Nestle supplies best baby formulas to Europe, sub-standard ones to less developed countries – Public Eye
A recent report has revealed that multinational food and beverage company, Nestle, has been sending sub-par infant food products to Nigeria and other underdeveloped or developing countries.
This investigation was carried out by a Swiss investigative organization, the Public Eye, in collaboration with the International Baby Food Action Network, a coalition focused on improving maternal and infant health.
The findings, published on Wednesday, April 17, show that Nestle adds sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold to Nigeria and other countries such as India, Brazil, and the Philippines, contrary to international guidelines.
Samples of Nestle’s baby food products sold in Asia, Africa, and Latin America were sent to Belgium for laboratory testing.
The tests revealed added sugar, such as sucrose or honey, in samples of Cerelac, a cereal for children between six months and two years old, and Nido, a follow-up milk formula brand intended for infants of at least one-year-old.
According to the report, while baby formulas sold in Europe for children 12 – 36 months contained no sugar, formulas sold to lower-income countries contained a significant amount.
Efforts to get the reactions of both Nestle in Nigeria and the country’s food regulator- National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), were unsuccessful.
While regular calls made to the company’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Victoria Uwadoka, did not connect, those made via WhatsApp rang out as she did not pick up.
She, however, later replied to a message sent to her WhatsApp line, requesting that an email should be sent to an address she provided. But an automatic reply to the mail sent by our reporter indicated that her response may be delayed.
“Thank you for your email. I am out of office with very limited access to email. Please expect a delayed response,” the message reads.
