this post was submitted on 17 Apr 2024
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Swiss food firm’s infant formula and cereal sold in global south ignore WHO anti-obesity guidelines for Europe, says Public Eye

Nestlé, the world’s largest consumer goods company, adds sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold in many poorer countries, contrary to international guidelines aimed at preventing obesity and chronic diseases, a report has found.

Campaigners from Public Eye, a Swiss investigative organisation, sent samples of the Swiss multinational’s baby-food products sold in Asia, Africa and Latin America to a Belgian laboratory for testing.

The results, and examination of product packaging, revealed added sugar in the form of sucrose or honey in samples of Nido, a follow-up milk formula brand intended for use for infants aged one and above, and Cerelac, a cereal aimed at children aged between six months and two years.

In Nestlé’s main European markets, including the UK, there is no added sugar in formulas for young children. While some cereals aimed at older toddlers contain added sugar, there is none in products targeted at babies between six months and one year.

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[–] [email protected] 220 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

Nestle is a notorious scumbag company, personally I have avoided anything Nestle all my life, since when I grew up, there were already news about illegally bad quality/harmful formula food. I have NEVER heard a good thing about that company.

[–] [email protected] 118 points 4 months ago (3 children)

That’s surprisingly hard to do. Nestlé produces 35% of the products in a North American grocery store.

[–] [email protected] 53 points 4 months ago (3 children)

I felt so betrayed the other day when I looked at my San Pellegrino and saw it was a Nestlé company.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 4 months ago (5 children)

As of now, the only product I have to buy to support this atrocious company is Fancy Feast because it's the only food my picky senior cat will eat.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago

I was so happy I could get my cat off of Purina.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

Ugh their firm grip on the pet food market endlessly pisses me off. I paid for a fancy B Corp certified cat food brand for years before realising it had been bought out by Nestlé

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 months ago (1 children)

And Perrier, because why have one competing brand when you could have all of them

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago

Perrier bought San Pelegrino, then Nestle bought Perrier. Perrier Group of America owned several water brands in the ‘90s and early ‘00s.

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[–] [email protected] 34 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

It looks hard, in practice it is not. I haven't knowingly purchased a Nestle product in over decade. Mistakes happen now and again, but when they do I add that brand to my mental list and move on.

Where it gets confusing is international brand ownership differences. For example, Cheerios is still made and distributed by General Mills in North America, but by Nestle in most of the rest of the world.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago

Operative word being: knowingly.

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[–] Cheradenine 28 points 4 months ago (1 children)

They have been doing things like this since at least the '70's .

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago

Yes I'm 61, and that's what I remember. But what's worse is that they continue to do it, so there are regular scandals about it. That's why I've never forgiven the company, because when it could have been time, there's a new scandal.

[–] [email protected] 186 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (5 children)

they also tell doctors in these poor countries to give the stupid products to new mothers with perfectly normal milk production. they tell them it's better than natural milk. It's an American product, and they buy into it because they want their kid to be smart like an American. Nestle is an awful company.

[–] [email protected] 70 points 4 months ago (2 children)

it’s worth mentioning that very rarely is baby formula better than breast milk. the contents of breast milk change depending on the what the child needs at the moment. it’s really sick that some companies market it as a better option than breast milk

source

[–] [email protected] 42 points 4 months ago

whats really sick is the fact that nestle gave free formula to women in poor companies, telling them that it was better, just long enough for their breast milk to dry up, before starting to charge them insane prices for it.

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[–] [email protected] 49 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 19 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] csm10495 15 points 4 months ago
[–] [email protected] 39 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Nestle is a Swiss company.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 4 months ago

The babies going on formula means that the mother's milk supply dries up when the baby isn't having any, and that they're then dependent on it, since it is quite difficult to start producing milk again after.

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[–] [email protected] 109 points 4 months ago (2 children)

If there was a profit in dropkicking the babies Nestle would be doing it in a heartbeat

[–] [email protected] 22 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Economics says anything that turns a profit is morally right and good! (not sarcasm, many people think this.)

[–] [email protected] 51 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)
[–] [email protected] 45 points 4 months ago (5 children)

Sugar and honey? Aren't you not supposed to give honey to infants?

[–] [email protected] 33 points 4 months ago (1 children)

added sugar in the form of sucrose or honey in samples of Nido, a follow-up milk formula brand intended for use for infants aged one and above,

I hate that it sounds as if I'm defending them, but the only specific mention of honey does say it was in a product targeted at children over 1 year old. I believe the recommendation I've heard is that honey is dangerous for children under 1 year old. But fuck, if unsweetened products are good enough for infants in wealthy countries, WTF are they doing adding it to products aimed at infants in poorer countries??

[–] [email protected] 41 points 4 months ago

if unsweetened products are good enough for infants in wealthy countries, WTF are they doing adding it to products aimed at infants in poorer countries??

Getting their customers addicted early.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 4 months ago

They don't care, it's about forming that early addiction to sugar. Thats all they want. More sugar consumption and addiction.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

You can't give them honey because it can cause botulism. The risk is greater with unpasteurized honey, but it seems pasteurized honey can also carry the bacteria and their weak immune system might not be able protect them.

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-safety-vulnerable-populations/infant-botulism.html

[–] [email protected] 27 points 4 months ago

It's not the immune system, but rather their stomachs are not acidic enough to neutralize the bacteria.

They could still heat the honey enough in an industrial setting (beyond just pasteurization) to kill the bacteria as well, so I doubt that's a real concern.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago

You aren't because it can contain harmful stuff but I suspect it's so ultra processed by this stage it won't matter.

[–] Imgonnatrythis 10 points 4 months ago

Come closer son, and let me just tell you a little secret about Nestlé corporation...

[–] [email protected] 32 points 4 months ago

Nestle is comically evil, but it's just not funny.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 4 months ago (8 children)

Maybe I missed it in the article, but isn't it more expensive for Nestlé to add the sugar than to not use it? I don't understand their motivation here. I mean, I assume it's evil considering what company this is, I just don't understand it.

[–] [email protected] 81 points 4 months ago (6 children)

Sugar is psychologically addictive

[–] [email protected] 18 points 4 months ago

And super cheap.

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[–] [email protected] 42 points 4 months ago (4 children)

It's a return on investment. Sugar is addictive, and they get a competitive edge vs. less sweet formulas that are following the WHO recommendations.

Coke is cheaper than bottled water for similar reasons. Especially in developing countries.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

Their motivation might be to get the kids hooked on the stuff early on. Sugar works like a drug in some ways by releasing dopamine in the brain and if you train your brain early on it will affect it longterm. Plus it will influence their future taste preferences. Everything else, besides Nestle's oversugared snacks will taste bland in comparison. Leading to kids crying at supermarket checkouts to get their favourite snacks :D

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I'm pretty sure sugar is cheaper than the rest of the formula by weight. They are essencial ly cutting formula with a cheaper more readily available product.

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Babies like sugary thing, adding it in formula make sure babies refuse healthier alternative other than product made by Nestle for at least 3 years.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago

I assume they then dilute it back down so it's the same calories per 100 ml. Sugar is cheap.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

As if we needed any more reasons to hate Nestlé. If they ever find a sugar that's as addictive as heroin, they'd sell it to the world without telling anyone.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Nestlé, the world’s largest consumer goods company, adds sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold in many poorer countries, ...

Isn't honey verboten for infants because of the possibility of severe allergic reaction?

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