Nestle Ceralac controversy:
Consumer protection regulator asks FSSAI to probe claims of co adding sugar in
baby products
The Central Consumer Protection Authority
(CCPA) has asked regulator FSSAI to probe allegations against Nestle adding
higher sugar to baby products sold in India as opposed to other countries, PTI
reported on Friday.
CCPA, a consumer protection regulator,
asked FSSAI to take cognisance of the allegations made against Nestle. News
agency ANI had reported citing sources that the Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India (FSSAI) was examining the report published by Public Eye, a
Swiss investigative organisation, and that it would place the report before a
scientific panel.
After dropping over 5 per cent on
Thursday, the shares of Nestle India continued to trade in the negative
territory on Friday, being down 0.8 per cent as of 11:20 am.
Nestle India's share prices tanked on
Thursday based on investigation reports claiming that the company sold baby
products with higher sugar content to particular markets like India, Africa and
Latin America in comparison to Western counterparts.
According to the report, Nestle's
wheat-based product, Cerelac for six-month-old babies is sold without any added
sugars in the UK and Germany but 15 Cerelac products analysed from India
contained 2.7 grams of added sugar per serving on average.
The sugar content was declared on the
packaging in India, the report said.
Nestle India asserted that its
"infant cereal products are manufactured to ensure the appropriate
delivery of nutritional requirements such as protein, carbohydrates, vitamins,
minerals, iron etc. for early childhood".
Later in the day, the National Commission
for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) too asked FSSAI to review these
findings.
Nestle said that it reduced added sugar
in baby food products in India by over 30 per cent depending on the variants in
the last five years.
As a statutory body tasked with
safeguarding child rights and overseeing related matters across the nation, the
NCPCR has outlined specific actions for the FSSAI to undertake.
www.economictimes.indiatimes.com
dt. 20.04.2024