A recent survey conducted by Public Eye, a Swiss NGO focused on research and advocacy, found high levels of sugar in Cerelac baby cereals in infant formulas.

Pediatric surgeon Professor Aminu Mohammad has warned about the potential dangers of obesity and diabetes for infants who consume these products excessively.

Wakadaily learnt that, He emphasized the importance of balancing these products with nutritious local diets to reduce health risks associated with non-communicable diseases.

Nigeria still struggles to meet its nutritional targets, with high rates of stunting and overweight children under five, according to the Global Nutrition report.

The study revealed that Cerelac baby cereal in Nigeria contains 6.8 grams of added sugar, making the country one of the highest in sugar content in such products.

This research highlights the wider issue of excessive sugar consumption in baby foods globally, with samples from different regions showing significant variations in sugar levels. Cerelac, produced by Nestle, is a commonly used infant milk cereal meant for babies over six months for complementary feeding.

Previously, wakadaily learnt that, the published results of a study by the non-governmental organization Access to Nutrition Initiative, indicating that more than 200 branded food products for infants and young children in the UK did not meet the nutrition and marketing guidelines set by the World Health Organization.

The study revealed that a majority of the products targeted at toddlers had high levels of sugar, salt, or calories, which are considered excessive by WHO standards.

The World Health Organization advises against the addition of sugar to baby food, recommending that sugars should account for less than 10% of a child’s total energy intake.

Public Eye referenced the Director of the WHO Department of Nutrition and Food Safety in their report.

Francesco Branca as saying, “This study stresses the need for urgent action to reshape the food environment for children. Eliminating added sugars from food products for young children would be an important way to implement early prevention of obesity.”

Undeniably, the presence of additional sugars in baby food can lead to a higher risk of obesity.

Furthermore, the Public Eye report noted, “For 67 of these products, we were able to determine the amount of added sugar. On average, our analysis found almost four grams per serving or about one sugar cube. The highest amount – 7.3 grams per serving – was detected in a product sold in the Philippines and targeted at six-month-old babies.”

The study found that the Nido powdered milk sold to Nigerian children over one year old contained 0.6kg of added sugar. Mohammad, President of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, warned that consuming excessive sugar can lead to obesity and diabetes.

He emphasized that while obesity-related diseases are a concern, malnutrition is still the primary challenge in Nigeria. Mohammad also mentioned that only a small number of Nigerians could afford such baby foods, so widespread obesity due to their consumption may not be an issue.

However, he cautioned that children who consume these products without other proteins and local diets are at a higher risk of obesity. Mohammad stressed that exceeding recommended sugar intake can lead to obesity, diabetes, and early-onset arthritis.

He acknowledged that children need more glucose for growth and development than adults but warned against consuming too much sugar, as it can be converted into fat and affect overall health and proper growth.

“Children that are taking far higher than the recommended rate of the daily allowance of sugar are the clients that are likely to develop these problems. Depending on the level of the excess sugar, if it is just slightly higher than the recommended rate, the body can handle it but if it is twice or thrice the daily recommended rate, the clients are likely to suffer from it.

“Children who are consuming it and are not consuming other proteins and local diet are people likely to develop obesity. One of the problems of obesity is that exercise in such patients is less and they have a higher prevalence of diabetes. If their weight is much higher, those with a body mass index of 33 and above will discover that it affects their bone and some of them might end up with early-onset arthritis,” Mohammad stated.