By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
GLOBAL food giant Nestlé is under fire for allegedly adding sugar to its Cerelac baby food for Africa but supplying its European market with similar sugar-free versions, an investigation has revealed.
The accusations stem from a report released on November 18, 2025 by Swiss non-governmental organisation Public Eye, claiming the practice violates global World Health Organisation (WHO) infant nutrition standards.
The report warns the added sugar could endanger infant health and contribute to long-term dietary problems.
WHO guidelines, reinforced in 2022, clearly state that children under the age of two should not consume any added sugars or sweeteners.
The guidance aims to prevent childhood obesity, dental problems and the development of unhealthy lifelong preferences for sweet foods.
However, while Nestlé sells sugar-free Cerelac products for babies from six months old in Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom, laboratory tests found that most Cerelac products sold in African countries contain significant levels of added sugar.
The findings have sparked widespread outrage among African public health advocates.
On November 17, a coalition of 19 Africa-based civil society organisations addressed an open letter to Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil, accusing the company of operating with harmful double standards.
The group demanded the immediate recall of all sugary infant cereals sold on the continent, arguing that African children deserve the same level of protection as children in Europe.
“If added sugar is not suitable for Swiss and European children, it is not suitable for children in Africa and beyond,” the letter stated.
“All babies have an equal right to healthy nutrition regardless of their nationality or skin color.”
Nestlé has strongly rejected the allegations. Speaking to Al Jazeera, a company spokesperson described the report as containing misleading and unfounded allegations.
The company said it sells both sugar-free and sugar-containing variants globally and has pledged to expand no-added-sugar options, aiming for full coverage by the end of 2025.
However, laboratory testing commissioned by Public Eye appears to contradict Nestlé’s claims.
The NGO analysed nearly 100 Cerelac products from 20 African countries and found that 90 percent contained added sugar. On average, each serving contained almost six grams of added sugar roughly one and a half sugar cubes.
One product sold for six-month-old babies in Kenya contained 7.5 grams of added sugar per serving, nearly equivalent to two sugar cubes.
The controversy comes amid rising concerns over childhood nutrition in Africa.
According to WHO data, the number of overweight children under five has nearly doubled since 1990.
Many countries now face a “double burden” of malnutrition and obesity, a crisis health experts say is worsened by early sugar consumption.
In its defence, Nestlé has argued that undernutrition remains a serious challenge across the continent and maintains that it does not compromise on safety or nutritional quality.
Yet civil society groups remain unconvinced.
In their closing remarks, the coalition accused the company of prioritising profits over infant health.
“By adding sugar to infant cereals, Nestlé is deliberately putting the health of African babies at risk for profit,” the letter stated.
“This must end – now.”