Initiate action against Nestle for malpractices: Consumer affairs ministry to FSSAI

Taking a serious note of the alleged malpractices by Nestle, the Department of Consumer Affairs has sought action against the company on the issue of high sugar content in its Cerelac baby cereals sold in India.

Government sources have told Business Today TV that the Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare has written to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on this issue. 

"The health and well-being of our citizens, especially infants and young children, is of paramount importance, and any deviation from safety standards could lead to serious health concerns,” the letter has said.

According to a report by Public Eye, a Swiss investigative organization, Nestle has been found to include sugar in the form of sucrose or honey in samples of Nido, a follow-up milk formula brand for infants aged one and older, as well as Cerelac, a cereal targeting children between six months and two years old. The company, it is alleged adds 2.7g of sugar per serving to Nestle Cerelac baby cereals sold in India, while refraining from such practices in other countries such as Germany, Switzerland, France and the United Kingdom.

This revelations came after the organization sent samples of the Swiss multinational's baby food products, sold across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, to a Belgian laboratory for analysis.

The report emphasized that in India, where sales exceeded $250 million in 2022, all Cerelac baby cereals contain added sugar, averaging nearly 3 grams per serving.

In response to queries sent by Business Today, a Nestle India spokesperson earlier said, “We would like to assure you that our Infant Cereal products, are manufactured to ensure the appropriate delivery of nutritional requirements such as protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, iron etc. for early childhood. We never compromise and will never compromise on the nutritional quality of our products. We constantly leverage our extensive global research and development network to enhance the nutritional profile of our products.”

The spokesperson added, “reduction of added sugars is a priority for Nestlé India. Over the past five years, we have already reduced added sugars by up to 30 per cent, depending on the variant. We regularly review our portfolio and continue to innovate and reformulate our products to further reduce the level of added sugars, without compromising on nutrition, quality, safety, and taste.”