Nestlé has been accused of adding sugar to most baby cereals sold in Africa, with campaigners claiming the company is prioritising profit over children's health. An investigation by Swiss group Public Eye found added sugar in over 90% of Cerelac products sampled from more than 20 African countries, averaging 6g per serving.
The World Health Organization recommends no added sugars in foods for children under three, citing risks of long-term preference for sweetened foods. Public Eye's findings come amid rising childhood obesity rates in Africa, prompting 19 African civil society organisations to write to Nestlé's CEO, accusing the firm of 'feeding children in Africa with less healthy options'.
Nestlé dismissed the report as 'misleading', stating its recipes comply with local regulations and are vital to combat malnutrition. The company noted it has introduced 14 no-added-sugar variants in India and is accelerating similar rollouts in Africa, but campaigners say this is 'too little, too late'.
Public Eye's laboratory tests found added sugar levels ranging from 5g per serving in Egypt, Madagascar, South Africa, Malawi and Nigeria to 7.5g in Kenya. Nestlé argued the figures may include naturally occurring sugars from milk and fruit, and said its products meet international Codex Alimentarius standards.
