Report flags sweetened Nestlé products: how added sugar harms babies

NESTLÉ’S PRODUCTS for babies sold in India and other Asian, Latin American, and African countries have significant added sugar, while those same products sold in Europe or UK do not, a report by the Swiss investigative organisation Public Eye and the nonprofit International Baby Food Action Network has said.

Nestlé is the world’s biggest packaged food company and, according to Public Eye, controls 20% of the baby food market, valued at nearly $70 billion. The report said that in India, all 15 products of Nestlé’s Cerelac brand, meant for babies of ages 6 months and older, contained on average 2.7 grams of added sugar per serving. The sugar content was declared on the packaging in India.

A spokesperson for Nestlé India said “reductionofaddedsugarsisapriority”,and“over the past five years, we have already reduced addedsugarsbyupto30%”.thespokesperson said compliance with food safety guidelines “is an essential characteristic of Nestlé India and we will never compromise on that”.

The food safety regulator, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), did not comment on the report. However, government officials said the lab reports of the samples from India will be sought, which will then be examined by the FSSAI’S subject expert committee.

What are added sugars?

Sugar occurs naturally in some foods. According to the American Heart Association (Aha),sugaris“foundinmilk(lactose)andfruit (fructose)[and]anyproductthatcontainsmilk (such as yogurt, milk or cream) or fruit (fresh, dried) contains some natural sugars”.

Added or free sugars are sweetening agents that are added to processed foods and beverages. Added sugars can “include natural sugars such as white sugar, brown sugar, and honey, as well as other caloric sweeteners that are chemically manufactured (such as high fructose corn syrup),” the AHA says.

Added sugars are considered to be more harmful than naturally occurring sugars found in fruits and milk.

Why are added sugars especially harmful for babies?

Theworldhealthorganisation(who)advises against the introduction of added sugars before the age of 2. The introduction of added sugarinbabyfoodscancontributetothedevelopment of addictive eating habits and a preference for sweet tastes from an early age.

“Exposure to excessive sugar can lead to weight gain, obesity and an increased risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers later in life. Additionally, high sugar consumption in infancy has been associated with an increased risk of dental caries (tooth decay) and poornutrientintake,assugaryfoodsoftendisplacemorenutritiousoptionsinachild’sdiet,” Dr Richa Chaturvedi, an endocrinologist at Indraprasthaapollohospitals,newdelhi,said.

Dr Arun Gupta of the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI), which was the India partner for the report, said, “When you add sugars to baby formula food, babies are much more likely to drink it up because of the pleasing taste. With happy parents purchasing the products, it boosts the bottomline of companies. And they can get by because the regulations are weak.”

How much sugar is too much?

In 2015, the WHO called on countries to reduce free sugar intake in children and adults to 10% of their total energy intake. It also made a conditional recommendation of cutting it to 5% or 25 grams per day. The recommendation did not apply to natural sugars.

A Unicef-supported study from

December 2023 found that 44% of the 1,600 infant cereals, snacks, and ready-to-eat meals marketed at young children in Southeast Asia included added sugars and sweeteners.

What do Indian guidelines say?

The Indian regulation that prescribes standards for infant nutrition does not prescribe any upper limit for added sugars. It gives the requirements for various macronutrients such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and micronutrients such as vitamins C, and D, iron, and zinc.

The regulations allow for the use of corn syrup and malt in cereal-based infant food. It also allows the use of sucrose and fructose as a carbohydrate source, provided it makes up less than 20% of the carbohydrates in the food.