Packaged drinking water included in high risk food categories
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has included packaged drinking water and mineral water under the “high risk” food categories.
The government has taken cognizance of a investigation report by Swiss investigative organisation Public Eye that revealed global giant Nestle added sugar to infant baby food products sold in India.
According to sources, India’s food regulator FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) is examining the report and it will be placed before the scientific panel.
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As per the Public Eye report, Nestle’s baby food product Cerelac contains an average of nearly 3 grams of sugar per serving in India. However, the same product is sold in Europe with no added sugars.
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The report claimed that Nestle violated stringent guidelines by the World Health Organization (WHO) banning honey and added sugars in baby food products.
Besides India, Nestle also sold added sugar in baby food products in many Asian, African and Latin American countries.
The report further finds that Nestle was not following the WHO guidelines in poor countries, but was seemingly favouring higher-income countries.
“Cerelac wheat-based cereals for six-month-old babies sold by Nestle in Germany and the United Kingdom have no added sugar, while the same product contains over 5 gm per serving in Ethiopia and 6 gm in Thailand,” the study said.
Reacting to the report, a Nestle India spokesperson said that it has reduced up to 30 per cent added sugars in its infant cereals portfolio.
“We believe in the nutritional quality of our products for early childhood and prioritize using high-quality ingredients. Over the past 5 years, Nestle India has reduced added sugars by up to 30%, depending on the variant, in our infant cereals portfolio (milk cereal based complementary food). We regularly review our portfolio and continue to innovate and reformulate our products to further reduce the level of added sugars without compromising on quality, safety and taste,” the company said.
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