Civil society groups accuse Nestlé of double standards as sugar‑laden baby foods sold in Africa spark health fears and expose weak regulation.
A bowl of baby cereal looks harmless. It’s comforting even. But behind the sweetness lies a controversy that has ignited outrage across Africa.
Nineteen civil society organisations from 13 countries, including Nigeria, Morocco, and South Africa, have joined forces with the International Babyfood Action Network (IBFAN) to demand answers from Nestlé.
In an open letter dated November 17, they accused the food giant of selling African babies short by loading infant cereals with sugar levels far higher than those allowed in Europe.
Focus on Babies
For parents in Lagos, Dakar, or Johannesburg, Nestlé’s Cerelac is a trusted name. It’s marketed as a nutritious start to life.
But laboratory tests reveals another story. Swiss watchdog Public Eye collected nearly 100 samples of Cerelac from markets across Africa.
Their findings were stark: more than 90 per cent contained added sugar, averaging six grams per serving — the equivalent of nearly two sugar cubes.
In Europe, Cerelac is proudly labelled “no added sugar.” In Africa, the same brand is sweetened. The contrast has left parents and activists asking: Why should African children be treated differently?
Nestlé’s Insistence
Nestlé insists it has done nothing wrong. The company argues that sugars naturally present in milk, cereals, and fruit were misclassified as “added refined sugars.”
It points to compliance with Codex Alimentarius, the international food standards body, and claims its nutrition approach is consistent worldwide.
“We treat all children equally, regardless of where they are,” Nestlé said in a statement. The company added that it is rolling out no‑added‑sugar variants globally, which are already present in 97 per cent of its markets.
The Double Standard Debate
Critics aren’t convinced. Findings by TheDigger Intelligence Unit suggest that weaker regulations in Africa, combined with consumer preference for sweeter products, have allowed Nestlé to push sugar‑laden cereals.
The company frames this as a way to fight malnutrition, but health experts warn it’s a dangerous shortcut.
However, analysts have raised concerns about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s regulatory agencies, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), accusing them of tardiness in carrying out their regulatory roles.
Negative Impact of Sugary Foods
Doctors and nutritionists say the risks include tooth decay before a child’s first birthday, rising childhood obesity and diabetes, stunted nutrition as sugar crowds out essential vitamins, digestive discomfort, bloating, and diarrhoea, and a lifelong preference for sweets, making vegetables harder to accept.
For mothers like Amina in Abuja, who scrape together money to buy Cerelac, believing it’s the healthiest choice, the revelations feel like betrayal.
She says, “We trust these companies with our babies,” she says. “Now we learn the food may harm them.”
Call to Nestlé to Align Practices Globally
The controversy is bigger than sugar. It’s about fairness, trust, and whether multinational corporations hold African children to the same standards as their European peers.
Civil society groups argue that until Nestlé aligns its practices globally, African babies will remain at risk.
The sweet taste of Cerelac may comfort parents, but the hidden sugar has left a bitter aftertaste across the continent.
