After Nestlé India’s shares plummeted more than 5 per cent to an intra-day low on Thursday following the revelation that the FMCG major adds sugar to baby food products sold in India, it said that it has reduced added sugars in its products by up to 30 per cent over the past 5 years, depending on the variant.
“Reduction of added sugars is a priority for Nestlé India. Over the past 5 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,” a Nestlé India spokesperson said in a statement.
Nestlé India was found to have included sugar and honey in infant milk and cereal products such as Cerelac, across India and other Asian countries as well as African countries, as per a report by Guardian.
Campaigners from Public Eye, a Swiss investigative organisation, sent samples of the Swiss multinational’s baby-food products sold in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to a Belgian laboratory for testing, according to a report by The Guardian. The sent samples were found to have sugar in the form of sucrose or honey in Nido, which is a follow-up milk formula brand intended for use for infants aged one and above. The sugar content was also found in Cerelac, a cereal aimed at children aged between six months and two years.
Reacting on the same, Nestlé India issued a statement that 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.”
“Compliance is an essential characteristic of Nestlé India and we will never compromise on that. We also ensure that our products manufactured in India are in full and strict compliance with CODEX standards (a commission established by WHO and FAO) and local specifications (as required) pertaining to the requirements of all nutrients including added sugars,” Nestlé India spokesperson added.