Nestle Defends Extra Sugar In Cerelac Sold In India Vs Europe

Every country has a different set of guidelines. In some parts of the world, the quantity is less and in other sections, it is more, according to Suresh Narayanan, managing director of Nestle India Ltd.

The fast-moving consumer goods company was embroiled in a controversy earlier this month, as Swiss investigative agency Public Eye claimed that the company's baby food products contained more sugar in developing countries like India than the ones sold in the US and Europe. The agency had claimed that Cerelac contained an average of nearly 3 grammes of added sugar per serving.

Nestle India has a strong dominance in the infant food market. The company says that it is within the limit set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, and the problem would have been when the required content would be below that offered in Europe.

"If my feed was giving less than what is given by a comparable feed in Europe, then you can say that you are shortchanging the children in India. That is not the case," Narayanan told NDTV Profit.

There are global guidelines and one can assume that infants across the globe require the same amount of nutrients. Babies need more energy-dense food because of the growth spurt and the quantity of the product is within the specified limit, he said.

Over time, the company has reduced its added sugar quantity by 30% and has plans to reduce it further.

"Nutrition content delivery of a product is as important as what goes into it," the MD said.

The company is on a journey to ensure that it can give good and balanced food, and any knee-jerk reaction could be detrimental to this cause, Narayanan said while talking about being part of the 'Eat Right' campaign.