Sweet Divide: Inside The Sugar Controversy Shaking Nigeria’s Baby Food Market

By SANI BATURE

FOR decades, Nestlé’s Cerelac has been a trusted household staple for Nigerian families—one of the first foods many parents place in their babies’ mouths. But a new investigation has ignited a storm of concern, revealing that babies in Nigeria and across Africa may be consuming far more added sugar than their counterparts in Europe and parts of Asia.

The report, published by Swiss watchdog Public Eye in collaboration with Nigeria’s Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF), accuses Nestlé of operating a double standard: selling sugar-free infant cereals to developed markets while supplying versions with added sugar to African countries.

A Continent Given the Sweeter Option

The investigation tested nearly 100 Cerelac samples purchased across more than 20 African countries. An overwhelming 94 per cent contained added sugar. On average, African babies consuming Cerelac get 6 grams of added sugar per serving—around one and a half cubes of table sugar. In some markets, levels reached 7.5 grams.

Nigerian samples averaged 5 grams, with some exceeding 6 grams per serving. These numbers reflect sugar added by manufacturers, not naturally occurring sugars from grains or fruits.

But many parents would never know. Packaging in several African markets—including Nigeria—does not clearly distinguish between natural and added sugars, leaving consumers unable to make fully informed nutritional choices.

Nestlé Denies Wrongdoing

Nestlé insists it has done nothing wrong. The company says Cerelac sold in Nigeria complies with local regulations and international standards. It maintains that sugars appearing on labels often come from natural ingredients, not added refined sugar.

Public Relations Lead, Victoria Anyianuka, rejected Public Eye’s findings. She argued that Nestlé exceeds regulatory requirements, uses uniform thresholds across markets, and has requested details of Public Eye’s testing methods.

“We do not have double standards,” she said, emphasising that formulations are developed according to local regulations, ingredient availability, and nutritional needs.

A Larger Public Health Question

The debate is unfolding against a troubling backdrop: Nigeria’s rising burden of non-communicable diseases. One in five adults is overweight, and childhood obesity rates are surging. Experts warn that feeding infants sugary foods may shape long-term taste preferences and increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

CADEF’s Executive Director, Professor Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, called the findings a direct public health risk. She accused manufacturers of offering African babies products that would be unacceptable in Europe. “This is not just deception—it’s a health threat,” she said.

Regulatory Gaps Under the Spotlight

Nigeria’s infant food standards lean heavily on the Codex Alimentarius, created in 1981, which permits up to 20 per cent added sugar in baby foods. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation recommends zero added sugar for children under two.

NAFDAC officials acknowledged differences in global regulations but emphasised that manufacturers must comply with Nigerian laws—not European recommendations. They also noted that new labelling rules require clearer sugar disclosure beginning in January.

The agency says some companies are already submitting sugar-free variants for approval, suggesting an evolving regulatory landscape.

Marketing and Influence

Public Eye’s report also highlighted aggressive marketing practices, including influencer promotions that sometimes fail to disclose paid partnerships. It flagged the rollout of Cerelac Junior—with packaging similar to infant Cerelac—as potentially misleading for consumers and difficult for regulators to police.

A Call for Stronger Nigerian Standards

Consumer advocates, regulators, and civil society groups who met in Lagos agreed that Nigeria can no longer rely solely on outdated international standards. They called for:

• a joint regulatory review involving NAFDAC, FCCPC, SON, and state bodies

• clear “no-added-sugar” national standards for infant foods

• stronger enforcement mechanisms

• more consumer education on reading nutrition labels

The FCCPC and Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency both expressed readiness to support stricter rules and unified enforcement.

Parents Caught in the Middle

For millions of Nigerian parents who have trusted Cerelac for generations, the revelations raise unsettling questions. Why are African children receiving sugar-added products when sugar-free versions exist elsewhere? Are current standards sufficient to protect the youngest consumers?

Nestlé maintains its products are safe and compliant, noting ongoing efforts to reduce sugar and expand no-sugar-added lines, including variants currently awaiting approval in Nigeria.

A Debate Just Beginning

As the controversy grows, nutrition advocates say the deeper issue is equity: whether African children deserve the same nutritional protections as those in wealthier nations. For now, the investigation has opened a long-overdue conversation about corporate responsibility, regulatory strength, and the health of future generations.

The answers may determine how Nigerian families feed their babies for years to come.