 6-month-olds, come with "no added sugar" on the label. However, in Ethiopia, Senegal, Thailand, and South Africa, the same Cerelac cereals contain up to six grams of added sugar per serving. 

“Such a double standard is unjustifiable,” Nigel Rollins, a scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), added in the report. Rollins added that Nestlé's willingness to add sugars to the product where resources are more scarce is “problematic, both from a point of view ethics as well as public health." He added this may be an attempt by Nestlé to get children "accustomed" to certain levels of sugar at an early age, which he calls "totally inappropriate." 

However, the larger issue may be in the packing. As the report noted, while many countries have strict labeling laws that require brands to note how much added sugar is in a product, others do not. So, to determine how much added sugar is in different products worldwide, the team imported Cerelac — the world's number one baby cereal band, with $1 billion in sales in 2022, according to Euromonitor — and Nido products from several countries to examine their labels and have them tested by a specialized laboratory in Switzerland. 

But, in a twist, the researchers had a hard time finding any lab to do the testing, with one lab noting that the results could "potentially have a negative impact” on existing clients. So, it turned to a lab in Belgium instead. In total, it examined 115 Cerelac products sold in Nestlé's main markets. And 108 of the products tested contain added sugar.

"For 67 of these products, we were able to determine the amount of added sugar. On average, there are almost 4 grams per serving, or about a square of sugar," the report stated. "The highest amount – 7.3 grams per serving – was detected in a product sold in the Philippines and intended for 6-month-old babies." 

The numbers weren't much better for Nido brands. It found that out of the 29 Nido products marketed by Nestlé in in low- and middle-income countries, 21 of them contain added sugar. 

“It’s extremely worrying,” Rodrigo Vianna, an epidemiologist and professor in the nutrition department at the Federal University of Paraíba, in Brazil, added in the report. “Sugar should not be added to foods intended for babies and young children because it is unnecessary and highly addictive. Children will seek out increasingly sugary foods, starting a negative cycle that increases the risk of eating disorders in adulthood, such as obesity, as well as other chronic illnesses such as diabetes." 

Since the report came out, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India told Reuters it's launching an independent investigation into the fact that all 15 of the products under Nestlé's Cerelac brand sold there contained close to three grams of added sugar per serving. If it deems Nestlé is at fault, it added it will take "stringent action." However, other officials have come out in support of Nestlé, including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in Nigeria, which stated that Nestlé products sold there adhere to local standards.

Nestlé has also responded to the report, stating in an open letter that it applies "the same nutrition, health and wellness principles everywhere. All our early life foods and milks are nutritionally balanced as defined in the commonly accepted scientific guidelines and dietary recommendations." It added, "Supporting the right nutritional start to life is fundamental to who we are and how we operate, and we are committed to doing our utmost to constantly upgrade our product formulations and labeling to guide parents to the right choices." 

Additionally, Nestlé explained that its infant formula products for babies under 12 months "do not contain added sugars," while for its growing up milks for kids between one to three years old, it's phasing out added sugars and "the vast majority of these products do not contain refined sugar. We aim to reach 100% by the end of 2024." It also claims it has reduced the sugar in many of its infant cereals. Nestlé also pinned part of the problem on total vs. added sugars, noting some sugars in its cereals "come from different sources," including "some sugars, naturally present in cereals, are released during manufacturing," and some sugars that come from "ingredients we add, such as fruit puree, pieces of fruit, sucrose, or honey, which are used to add flavor and texture." 

Still, for health officials, this doesn't seem to be enough. 

“I don't understand why products sold in South Africa should be different from those sold in higher-income countries,” Karen Hofman, professor of public health at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and qualified pediatrician, added in the report. “It is a colonialist practice that must not be tolerated … Generally speaking, there is no good reason to add sugar to baby foods." See the full report at stories.publiceye.ch.