Added sugar in Cerelac? Centre asks FSSAI to ‘initiate appropriate action’ against Nestle
The Consumer Affairs Ministry of the Union on Friday brought to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s attention the Nestle group of companies, allegedly selling baby products with high sugar content in India. The ministry asked for “appropriate action” against the Nestle group.
The action has been initiated by the Department as a result of the report issued by the Nestle Company which allegedly has raised 2.7 grams of sugar per serving to their Cerelac baby cereals sold in India but they refrain from this practice in the countries such as Germany, Switzerland, France and the United Kingdom. The sugar content in baby products which may pose horrifying challenges to the welfare and safety of children in our country is a matter of increasing concern. Safety of our people, especially of the infants and children, comes first, and any relaxation of standards could lead to health problems,” the FSSAI letter stated.
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As Arun Gupta Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India pointed out, India should review its food safety laws and ensure that they are applied soundly. “Companies run to generate income but the government must guarantee the security of its citizens. In case the laws are not actively enforced, the health of the population, in this case the newborns, will be compromised,” he pointed out.
WHO has been saying for quite a long that high sugar content should not be a part of baby food products. This research mandates an immediate response to change the food environment for children stated by Dr. Francesco Branca, the director of the WHO’s Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at the associated media investigation agency based in Switzerland, Public Eye, and International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), reporting on the sugar levels.
“It is very important that sugars(added sugars) should be eliminated from food products of young children as a means of implementing the early prevention of obesity,” he finally added.
In a study released recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that obesity is now a “global epidemic” with an incidence among the low and middle income countries which has also increased compared to the first time. This dramatic surge is fuelling a serious rise in non-communicable diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.Advanced consumption of packaged and heavily sugar-loaded foods is among the reasons mentioned as being the biggest contributors to this pressing health issue.
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