Nestlé’s children’s products are much sweeter in Africa than in Western markets

“Doctor Luisa” is one of the most popular Ghanaian influencers in the country. She is a dental surgeon by profession and mother of two children. She is the wife of a famous singer, Stonebwoy. Back from school, weekends, Christmas parties… Faced with almost a million cumulative followers on Instagram and Tiktok, Luisa Satekla does not hesitate to depict her children eating a bowl of Cerelac-based porridge.

“ Cerelac is always ready to give my children the nutrition they need », We can read in the description of a photo of their snack posted on social networks. Luisa Satekla is one of the many promotional faces of infant milk from the Swiss multinational Nestlé.

From Dakar to Djibouti, from Lagos to Cape Town, Cerelac and Nido baby milk powders are featured on billboards in African capitals and occupy a large space on supermarket shelves. Thanks to these two brands, the Swiss giant has 20% of the baby food market: Cerelac alone, the number one in the world, will achieve sales figures of almost one billion euros in 2022.

Behind this success, the Swiss company is implementing a strategy whereby products marketed in African countries contain high levels of added sugars, while products sold in Western markets contain little or no sugar. A ” double standard » unveiled by the Swiss association Public Eye and the International Action Network for Baby Food (Ibfan), which examined in the laboratory 115 products marketed in Nestlé’s main markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Solid popularity

Their findings were published April 17 in a study titled “ How Nestlé is making children in low-income countries addicted to sugar “.” It seems that for Nestlé not all babies are equal, summarizes Laurent Gaberell, co-author of the report The world. »

“ All products in Senegal, Nigeria or South Africa [de marque Nido] for children aged 1 to 3 years contain added sugars » the report notes. The authors believe that the same situation prevails in much of the continent, including Ivory Coast and Ghana, where IBFAN was unable to collect data but where the business strategy is similar. According to Nigel Rollins, a scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), quoted by Public Eye, the aim would be to get children used to high sugar levels from a very early age. “From a nutritional perspective, there is no reason to add sugar to baby foodremembers Laurent Gaberell. Nestlé’s sole purpose is to create addiction, make children addicted to its products and increase sales. »

Nestlé infant formula is enjoying solid popularity across West Africa, thanks to an aggressive marketing strategy that now sees influencers invading the kitchens of housewives, as well as fans of sports and sculpted bodies. Such as the Guinean TikToker Maria Officiel, who guarantees her 2.7 million fans “weight gain in five days” thanks to Cerelac and Nido, whose logos constantly appear in his posts.

“ Is it dangerous? », one of his followers worries in the comments. “ No, it’s for the baby, so it’s okay, go for it! », added another. With strong biceps emoticons, the Senegalese influencer “Djilly king of soap” also praises “bu baax weight gain” (“excellent”, in Wolof) thanks to Nido and Cerelac porridge to his 125,000 subscribers.

“Hidden sugars”

“By promoting Cerelac products through influencers and healthcare professionals, Nestlé is in violation of the WHO International Code,” criticizes Laurent Gaberell. The WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes has prohibited advertising of such products since 1981.

It was adopted after a Nestlé baby food scandal in the 1970s known as “Baby Killer” (“baby killer”). The multinational has already been accused of promoting breast milk substitutes in developing countries, which are harmful to the health of infants, at the expense of breastfeeding.

The revelation of this matter “hidden sugars” was perceived differently in the African countries covered by the Public Eye study. In Ghana, as in Côte d’Ivoire, where no consumer associations exist, civil society has not responded. Questioned at the exit of a convenience store in Abidjan, the young mother of a two-year-old boy shrugs. She wasn’t aware of it, she admits, but this news won’t be enough to change her spending habits.

“ Cerelac products taste good, my mother gave them to me when I was little and I now give them to my sonshe says. I never noticed there was too much sugar in it, it’s been the same taste for generations. And then Nestlé is a big company, these are products that are sold all over the world… As far as I’m concerned, we can trust them. » In Senegal, only informed circles and scientists such as the neurologist Amadou Gallo Diop, who has been warning for years about the harmful effects of added sugars, are concerned. “The danger is that these children who leave the mother’s womb become accustomed to these circuits that are harmful to the bodyunderlines Dr. Diop. These added sugars are addictive and travel through the same neural highways as drugs. »

The new Senegalese ministerial authorities, elected on March 24, appear overwhelmed by this health scandal. The rare calls from consumers to withdraw Cerelac and Nido products from the market are being ignored. “ We do not do populism, but regulation, evades Doctor Oumy K. Ndiaye Ndao, director of the Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (ARP). Nestlé informed us in a letter last week that it complies with the regulations. »

The multinational admits “minor variations”.

However, the supervisory authority established in 2022 promises imminent inspections. “ The ARP is not a party, says a well-informed source. In theory, this independent authority has the power to monitor and refer to the courts. In theory, it can import consignments imported into the autonomous port of Dakar. But customs looks at it vaguely, because the port is their territory. »

Contacted by The worldNestlé assures that in “ In Central and West Africa, the addition of sugars to our range of children’s cereals is done in accordance with the strictest local and international regulations. “, under which ” compliance with labeling requirements and thresholds for carbohydrates, including sugars “.

The multinational admits “ slight variations in recipes around the world “, but adds that their ” milk and breakfast cereals for infants and young children are fortified with vitamins and minerals such as iron to combat malnutrition in Central and West Africa “.

An argument that Laurent Gaberell is indignant about. “ We’re not talking about “slight variations in recipes!” “, the expert recalls. The added sugar content is very high: 6.8 grams per portion in Nigeria, while the same product is sold in Europe without added sugar, which is huge! » Regarding the malnutrition argument, Mr Gaberell considers it “ completely unfounded »: WHO, on the other hand, recommends reducing sugar intake to less than 5% of total energy intake.

The influence of lobbyists

Despite the ethical and public health issues raised by Public Eye, Nestlé’s practices are legal because national laws in West and Central Africa are particularly lax. These are based on the standards set by the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, developed in 1981 by the WHO, and by the Codex Alimentarius, a set of non-restrictive agricultural food and nutrition standards established by an international committee. under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the WHO.

“ However, Codex Alimentarius standards allow the addition of sugar to baby foods and do not even require manufacturers to declare the added sugar content of their products. continues Laurent Gaberell. The reason the Codex standards are so permissive can be summed up in one word: lobbying. Industry has enormous influence at Codex, it is present on every floor and in every room where decisions are made. » During a recent review of the growth milk standard, industry lobbyists represented more than 40% of participants.