Child health experts and nutrition specialists are expressing strong opposition to the practice of incorporating sugar or honey into infant formulas.

Their concerns have been aroused by a recent Swiss report which highlighted that Nestle, a premier global consumer goods company, has been manufacturing and distributing infant cereal and formula containing excessive levels of sugar in underserved regions like Nigeria.

Although Nestle refutes these allegations, asserting that their production processes adhere to uniformly high standards, the specialists emphasize that in Nigeria, the recommended approach is exclusive breastfeeding for infants from birth up to six months, followed by the introduction of complementary foods thereafter.

They stress the importance of complementary feeding in furnishing infants with the necessary energy and vital nutrients crucial for their sustained growth and overall development. The experts contend that reports of Nestle adding sugar or honey to infant formulas would have been unnecessary if infants were exclusively breastfed for the initial six months as recommended.

An inquiry conducted by Public Eye, in collaboration with the International Baby Food Action Network, uncovered that Nestle’s infant products sold in developing regions deviate from the World Health Organization anti-obesity guidelines established for Europe.

The investigation disclosed that Nestle, headquartered in Switzerland, incorporates sugar and honey into infant milk and cereal products marketed in countries such as Nigeria, India, Brazil, and the Philippines, contrary to global standards.

The analysis identified added sugar in the forms of sucrose or honey in samples of Nido, a follow-up milk formula for children aged one and older, and Cerelac, a cereal designed for infants aged six months to two years. Unlike the baby formulas offered in Europe, which contain no sugar for children aged 12 to 36 months, those distributed to lower-income nations contained significant levels of sugar.

“Nestlé must put an end to these dangerous double standards and stop adding sugar in all products for children under three years old, in every part of the world”, Public Eye’s agriculture and nutrition expert, Laurent Gaberell, stated.

Although certain products are labeled, determining whether a product contains added sugar, and the quantity present, solely based on the nutritional information provided on the packaging can be challenging for consumers globally.

In the WHO guidelines for Europe, it is stated that no additional sugars or sweetening agents should be included in any food meant for children below the age of three. Although specific guidelines have not been developed for other regions, experts argue that the European standards are applicable and significant worldwide.

Nestle, responding to the report, maintained that they uphold uniform nutrition, health, and wellness principles across all regions, aligning with international standards and regulations.

In reaction to the report, Wakadaily learnt that health experts in an interviewed emphasized the discouragement of baby formulas in Nigeria. They reiterated that the national recommendation advocates for exclusive breastfeeding in the initial six months of an infant’s life.

Furthermore, the experts highlighted the lack of necessity in providing babies with artificial sweeteners as they contribute minimally, if at all, to the health of the child.

A Consultant Paediatric Haematologist and Oncologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, expressed concerns over the report’s findings and stressed the importance of adhering to recommended infant feeding practices for optimal health outcomes.

Prof. Edamisan Temiye, said, ” The report shouldn’t even arise in the first instance if mothers were practising exclusively breastfeeding.

“Our guideline says all babies must be exclusively breastfed in the first six months. It  is recommended for babies between zero and six months. It is not in our guidelines to use infant formula.

“From six months, you start weaning the child on adult meals and we have a lot of variety of food on that. After six months of exclusively breastfeeding, you start adding semi-solid food and continue breastfeeding until two years.”

The World Health Organization emphasizes the crucial role of good nutrition during infancy and early childhood in promoting optimal growth and health outcomes throughout life, reducing the risk of obesity, diet-related diseases, and other health issues. It cautions against high-sugar baby foods for infants under six months to prevent health complications like obesity and chronic diseases.

Furthermore, a pediatrician highlighted that while babies require sugar for essential bodily functions, this should be sourced from natural foods rather than added sugars found in some infant formulas. Temiye emphasized the importance of breast milk as the superior choice for infant nutrition, advocating it as vital for optimal development and questioning the necessity of infant formula feeding.

“We don’t recommend infant formula for anybody, we recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and after six months, you start weaning the child.

“That is what we recommend. If you are giving a child infant formula, you are on your own when you are supposed to breastfeed.

” So, I don’t know where they got their report and what type of sugar they are talking about because naturally, they have to humanize the infant formula to be close to breast milk”, he stated.

The don further stated, “In both breast milk and cow milk, there are quantities of sugar there. There is a quantity of glucose there that the child needs to live with. If you don’t have sugar in your system, you will die. Sugar is the fuel of the body.

“Of course, people should go and breastfeed their children instead of looking for something else to give them.”

Supporting his claim, Mary Mgbekem, a nutritionist and Professor of Nursing Science at the University of Calabar in Cross River State, noted that adding sugar or honey to infant formulas could lead to increased consumption and potential obesity risks in children. She emphasized that the recommended approach for infant nutrition in Nigeria is exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.

The nutritionist stated ,“Even though Nestle is a big company, they should not do that. Both sugar and honey should not be added to infant formula because natural foods have sugar.

“What we recommend is exclusive
breastfeeding in the first six months. After six months of exclusive breastfeeding, we have enough local foods that we can mix and give to our babies. And they come out fine.  So, there should not be any addition of sugar or honey.”

A registered Dietitian-Nutritionist at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nwabumma Asouzu, warns that feeding children foods containing artificial sweeteners could potentially result in organ failure.

She explains that due to their non-natural origins and the body’s inability to metabolize them, children may experience various symptoms if they consume these sweeteners regularly. Asouzu highlighted the dangers posed by such sweeteners, emphasizing the importance of avoiding them in children’s diets to prevent potential health issues.

“ Artificial sweeteners affect their growth and hamper a lot of things in their body. You know that all these things are being processed by the liver and you know that the liver is still at the growing and maturing age.

“So, their system is not yet ready to handle some of the synthetic things coming in. By the time all these detoxifications will be taking place in the liver, they are kind of burdening the liver and in the long run, they might have an organ failure. So, children may have an organ failure by consuming artificial sweeteners.”

According to a statement from Nestle Nigeria’s Head of Corporate Communications, Victoria Uwadoka, the company denies any violation of global guidelines for infant formulas. Nestle maintains that it upholds consistent nutrition, health, and wellness standards worldwide, while acknowledging that slight variations in Cerelac recipes may exist internationally.

The statement partly read, “Baby food and Infant formula are highly regulated categories.

“We apply the same nutrition, health, and wellness principles everywhere in the

world which is aligned with both international and local guidelines and

regulations. This includes compliance with labelling requirements and thresholds on carbohydrate content that encompasses sugars.

“Regarding cereals, there may be slight variations in recipes around the world. In Europe, Nestlé’s range of cereals comes with and without added sugars. Like everywhere in the world, in Nigeria, we do not add sugars (sucrose and

glucose) to Infant formulas for children aged 0-12 months.”

The company insisted that In Nigeria, growing up milks do not contain added sugars.

“Our milk and cereals for young children are fortified with vitamins and minerals such as iron to help tackle malnutrition”, the statement restated.