The accusations come from the Swiss NGO Public Eye and the International Action Network for Child Feeding (IBFAN), following an investigation into the nutritional profiles of Nestlé baby food sold in other countries.
According to the report, sugar, in the form of sucrose or honey, has been detected in products intended for children between one and three years of age, which the authors say contradicts World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
To limit the threat of obesity and chronic diseases, the UN company has been calling since 2022 for a ban on added sugar in products intended for young children and young people under the age of three.
The report focuses on two Nestlé brands: Cerelac (also advertised as Mucilon) and Nido (sometimes the Dancow brand).
Cerelac, Euromonitor told Public Eye, is the world’s leading logo for baby cereals, with sales set to exceed $1 billion (€940 million) in 2022.
While in the United Kingdom and Germany Celerac wheat-based cereals for six-month-olds contain no added sugar, the same is true for the corresponding product sold in low- and middle-income countries.
The highest dose of sugar was observed in Thailand (6 g per serving), followed by Ethiopia (5. 2 g), South Africa (4 g), Pakistan (2. 7 g), India (2. 2 g) and Bangladesh (1. 6 g).
In total, the researchers say that 108 of the 115 Cerelacs analysed (94%) – sold in Nestlé’s main markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America – contain added sugar.
Nestlé’s Nestlé Milk Powder logo has surpassed $1 billion in global sales for products aimed at children between the ages of one and three, according to Euromonitor data observed through Public Eye.
The latter’s research suggests that of the 29 Nido products tested and sold through Nestlé in low- and middle-income countries, 21 (72%) contain added sugar.
As for the amount of added sugar found in each market, the effects vary. No added sugar was detected in Nido milk powders intended for one-year-olds in Brazil and the Philippines, while up to 5. 3 g per serving was detected in one product. it is sold in Panama, according to the report. In Nicaragua, a Nido milk powder product contained 4. 7 g per serving, and in Mexico, 1. 8 g.
For Public Eye and IBFAN, the effects are worrisome for public health. The WHO is concerned about the rise in obesity and obesity across all age groups, but notes that childhood obesity has increased tenfold over the past four decades.
After calling for a ban on added sugars and sweeteners in food products for young children and under-three, the WHO wants the industry to respond. “This study highlights the need for urgent action to reshape children’s eating environments,” said Dr Francesco Branca. Director of the WHO’s Department of Nutrition and Food Security, he told Public Eye and IBFAN.
“Eliminating added sugars in food products for young people would be a vital way to implement early obesity prevention. “
Nestlé promises the nutritional quality of its products for the first years of training and emphasizes that it uses ingredients that are suitable for children’s expansion and development. “We apply the same principles of nutrition, fitness and wellness to children,” a corporate spokesperson said.
As for why Nido and Cerelac’s recipes vary by geographic area, we were told that there are “slight variations” in several factors, adding regulations and the availability of local ingredients, which in no way compromise the quality of their products.
“Wherever we operate, our portfolio complies with local regulations or foreign standards, adding labeling thresholds and carbohydrate content surrounding sugars. “
Over the past decade, Nestlé has reduced the total amount of added sugars in its infant cereal portfolio by 11% and announced to us that all added sugars (sucrose and glucose syrup) will be phased out of its Nido growth milks over 12 years. years. -36 months.
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