New Delhi, India

Nestlé, which is the world's largest baby food company, is accused of adding sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold in many poorer countries. 

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Experts have advised that infants should not be given honey, as occasionally, it contains bacteria that can produce toxins in a baby's intestines, leading to infant botulism, which is a very serious illness. 

It is also said that parents should avoid giving sugary snacks and drinks (including fruit juice and other fruit drinks), as it will help prevent tooth decay. Since honey is a kind of sugar, avoiding it will also help prevent tooth decay. 

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Samples of the product sold in Asia, Africa and Latin America were sent by the campaigners from Public Eye, which is a Swiss investigative organisation, to a Belgian laboratory for testing. 

The International Baby Food Action Network and Public Eye examined the composition of around 100 baby foods sold by Nestlé around the world. 

During the testing, the lab analysed the product and its packaging. The result revealed that the company added sugar in the form of sucrose or honey in samples of Nido, which is a follow-up milk formula brand intended for use for infants aged one and above. Such ingredients were also present in Cerelac, which is a cereal aimed at children aged between six months and two years. 

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In a detailed report, swissinfo.ch mentioned that Cerelac contains six grammes of sugar per portion, which is equivalent to approximately one and a half sugar cubes per meal in South Africa. 

However, the same is not reflected on the packaging of the equivalent product in Switzerland as "no added sugar" prominently appears. 

The report highlights how the company uses sugars extensively in baby products intended for lower-income countries, while it has eliminated the ingredient in Europe. 

The concerning report emerged amid the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation that the amount of sugar must be removed from the diets of young children. 

In a separate report, the WHO also revealed that obesity is increasingly a problem in low- and middle-income countries. 

As quoted, Laurent Gabrell, co-author of the Public Eye investigation, said: "By adding sugar to these products, Nestlé's sole aim – and that of other manufacturers too – is to create an addiction or dependency in children, because they like the taste of sugar. And so, if the products are very sweet, they'll be asking for more in the future." 

WION has reached out to Nestle for their comment. This story will be updated to reflect as and when we receive it.

(With inputs from agencies)