Sugar scandal: in Africa, Nestlé is still putting profit ahead of babies’ health

Key points: 

• Laboratory analyses show that Cerelac infant cereal, which is sold by Nestlé in 20 African countries, contains up to 7.5 grammes of added sugar per serving, whereas in Switzerland such products do not contain any added sugar. 

• The WHO has warned for years that early exposure to sugar can cause a lasting preference for sugary foods and is a major risk factor for obesity, which is increasing in Africa. 

• In an open letter, 19 African organisations are demanding that Nestlé immediately halt these practices, reminding the company that “all babies are equal.” 

This latest investigation follows in the wake of our revelations in 2024, which highlighted Nestlé's scandalous double standard. In collaboration with African civil society organisations, Public Eye commissioned an analysis in a reference laboratory of around one hundred Cerelac infant cereals that are sold in 20 countries on the continent. The results show that over 90% of these products for babies from six months onwards contain added sugar – on average, close to six grammes per serving, or the equivalent of one and a half sugar cubes. This is 50% more than the average found during our initial investigation which focused primarily on Asia and Latin America, and twice as much as the level detected in India, the world's biggest market for Cerelac. The highest value found in Africa was 7.5 grammes per serving in a product sold in Kenya. In Switzerland and in the main European markets, such products are sold without added sugar.  

In India, where our revelations caused a wave of indignation, the food giant announced it was launching 14 new Cerelac products without any added sugar. But in Africa and other low- or middle-income countries, Nestlé continues to add sugar to most of its products, in violation of the World Health Organization's guidelines. Obesity – including Childhood obesity – is advancing at an alarming rate on the African continent, and numerous countries are facing a double burden of malnutrition where delayed growth, underweight and obesity co-exist.

In South Africa, where Public Eye went to report, generations of mothers have placed their trust in Nestlé for decades to feed their babies. In the Eastern Cape province, the poorest in the country, the women we met spend most of their meagre income on Nestlé baby foods, convinced that they were offering the best for their children. Health professionals denounce these misleading marketing practices which all too often lead mothers to abandon breast-feeding in favour of industrial products which may be damaging to their children's health. 

In an open letter published today, 19 civil society organisations in Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Tunesia and Zimbabwe are calling on the food giant to immediately stop adding sugar to its baby foods. “All babies have an equal right to healthy nutrition - regardless of their nationality or skin colour. All babies are equal. So do the right thing. The world is watching”, they warn. In 2024, Public Eye’s petition on this topic was signed by over 105,000 people. But to date, the food giant has failed to respond to this appeal. 

Press photos are available here. 

For more information contact: 

Oliver Classen, Media director, +41 44 277 79 06, oliver.classen@publiceye.ch 

Laurent Gaberell, Food expert, +41 21 620 06 15, laurent.gaberell@publiceye.ch