Nestle India To Launch Zero Refined Sugar Cerelac In Response To Criticism

Nestle India Ltd. is set to launch new variants of Cerelac that contain zero refined sugar, following widespread criticism that its formulations contained higher sugar levels than those sold in developed countries.

The cereal-based food range offered to the country will now have a total of 21 variants, of which 14 would be refined sugar-free, the company said in an exchange filing on Thursday. Out of the 14 non-refined sugar variants, seven are expected to be rolled out in the markets by the end of November, while the other half will be available in the following weeks.

Earlier in April, a Swiss investigative agency Public Eye and International Baby Food Action Network revealed that the consumer goods giant added sugar to baby products like infant milk in poorer South Asian nations, including India, Africa, and Latin America, but not in primary markets like the US and Europe. In India, for instance, Cerelac has been found to contain an average of nearly three grams of added sugar per serving.

In response to the controversy, a spokesperson for Nestle India stated earlier that the company has reduced the total amount of added sugars in its infant cereal portfolio by 30% over the past five years, and it continues to "review" and "reformulate" products to reduce them further.

"I am delighted to inform you that we have achieved our ambition of introducing Cerelac variants with no refined sugar," said Suresh Narayanan, chairman and managing director of Nestle India, in a post-earnings statement on Thursday. "This initiative began three years ago and has culminated this year with the launch of the new Cerelac variants."

The company also notified in its filing that Cerelac has entered its 50th year in India this month. The first batch was manufactured in its flagship factory in Moga, Punjab, on Sept. 15, 1975.