Nestle SA defends nutritional integrity of products amid damning sugar report
Nestle South Africa is vouching for the nutritional integrity of its baby products after a recent report accused the company of getting some children addicted to sugar.
An investigation compared the sugar content of the food manufacturer's products for infants and young children in high-income and lower-income countries.
The probe was done by the Swiss-based human rights organisation Public Eye, along with the International Baby Food Action Network.
They found that Nestle's Cerelac wheat-based cereals for six-month-old babies sold in Germany and the UK have no added sugar, while the same product contains over five grams per serving in Ethiopia, six grams in Thailand, and four grams in South Africa.
According to the report, in Switzerland, Nestlé promotes its biscuit-flavoured cereals for babies aged from six months with the claim “no added sugar”, while in Senegal and South Africa, Cerelac cereals with the same flavour contain six grams of added sugar per serving.
Public Eye believes there is hypocrisy as Nestle, which is also headquartered in Switzerland, claims it aims to help children “live healthier lives."
In a statement, Nestle South Africa says factors like regulations, consumer preferences, and ingredient availability inform the slight variations across countries.
However, it insists the adjustments do not compromise the nutritional integrity of its products for infants and young children.
The company adds that there have been efforts to reduce the sugar content in its product range, including the phased removal of added sugars worldwide.
Healthy Living Alliance, a civil society organisation in South Africa, says the government needs to review and tighten regulations around food marketed to young children.
"The government last year sent out for public comment a draft regulation that would actually ask these food producers to put in place front-pack warning labels. These would be big, black warnings to point out to foods that are high in sugar, salt, saturated fats and foods that contain artificial sweeteners. Included in this regulation would be a formula or any feed for children over the age of six months," says the group's Zukiswa Zimela.
Zimela has advocated for more transparency so that consumers can make better-informed choices about food products.
"The other scary thing is that these companies are often allowed to make claims, things like high in iron and often these obscure the fact that these foods are high in other concerning nutrients."
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