Samples of Nestlé baby food products distributed in Asia, Africa, and Latin America were delivered to a Belgian laboratory for testing by the Swiss investigative group Public Eye. The lab discovered that in numerous instances, the identical sugar-free baby formula was offered in Switzerland, Germany, France, and the UK. The sugar levels found in the samples were alarmingly high in nations like Thailand, South Africa, and the Philippines. With the slogan “Small bodies need big support”, Nestlé markets their wheat cereal Cerelac in South Africa as a source of twelve important vitamins and minerals. All Cerelac products available in this nation, however, have a significant amount of added sugar.

Since lactose predominates in mother’s milk, it is the natural primary carbohydrate for infants and toddlers. Mother’s milk contains only small traces of sugar. In the intestines of newborns and children, lactose and the oligosaccharides found in human milk promote the growth of a beneficial bacteria flora, such as lactobacillus and bifido bacteria, which boost immunity. Additionally, lactose encourages the newborn to produce lactase, an enzyme that must be continuously secreted to avoid lactose intolerance.

Many nutritionists advise against giving sugar to newborns and kids younger than two years old. Sugar can encourage “a sweet tooth” which in turn can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity also in later life. Additionally, sugar exacerbates tooth cavities. Strong regulations in high income countries prevents the addition of sugar to infants and toddlers. The rate of overweight children in South Africa is 13%, twice the global average of 6.1%. For the above reasons the World Health Organization has called for a ban on added sugar in products for babies and young children under three years of age.

Are there no nutritionist employed at Nestlé? Would Nestlé that heavily markets a healthy lifestyle based on healthy food not be aware of this? Although Nestlé’s nutritional justifications for adding sugar are still to be seen, sugar is undoubtedly one of, if not the cheapest, carbohydrates and ingredients that can be added to food.