Nestlé India’s chairman and managing director, Suresh Narayanan, disclosed to CNBC-TV18 that the company has been conducting trials for a zero-sugar variant of infant food. Narayanan affirmed Nestlé India’s adherence to regulatory standards, noting that samples have been submitted to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for testing.
In efforts to address concerns over sugar content, Narayanan mentioned that Nestlé India has successfully reduced sugar levels by more than 30 percent across its product range in the past two years.
Highlighting the nutritional integrity of Cerelac, Narayanan assured that the product aligns with essential nutrition benchmarks.
Recent tests conducted on Cerelac products available in India revealed an average of over 2.7g of added sugar per serving.
Public Eye, a Swiss investigative group, reported discrepancies in sugar content across international markets. Cerelac wheat-based cereals intended for six-month-old infants showed no additional sugar in Germany, France, and the UK. However, the same product sold in Ethiopia contains more than 5g per serving, while in Thailand, it contains 6 grams per serving.
Cerelac is a leading cereal-based product for infants in India, with Nestlé India reporting sales exceeding $250 million in 2022 and global sales reaching $1 billion.
Similarly, tests on Nestlé’s Nido brand products, with global retail sales surpassing $1 billion, revealed significant variations in sugar levels among different countries.
In response to allegations, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has urged the FSSAI to investigate claims of higher sugar content in Nestlé’s baby products in India compared to other nations. The FSSAI is currently reviewing a report from Public Eye and plans to present it to a scientific panel for further examination.
