Nestlé responds to accusations of adding sugar to infant nutrition sold in poorer countries

19 Apr 2024 --- Nestlé’s leading infant and early childhood nutrition brands sold in low- and middle-income countries contain high levels of added sugar, as opposed to the same products sold in wealthy nations, reveals an investigative report by the Swiss NGO The Public Eye.

“Nestlé is the leading company in the baby food market. Millions of babies and young children consume its products every year around the world. This means that it has a huge responsibility,” The Public Eye’s agriculture and food expert, Laurent Gaberell, tells Nutrition Insight.

“It should strive for the highest standard and remove added sugar from all its baby food products in all countries, as was done with its leading baby cereal and ‘growing up milk’ brands in Switzerland and in key European markets. There is no justification for selling lower quality products in poorer countries.”

However, Nestlé refutes this accusation. A company spokesperson tells us: “We believe in the nutritional quality of our products for early childhood and prioritize using high-quality ingredients adapted to the growth and development of children. We apply the same nutrition, health and wellness principles everywhere.”

“Baby food is a highly regulated category. Everywhere we operate, our portfolio complies with local regulations or international standards, including labeling requirements and thresholds on carbohydrate content that encompasses sugars.”

Nutritional quality differences 
While Nestlé sells a significant share of its infant and toddler food products in low- and middle-income countries, The Public Eye investigation finds notable differences between the nutritional quality of food items sold in wealthy and low- and middle-income countries.

Cerelac wheat-based cereals for six-month-olds contain no added sugar in Germany and the UK, but over five grams in Ethiopia and six grams in Thailand.The company has responded by asserting that: “Over the past decade, Nestlé has reduced by 11% the total amount of added sugars in our infant cereals portfolio worldwide. We continue to innovate and reformulate our infant cereal products in order to further reduce the level of added sugars without compromising on quality, safety and taste.”

However, a recent investigation reveals that the company’s infant cereals sold under the Cerelac brand contain no added sugar in Switzerland, the country where Nestlé is headquartered, but products of the same brand sold in Senegal and South Africa contain six grams of sugar. 

Cerelac wheat-based cereals for six-month-olds contain no added sugar in Germany and the UK, but over five grams in Ethiopia and six grams in Thailand. All NIDO milk (substitute) powder formulas sold in Germany, France and the UK, Nestlé’s key European markets, for children aged 12–36 months contain no added sugar. 

“NIDO and Cerelac products (the latter under the Nestlé brand) are sold in Switzerland and other European countries. Slight variations in recipes across countries depend on several factors, including regulations and availability of local ingredients, for example, and in no way compromise the quality of our products,” Nestlé asserts. 

“In the case of our NIDO ‘growing up’ milks (from 12 to 36 months), all added sugars (sucrose and glucose syrup) are being phased out of our recipes worldwide.”

Responsibility for product quality and safety
The Public Eye’s Gaberell states that multinational corporations like Nestlé have responsibilities to ensure the nutritional quality and safety of their products, especially for vulnerable populations.

“International standards and national legislations should prohibit the addition of sugar to baby food and foods for young children under three years of age, as requested by the WHO and others, including the latest US Food and Drug Administration dietary guidelines for Americans,” he argues.

He further addresses the necessity to accurately inform consumers, especially in low- and middle-income countries, about the potential health risks associated with added sugars for infants and toddlers.

“Until international standards and national legislations are secured, it should be made mandatory for manufacturers to disclose the amount of added sugar in their product, so that consumers are informed, and baby food products that contain added sugar should have a front-of-pack warning label, to warn consumers about the risks for babies’ health.”

Nestlé asserts that it always declare the total sugars in our products, including from honey.Nestlé asserts that it implements this practice. “We always declare the total sugars in our products, including those coming from honey, for example. In a few countries in Europe, consumers can find infant cereal alternatives with zero added sugar in addition to the regular recipes available with added sugar.”

Call for regulatory action
To ensure that infant and toddler food products meet consistent standards globally, particularly regarding the reduction or elimination of added sugars in accordance with WHO guidelines, The Public Eye advocates for regulatory authorities and international organizations to take action.

“Codex international standards for baby foods, which serve as a basis for national legislations, should be updated with a particular focus on banning the addition of sugars in baby food, as requested by WHO,” maintains Gaberell.

“The UN agency has strongly criticized Codex baby food standards as ‘inadequate,’ particularly concerning sugar, as children establish their food preferences early in life. National legislation should also be revised in order to ban the addition of sugar to baby food, as recommended by WHO.”

The company’s response reads: “We support the WHO’s recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life, followed by the introduction of adequate nutritious complementary foods along with sustained breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond. For infants who cannot be breastfed or whose mothers choose not to breastfeed, infant formula is the only safe and suitable breastmilk substitute recognized by the WHO.”

Holly Gabriel, registered nutritionist and consumer health lead at ShareAction, the UK responsible investment NGO coordinating a resolution for Nestlé to decrease the share of “unhealthy” F&B products in its portfolio, tells Nutrition Insight: “We find the new report by The Public Eye to be concerning.” 

“This is a key reason why the products, which Nestlé categorizes as part of its ‘specialized nutrition’ portfolio, should not count toward the modest ‘nutritious' sales target it published last year. The addition of these types of products means that Nestlé could meet its health target simply by selling more sugar-sweetened commercial infant foods,” she concludes.

This week, Nestlé’s shareholders overwhelmingly rejected the resolution proposed by ShareAction, with the company’s CEO Paul Bulcke arguing such a move would threaten the giant’s “strategic freedom.”

By Milana Nikolova