Nestle reacts to allegation of including sugar to toddler formulation in Nigeria

Nestle Nigeria, a subsidiary of Nestle, a worldwide meals and beverage firm, has denied including sugar to its merchandise offered in Nigeria, insisting it’s not violating the worldwide tips for toddler formulation.

This was contained in an announcement issued on Thursday and shared with PREMIUM TIMES by the corporate’s Head of Company Communications, Victoria Uwadoka.

Nestle Nigeria, a subsidiary of the Swiss-based multinational firm, mentioned it complies with the worldwide necessities on the utilization of sugar and provides high quality merchandise to each a part of the world.

The corporate’s assertion is in response to an earlier inquiry by PREMIUM TIMES on the event. Ms Uwadoka had requested {that a} mail be despatched by our reporter and pledged a response as quickly as potential, saying she was far-off from the workplace.

Denial

The assertion counters the findings of a current investigation, which revealed that Nestle had been promoting substandard toddler meals merchandise to Nigeria and different low and middle-income international locations.

The investigation, carried out by the Public Eye, a Swiss investigative organisation, in collaboration with the Worldwide Child Meals Motion Community, revealed that Nestle offers its highest quality to Europe and different developed nations however provides substandard merchandise to low- and middle-income international locations the world over.

“For Nestlé, not all infants are equal in terms of added sugar,” the report mentioned.

Samples of Nestle’s child meals merchandise offered in Asia, Africa, and Latin America have been despatched to Belgium for laboratory testing.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported among the findings which considerably concerned Nigeria.

Sugar in Nigeria Cerelac

Traces of sugar, akin to sucrose or honey, have been present in samples of Cerelac, a cereal for youngsters between six months and two years previous, and Nido, a follow-up milk system model supposed for infants not less than one 12 months previous.

Reacting to those claims, Nestle Nigeria mentioned the multinational firm supplied the identical vitamin, well being, and wellness ideas in all places on this planet.

In response to the corporate, Cerelac could have slight variations in recipes worldwide.

It additionally mentioned, “In Europe, Nestlé’s vary of cereals comes with and with out added sugars.

“ Like in all places on this planet, in Nigeria, we don’t add sugars (sucrose and glucose) to Toddler system for youngsters aged 0-12 months.

It mentioned, “These ideas are aligned with each worldwide and native tips, noting that child formulation in Nigeria for youngsters 0-12 don’t add sugar contents. Nigeria, our Rising Up Milk don’t have any added sugars.

“Our milk and cereals for younger kids are fortified with nutritional vitamins and minerals akin to iron to assist sort out malnutrition.”

Excessive sugar in Nigeria’s Cerelac

Cerelac from Nigeria had the second-highest sugar content material, with 6.8g per serving. The nation intently follows the Philippines, which has 7.3g.

The report mentioned, “On common, our evaluation discovered virtually 4 grams per serving or about one sugar dice.”

Nigeria was ranked seventh out of 10 international locations with excessive sugar content material in Nido. In response to the report, samples from Nigeria and Senegal, ranked eighth, had 0.6g.

The best sugar content material was present in Panama samples, at 5.3g per serving. Then got here Nicaragua 4.7g; Mexico 1.8g; Costa Rica 1.6g; South Africa 0.9g; and Indonesia 0.7g.