A recent investigation by stirred up a major controversy involvꦗing the world's largest consumer goods company Nestle. As per the findings of the research, two of the best-selling baby-formula brands by Nestle in India, Cerelac and Nido, allegedly contain high levels of added sugar.
What makes the allegation even more critical is the claim that discrepancies were found in the sugar content between the products sold in꧑ the developing and developed nations.
About the research findings: Are infants' health compromised?
According to the report, Nestle's baby formula manufacturing method for several Asian, African, and Latin American countries includes the addition of extra sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products. This is considered a direct violation of standard international guidelines𒁃 adopted to prevent obesity and oth💫er chronic diseases.
The findings of the report suggested that in India, all 15 Cerelac baby products contain an average of nearly 🙈3 🐎grams of sugar per serving. In Ethiopia it is 5 grams and in Thailand and Senegal, the amount of added sugar per serving is nearly 6 grams while a similar product is being sold with zero added sugar in the developed countries including Germany, UK and Switzerland.
"While Nestle prominently highlights the vitamins, miﷺnerals, and other nutrient🎐s contained in its products using idealizing imagery, it's not transparent when it comes to added sugar," the report said.
The experts' take on consumption of added sugar
Highlighting the detr♈imental effects of consuming added sugar from an early age, several health experts have termed the practice addictive, dangerous and unnecessary.
As per the Publi𒀰c Eye report, Rodrigo Vianna, epidemiologist and Professor at the Department of Nutr🍒ition of the Federal University of Paraiba in Brazil, said "This is a big concern. Sugar should not be added to foods offered to babies and young children because it is unnecessary and highly addictive."
"Children get used to the sweet 🍰taste and start looking for more sugary foods, starting a𓆏 negative cycle that increases the risk of nutrition-based disorders in adult life. These include obesity and other chronic non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes or high blood pressure," he added.
The report als🅠o included a strong criticism from World Health Organization (WHO) scientist Nigel Rollins against the double standard maintained in sugar content of the baby formula sold in high-income and medium or low-income countries.
“There is a double standard here that can’t 𝕴be justified,” Rollins said, adding that the practi▨ce “is problematic both from a public health and ethical perspective.”
How did Nestle defend itself?
As the controversy surfaced, the Nestle India spokesper෴son however maintained that being a global brand, Nestle completely acts in compliance with all loc🧔al regulations and international standards, and has already taken a step towards cutting down added sugars across its infant cereal range by up to 30% in the last five years.
"Over the past five years, Nestlé India has reduced added sugars by up to 30%, depending on the variant, in our infant cereals portfolio (milk cereal-based complementary food)," the spokesperson told NDTV.
