Report - "How Nestlé gets children hooked on sugar in lower-income countries" : Laurent Gaberell, Manuel Abebe, Patti Rundall · April 2024 /IBFAN / Public Eye

Article shared by Tom McDermott

The new report shows that Nestlé continues to market baby foods in low and middle income countries with levels of sugar not permitted in Europe.  

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Click here for the article in Public Eye
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Excerpts:

"Whereas Nestlé recommends publicly to avoid baby foods that contain added sugar, it takes advantage of the weakness of existing regulations to continue selling such products in lower-income countries."

"Two of the best-selling baby-food brands marketed by Nestlé in low- and middle-income countries contain high levels of added sugar, while such products are sugar free in its home country, Switzerland."

"Fifty years after the infant formula scandal, Nestlé claims to have learned from the past while doing everything it can to keep its world leadership in infant nutrition. The food giant controls 20 percent of the baby-food market, valued at nearly $70 billion. With more than $2.5 billion in world sales in 2022, Cerelac and Nido are some of Nestlé’s best-selling baby-food brands in low- and middle-income countries."

"Almost all the Cerelac infant cereals examined contain added sugar – nearly 4 grams per serving on average, equal to roughly a sugar cube – although they are targeted at babies from six months of age. The highest amount – 7.3 grams per serving – was detected in a product sold in the Philippines. Most of the Nido powdered-milk products for young children from one to three years old examined also contain added sugar – almost two grams per serving on average. The maximum value (5.3 grams) was detected in a product sold in Panama. In Switzerland and in Nestlé’s main European markets, such products are sold without added sugar."