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Sunday, February 16, 2025

Nestle Baby Food Products High in Added Sugar in India

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A study by Public Eye found that some top-selling Nestle baby food brands in India contain high amounts of added sugar. However, the same products are sugar-free in countries like the UK, Germany and Switzerland.

The report states that Nestle, the largest consumer goods company worldwide, adds sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products in several nations. This violates international guidelines aimed at preventing obesity and chronic diseases in children. Violations were only found in Asian, African and Latin American countries.

A Nestle India spokesperson told NDTV Profit that the company has reduced added sugars in its infant cereals by 30% over 5 years. They said they “review” and “reformulate” products to cut sugars further, using “high-quality ingredients”.

Findings showed all 15 Cerelac baby products in India contain nearly 3 grams of added sugar per serving on average. The same products have no added sugar in Germany and the UK. In Ethiopia and Thailand, they contain almost 6 grams of sugar.

The amount of added sugar is often not disclosed on the nutrition labels of such baby food products. The report criticized Nestle for not being transparent about added sugars while heavily promoting other nutrients.

Nestle sold over ₹20,000 crore worth of Cerelac products in India in 2022.

Experts warn adding sugar, which is highly addictive, to baby foods is dangerous and unnecessary. It can lead to children developing a sweet tooth and craving more sugary foods, increasing risks of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure later in life.

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