Nestlé adds 3 grams of sugar per serving to all Cerelac products in India: Report

Nestlé India said in a statement that its “products manufactured in India are in full and strict compliance with CODEX standards...and local specifications’.

Apr 18, 2024 - 23:00
Nestlé adds 3 grams of sugar per serving to all Cerelac products in India: Report

All 15 Cerelac baby cereal products sold by Swiss food-processing conglomerate Nestlé in India contain on average nearly three grams of added sugar per serving, an investigation by Public Eye and the International Baby Food Action Network has found.

Public Eye is a Swiss non-governmental organisation campaigning for fair globalisation and the International Baby Food Action Network is a network of public interest groups working to reduce morbidity and mortality among infants and young children globally.

In South Africa too, all Cerelac baby cereals contain four grams or more of added sugar per serving and in Brazil, six out of eight such products sold by Nestlé contain an average of three grams of sugar per serving, they found.

However, the investigation also found that all infant cereals and formulas sold in the European market, including Switzerland, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, did not have any added sugar.

In a statement shared with Scroll, a Nestlé India spokesperson said that the company’s “products manufactured in India are in full and strict compliance with CODEX standards [a commission established by the World Heath Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization] and local specifications (as required) pertaining to the requirements all nutrients including added sugars”.

“Over the past 5 years, we have already reduced added sugars...

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