Nestlé Faces Scrutiny Over Sugar Levels in African Infant Cereals

Swiss NGO Public Eye accused Nestlé of selling infant cereal with higher sugar content in Africa compared to developed markets. Nestlé refuted the claims, calling them misleading. An open letter urged Nestlé to end perceived double standards. Nestlé aims for global rollout of no-added-sugars variants by 2025.

Swiss-based nonprofit organization Public Eye has accused Nestlé of maintaining double standards by allegedly selling infant cereal with higher sugar content in Africa compared to more developed markets.

Partnering with African civil society groups, Public Eye analyzed nearly 100 Nestlé infant cereal products and reported that over 90% contained significant amounts of added sugar, unlike similar products sold in Europe. However, Nestlé dismissed these claims as misleading, asserting that sugar levels are within Codex Alimentarius food standards.

The company stated its nutrition approach is consistent across all markets and announced plans to extend its no-added-sugars cereal variants globally by the end of 2025.

(With inputs from agencies.)