Suresh Narayanan, Nestle India's MD and Chairman, denied claims of high sugar content in their baby products sold in less developed countries. He labeled the report as "racially stereotyped" and clarified that the sugar levels in Nestle Cerelac products adhere to the guidelines set by the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), reassuring consumers that they meet safety standards.
While addressing the media, Narayanan talked about how formulations for children under 18 months are developed globally by taking into account their "energy-dense" nutritional needs. He said that the development of infant food formulations for this age group is done on a global basis and that the amount of sugar in infant food is decided based on the nutritional requirements universally recognized for infants under 18 months.
"There is nothing in this product that makes it a product that is potentially of any risk or any kind of harm to the child,” he said.
The head of Nestle India mentioned that the sugar content in Nestle products sits at 7.1 grams, well below the FSSAI's maximum limit of 13.6 grams per 100 grams of food.
The food and beverage company had come under the regulatory radar last week for its "added sugar" levels.
“The way to meet the nutrition profile could be different, ingredients could be different," Narayanan reportedly stated. “The fact that there is need in India, is the reason why we have added this but at levels which are much much lower than what is prescribed by the local regulator."
