A Swiss watchdog group, Public Eye, has exposed multinational corporation Nestlé over an alleged double standard on the African market, putting African children in danger.
According to the Public Eye, Nestlé is adding sugar to baby food tailored to the African market.
They accused Nestlé of double standards by not following to health standards applied to richer nations.
The Public Eye revealed the examined nearly 100 samples of Cerelac purchased in over 20 African countries, adding that 94 per cent contained added sugar, noting that Nestle products sold in Africa contain 6 grams of added sugar per serving.
In a post shared by a veteran journalist, Kwesi Pratt stated, “The multi-national corporation, @Nestle NESTLE, is allegedly applying double standards, which puts African children in serious danger.
According to “Public Eye”, a Swiss Non-Governmental organisation, Nestlé adds sugar to baby food prepared for the African market against guidelines from the World Health Organisation.
“Public Eye” claims that in Switzerland, where the food and drink multinational is headquartered, and other European countries, NESTLE’s main baby cereal brand is sold with zero added sugar.
A report by “Public Eye” said most of the samples of NESTLE’s Cerelac Infant cereals on sale in African countries contained added sugar, while equivalent products sold in Europe do not”, his post concluded.
Also, Public Eye’s food and agriculture expert, Laurent Gaberell, speaking during a hybrid meeting in Lagos, noted a formulation gap between Nestlé’s African markets and wealthier continents.
According to him, the differences in composition are not technical but a strategic business choice.
Laurent Gaberell stated, “Parents cannot make informed choices because they are not told what’s inside.
“Sugar-free Cerelac variants dominate markets in Switzerland, Germany and the UK, while India transitioned to 14 redesigned sugar-free products in 2024 following public pressure”, he added.
Also, Nestlé, Corporate Affairs Manager, Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Toju Egbebi, has rejected the claims.
According to her, Cerelac products with and without sugar are sold in Europe.
She highlighted that in South Africa and Ghana, there are sugar-free Nestle products.
Toju Egbebi stated, “This is not true. Cerelac products with and without sugar are sold in Europe. In Africa, sugar-free variants are already available in South Africa and Ghana. The variant without refined sugar will be rolled out in Nigeria very soon.”
“Our Cerelac infant cereals in Africa do not contain the levels of refined sugars mentioned in this report. The levels of added sugars are well below Codex standards, which we apply everywhere,” she said.
“We offer variants with and without added sugars in the same price range in both Africa and Europe. We are fully transparent about the composition of our products. Depending on regulations, we declare total and/or added sugars. In Nigeria, sugar is listed as an ingredient on our labels.”
Meanwhile, reports suggest there is a growing Childhood obesity on the rise in Africa, with children under five overweight nearly doubling since 1990.
See the post below:
#NESTLE AND AFRICA
— Kwesi Pratt Jnr. (@kwesiprattjr) November 22, 2025
The multi-national corporation, @Nestle NESTLE, is allegedly applying double standards which puts Africa children in serious danger.
According to “Public Eye”, a Swiss Non-Governmental organization, NESTLE adds sugar to baby food prepared for the African… pic.twitter.com/ynW5HOxv5k