Revealed: Cerelac baby food contains high sugar levels

Cerelac baby food. [Courtesy]  

A new investigation in to cerelac infant cereals shows that a multi-national company is selling products with high sugar levels to babies in Africa.

The investigations by Public Eye shows that Nestlé, a Swiss Multinational, force-feeds babies in Africa with sugar, a sharp contrast with the sugar-free variants sold in European counties.

“The highest quantity detected in Africa 7.5 grams per serving or almost two sugar cubes was found in a Cerelac product sold in Kenya and intended for six-month-old babies. Overall, Cerelac infant cereals containing at least seven grams of added sugar per serving were listed in seven African countries,” Public Eye revealed.

The investigations, which were released in November, further shows that while the company promote infant Cerelac in Africa as food specifically designed to meet nutritional needs, same products sold in key European markets such as Germany and the United Kingdom, have no added sugar. The main baby cereal brand that the company also sell in Switzerland, where it is headquartered, also have no sugar added.

“This latest investigation focuses on Africa, a key market for the Swiss multinational, where obesity has become a major public health concern,” Public Eye warned.

Public Eye engaged various civil society organisations in Africa to collect nearly a hundred Cerelac products sold in 20 countries on the continent and had them analysed by Inovalys, a reference laboratory specialising in the agri-food sector.

According to the World Health Organisation, early exposure to sugar can create a lasting preference for sugary products and is a major risk factor of overweight and obesity. Obesity has been flagged as a health threat that is increasing across the African continent, resulting in diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases. 

The results showed that more than 90percent contain added sugar, in high quantities. 

In light of the double standards revealed, civil society organisations from Africa have called on Nestlé to comply with WHO’s guidelines and halt adding sugar to its baby foods, everywhere in the world. 

The organisations highlighted that Nestlé is well aware of these risks and World Health Organisation’s guidelines that recommend no added sugar in baby foods.

“But you made a deliberate decision to feed children in Africa with less healthy options,” the organisations wrote on November 17.

“This must end now. If added sugar is not suitable for Swiss and European children, it is not suitable for children in Africa and beyond. All babies have an equal right to healthy nutrition regardless of their nationality or skin color,” the civil societies wrote in a joint statement.

Last year, Public Eye exposed another controversy of added sugar in baby Cerelac in India, an investigation that led to Nestlé announcing that it would replace its entire portfolio.

“But Nestlé keeps adding high levels of sugar to its most popular baby cereal brand sold in Africa,” African civil societies noted.

Glance Box

Childhood obesity in Africa is a rising concern with the number of overweight children under five nearly doubling since 1990.

Cerelac is the world’s number one baby cereal brand, with sales exceeding $1 billion in 2022, according to Euromonitor.

Cerelac and Nido are some of Nestlé’s best-selling baby-food brands in low- and middle-income countries.