Public Eye’s 2025 investigation found added sugar in more than 90% of the nearly 100 African-market Cerelac products it tested, averaging nearly 6 grams per serving. That evidence raises questions about how Nestlé formulates and markets infant cereal, discloses product information, and engages health professionals. It does not prove the company secured a particular government decision or controlled public policy.
What Public Eye tested—and what it reported
Public Eye says it worked with African civil-society organizations to collect nearly 100 Cerelac products sold in 20 African countries. It says Inovalys, a reference laboratory specializing in food analysis, tested the products. The reported results describe that sample, not every Cerelac product or every market in Africa.
- More than 90% of the tested products contained added sugar, according to Public Eye.
- The analyzed products averaged nearly 6 grams of added sugar per serving, according to Public Eye.
- The highest amount Public Eye reported was 7.5 grams per serving in a Kenyan product intended for babies from six months.
These are the investigation’s reported findings. They should not be generalized into a claim that all Cerelac sold in Africa has the same formulation. Products can differ by country, age range, ingredients, serving size, and date of sale.
How Nestlé responds to the high-sugar criticism
Nestlé rejects Public Eye’s characterization of its products as having high added-sugar levels. The company says recipes vary with local ingredients, food cultures, competitive conditions, and consumer trends. It says its products comply with applicable local or international rules and that its internal added-sugar criteria for infant cereals are half the limits set by Codex.
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- Suitable as a complimentary food for infants from 8 months
Nestlé also points to different possible sources of sugar in its products. It says sugars can come from milk, cereals, and fruit, as well as ingredients such as fruit purée, sucrose, or honey. Those are the company’s explanations; they do not independently establish the ingredients or sugar amounts in any particular package.
When comparing products, it matters whether a figure refers to total sugars or added sugars, which ingredients contribute sugars, and whether the amount is calculated for dry cereal or a prepared serving. Public Eye’s reported figures are its added-sugar findings per serving. The figures should be read alongside the tested product’s label and the investigation’s serving assumptions, rather than treated as a universal value for the brand.
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What the market comparisons establish
Public Eye contrasts its African-market findings with Cerelac products sold without added sugar in Switzerland and key European markets. Its account also notes two no-added-sugar variants recently launched in South Africa. Nestlé’s October 2025 response said variants designed for African markets had been introduced in South Africa, Djibouti, and Egypt, with further rollout planned.
Nestlé’s current FAQ says no-added-sugar options are available in every market where it sells infant cereals. That is the company’s present-tense position, not confirmation that a particular variant is currently stocked in a particular country. Product availability can change; consumers should check current local packaging or a country-specific source.
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- Goodness of cereals with no added sugars
- Infant cereal is the ideal foundation to a varied and balanced diet.
- Just add Water
- Our recipe is suitable for vegetarians
- CERELAC 5 Cereals with Milk is a wheat-based infant cereal with milk powder, oats, barley, corn, and rice
These comparisons support a question about differences in formulation across markets, but a fair comparison needs more than a country name. It should account for sale date, intended age, ingredients and sugar sources, added sugar per prepared serving, label disclosure, availability of a no-added-sugar option, and applicable national rules.
What the label-disclosure finding means
Public Eye says around two thirds of the analyzed products did not disclose the amount of added sugar in the nutrition information. Nestlé says its disclosures follow local regulatory requirements.
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- CERELAC CEREALS - made from wholesome natural grains with vitamins and minerals to help meet your toddler's nutritional needs
- HEALTHY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT - Cerelac has vitamins and minerals to support healthy growth and development
- 2 SERVINGS A DAY provides 60% daily value iron to help support normal cognitive development
- BIFIDOBACTERIUM LACTIS CULTURES are a probiotic that helps maintain digestive health when eaten regularly
- The health and safety of your little one has been and will always be Nestle’s highest priority. We're a leader in infant nutrition, not just because we grow food that will feed your little one, but also because we know what nourishment your little one needs
The reported gap raises a consumer-transparency question: a shopper may not be able to identify the added-sugar amount from the nutrition panel alone. It does not, by itself, establish that a product label was illegal. That conclusion would require checking the actual package and the rules applicable in the country where it was sold.
How the case illustrates corporate influence
Corporate influence is most clearly examined here through documented business activities, rather than a claim that the company dictated policy. The reporting points to several channels that can shape what consumers encounter and what information reaches health systems:
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- Suitable as a complimentary food for infants from 8 months
- Product formulation: Nestlé chooses recipes for different markets. Public Eye’s sample and its comparisons raise questions about how those choices vary by location and how the company weighs nutrition, local preferences, and commercial conditions.
- Marketing: Cerelac is marketed to parents as nutritious food. Public Eye and named critics argue that some marketing can blur the line between product promotion and nutrition advice. Nestlé says its marketing follows regulations and ethical standards.
- Disclosure: The reported absence of added-sugar amounts on many sampled nutrition panels affects how readily consumers can compare products. Nestlé says it follows local disclosure requirements; the available findings do not resolve compliance country by country.
- Engagement with health professionals: Public Eye discusses the Nestlé Nutrition Institute and its engagement with health workers. Critics characterize aspects of these activities as image-building or influence. Nestlé says the Institute shares science-based information.
These activities are relevant to public policy because product rules, labeling requirements, marketing standards, and nutrition guidance shape the environment in which companies and families make decisions. But evidence that a company sells products, markets them, or engages health professionals is not proof that it caused a specific law or government decision. The reporting summarized here does not establish policy capture.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why fortification and sugar need to be considered together
The debate is not simply whether infant cereal is nutritious or not. Public Eye quotes Sara Jewett, a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, saying: “While fortification should remain part of a public health response to malnutrition, we need to look at products as a whole to determine their social value.” Her comment frames the policy question as one of evaluating the whole product, including both its nutritional contribution and its formulation.
Public Eye’s 2024 investigation also quotes Francesco Branca, director of the WHO Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, saying: “Eliminating added sugars from food products for young children would be an important way to implement early prevention of obesity.” This is a statement reported by Public Eye, not a substitute for the full WHO guidance or a finding that any specific Cerelac product causes obesity. The evidence summarized here does not establish health outcomes for children who consumed the sampled products.
What consumers and policymakers can reasonably conclude
The investigation provides evidence for scrutiny of a defined set of products and the company practices surrounding them. It does not establish that every African-market product has the reported profile, that a particular label violated local law, or that Nestlé obtained a specific policy outcome.
- For a product comparison, check the country and date of sale, intended age, ingredients, serving basis, and whether the label states an added-sugar amount.
- For an availability claim, verify the actual local product and package rather than relying only on a company-wide FAQ.
- For a legal claim, consult the relevant country’s labeling and marketing rules and the package in question.
- For a claim of political influence, distinguish evidence of company activity and access from evidence that a government decision changed because of it.
The strongest supported conclusion is that Public Eye’s findings make product formulation, marketing, disclosure, and health-professional engagement legitimate subjects for scrutiny. They do not, on their own, demonstrate that Nestlé controlled public policy.
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