look news india
If you also feed Nestle food to your children, then be careful. FMCG company Nestlé adds sugar and honey to food products such as baby milk and cerelac sold in developing countries. This has been revealed by Zurich-based Public Eye and International Baby Food Action Network in their report.
According to the report, almost all wheat-based baby foods for babies up to six months sold in Asia, Latin America and Africa contain an average of 4 grams of sugar per bowl (1 serving). Public Eye tested 150 of the company's products in these countries in a laboratory in Belgium.
If this claim of Public Eye proves to be true then it is a violation of the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). According to WHO guidelines, no sugar or sweeteners should be used in the food of children under 3 years of age.
According to the report, the Philippines has the highest amount of sugar at 7.3 grams per serving. Along with this, 6.8 grams of sugar was found in baby food in Nigeria and 5.9 grams in Senegal. Additionally, seven out of 15 countries did not provide information on sugar levels in products.
The report also said that Nestle adds an average of 3 grams of sugar in each serving of almost all Baby Cerelac products in India. Additionally, 100 grams of Cerelac sold for babies aged 6 months to 24 months contains a total of 24 grams of sugar.
The report accuses Nestlé of prominently highlighting vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in its products, but the company is not transparent about its sugar content.
Baby food falls into a highly regulated category, a Nestlé spokesperson said. We comply with local laws and international standards wherever we operate. This also includes labeling and limiting carbohydrates, including sugar. Over the last five years, we have reduced sugar in our infant cereal range (milk and cereal based complementary foods) by 30%.