Swiss food firm’s infant formula and cereal sold in global south ignore WHO anti-obesity guidelines for Europe, says Public Eye

Swiss food firm’s infant formula and cereal sold in global south ignore WHO anti-obesity guidelines for Europe, says Public Eye

Nestlé, the world’s largest consumer goods company, adds sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold in many poorer countries, contrary to international guidelines aimed at preventing obesity and chronic diseases, a report has found.

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.

The results, and examination of product packaging, revealed added sugar in the form of sucrose or honey in samples of Nido, a follow-up milk formula brand intended for use for infants aged one and above, and Cerelac, a cereal aimed at children aged between six months and two years.

In Nestlé’s main European markets, including the UK, there is no added sugar in formulas for young children. While some cereals aimed at older toddlers contain added sugar, there is none in products targeted at babies between six months and one year.

  • Flying SquidMEnglish
    24•7 months ago

    Maybe I missed it in the article, but isn’t it more expensive for Nestlé to add the sugar than to not use it? I don’t understand their motivation here. I mean, I assume it’s evil considering what company this is, I just don’t understand it.

      • Flying SquidMEnglish
        -16•7 months ago

        I agree, but kids will be addicted to sugar pretty quickly regardless. Maybe that’s the reason, but it seems like an awfully big expense when all they have to do is sell chocolate and the kids come running.

        • RBGEnglish
          47•7 months ago

          Yeah, but this is milk. For small babies that don’t eat solid food. This is basically training them to crave sugar as early as possible.

          • AmidFuror
            8•7 months ago

            It’s in a follow-up milk for kids over 1 and in a cereal.

        • @cley_faye@lemmy.worldEnglish
          23•7 months ago

          Kids don’t get addicted to sugar much if there isn’t much sugar intake occasion. I’m sure they checked the market and found that they could sell more sugar-based product later with this initial push.

        • @otp@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          4•7 months ago

          In poorer countries, they might not buy non-essentials like sweets and chocolate as much as in the West. This ensures the sugar addiction starts early!

    • @treefrog@lemm.eeEnglish
      41•7 months ago

      It’s a return on investment. Sugar is addictive, and they get a competitive edge vs. less sweet formulas that are following the WHO recommendations.

      Coke is cheaper than bottled water for similar reasons. Especially in developing countries.

        • @glimse@lemmy.worldEnglish
          15•7 months ago

          Remind me how that guy/scene relates to coke? I haven’t seen that movie since it came out

          (Not arguing! I just need a refresher to get the reference)

          • XhieronEnglish
            10•7 months ago

            He meets the kids and hands them each a Coke as a way of presenting himself as friendly and generous–and it looks like a marketing money shot; I wish I could find a gif of it. Those Cokes look like ambrosia from heaven.

            And then a few scenes later he’s putting out kids’ eyes to make them more effective beggars.

            • @glimse@lemmy.worldEnglish
              5•7 months ago

              Aha! I remember now. I figured he was the kid-mutilator but completely forgot the Coke part.

              Thanks for the reminder!

    • @jol@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
      27•7 months ago

      I’m pretty sure sugar is cheaper than the rest of the formula by weight. They are essencial ly cutting formula with a cheaper more readily available product.

    • @Anamana@feddit.deEnglish
      27•7 months ago

      Their motivation might be to get the kids hooked on the stuff early on. Sugar works like a drug in some ways by releasing dopamine in the brain and if you train your brain early on it will affect it longterm. Plus it will influence their future taste preferences. Everything else, besides Nestle’s oversugared snacks will taste bland in comparison. Leading to kids crying at supermarket checkouts to get their favourite snacks :D

      • @Pretzilla@lemmy.worldEnglish
        8•7 months ago

        Some brain and a bunch of gut biome I suspect.

        Once the sugar eating biome get established they rule the roost.

        • @Anamana@feddit.deEnglish
          3•7 months ago

          Also social factors come to play, like influencing purchasing behavior, cooking, food at restaurants etc

    • Annoyed_🦀 English
      14•7 months ago

      Babies like sugary thing, adding it in formula make sure babies refuse healthier alternative other than product made by Nestle for at least 3 years.

    • BarqsHasBiteEnglish
      9•7 months ago

      I assume they then dilute it back down so it’s the same calories per 100 ml. Sugar is cheap.