Swiss food giant Nestlé faces criticism over its baby cereals in Africa, with campaigners accusing the company of “putting infants’ health at risk for profit” by adding sugar to most products.
The allegations come from Public Eye, a Swiss-based global justice organisation, which conducted tests on 94 Cerelac samples bought across more than 20 African countries. Laboratory analysis found added sugar in over 90% of the products, averaging 6g (about one-and-a-half teaspoons) per serving. Sugar levels ranged from 5g in Egypt, Madagascar, South Africa, Malawi, and Nigeria, to 7.5g in a product sold in Kenya. Most sugar-free variants were imported from Europe.
The findings have sparked accusations of “double standards,” as similar products sold in wealthier countries contain no added sugar. Public Eye says the practice threatens to worsen childhood obesity, which is rising across the continent. WHO guidelines recommend that foods for children under three contain no added sugars to avoid fostering long-term preferences for sweetened foods.
In April 2024, Public Eye reported that Nestlé also added sugar and honey to infant milk and cereals sold in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, while European equivalents remained unsweetened.
In a letter to Nestlé CEO, Philipp Navratil, 12 African civil society and consumer organisations said: “You know how to do things differently. But you made a deliberate decision to feed children in Africa with less healthy options”.
Nestlé has defended its practices. Global head of corporate affairs for Nestlé Nutrition, Peggy Diby, said the report was “misleading” and that the company does not apply double standards. She highlighted that sugar levels in its products comply with national regulations and international standards and stressed that malnutrition, particularly iron deficiency, remains a bigger concern in Africa than obesity.
The company has introduced 14 no-added-sugar Cerelac variants in India and is accelerating the rollout of similar products across African markets. The head of medical, regulatory, and scientific affairs at Nestlé Nutrition, Sara Colombo Mottaz, global, added that fortified cereals provide key micronutrients and that added sugars are carefully controlled to ensure palatability for infants transitioning to solid foods.
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