Are African Infants Consuming 50% More Sugar in Baby Foods
- hakifactcheck
- Dec 5, 2025
- 2 min read
Amerix a Kenyan blogger recently posted on X
a post referencing a recently published Al Jazeera report titled "Nestle accused of risking babies’ health in Africa," which details high added sugar in Nestlé's Cerelac infant cereals (a popular artificial baby food) sold in 20 African countries. The test conducted by Public Eye a Swiss NGO found that:
Average: ~6 grams of added sugar per serving (equivalent to 1.5 sugar cubes).
Highest: 7.5 grams in a Cerelac variant for 6-month-olds in Kenya.
90%+ of samples contained added sugar (e.g., sucrose, glucose-fructose syrup).
This is explicitly 50% higher than Public Eye's 2024 findings for similar products in Asia and Latin America (~4 grams average), and twice as high as in India (Nestlé's largest Cerelac market). The report focuses on Cerelac, not NAN (Nestlé's infant formula milk, which has faced separate sugar scrutiny but wasn't central here). The post's reference to "NAN and Artificial foods" broadens it correctly to the category but misnames the primary product.
Nestlé denies double standards, claiming undernutrition is Africa's bigger issue (affecting ~29% of under-5s) and that sugar-free options exist in Africa at similar prices. However, critics argue local formulations prioritize sweetened versions for profit. This comes amid suspicions of targeted depopulation tactics via sweetened imports, highlighting broader calls for food sovereignty to combat chronic disease epidemics.
The Al Jazeera article references 2022 WHO guidelines, which strongly advise no added free sugars for children under 2 to prevent obesity, dental caries, and lifelong sweet preferences that contribute to chronic diseases like diabetes and metabolic disorders. Early sugar exposure is linked to higher obesity risks (Africa's under-5 overweight rate rose from ~5% in 1990 to 9.4% globally, with sharper increases in Africa.
The core claims align with a recent Al Jazeera article(https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/18/nestle-accused-of-risking-baby-heath-in-africa-asia-and-latin-america ) and supporting evidence from the Swiss NGO investigation. However, there are minor inaccuracies in product specifics, phrasing, and scope. The post's opinionated tone (e.g., "educated illiterates") is subjective and not fact-checkable, but the underlying health concerns are substantiated.
Verdict
Misleading Content.
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