Investigation reveals high sugar in Nestlé's Cerelac for Kenyan babies
As WHO warns of soaring childhood obesity, Kenyan Cerelac has come under scrutiny for high sugar content. Kebs insists the products meet Codex and national standards, but acknowledges WHO advises avoiding added sugar entirely.
What you need to know:
- A new investigation has revealed that Nestlé’s Cerelac for African markets, including Kenya, contains high levels of added sugar, with some products recording up to 7.5g per serving—while European versions contain none.
- Public Eye’s laboratory analysis shows that more than 90 per cent of Cerelac products sold across Africa have added sugar, unlike those in Europe. Kenyan parents and nutritionists have expressed concern, warning that refined sugar in infant foods drives obesity, insulin resistance and poor developmental outcomes.
- As WHO warns of soaring childhood obesity, Kenyan Cerelac has come under scrutiny for high sugar content. Kebs insists the products meet Codex and national standards, but acknowledges WHO advises avoiding added sugar entirely.
A new investigation has unearthed a significant double standard by the Swiss food giant Nestlé, revealing that its highly popular Cerelac infant cereals sold across Africa, including Kenya, contain high levels of added sugar, while equivalent products in Europe are sold with zero added sugar.
The findings, detailed in an analysis by Public Eye and supported by a specialised laboratory, show that over 90 per cent of nearly 100 Cerelac products sampled across 20 African countries contain added sugar. The highest quantity of added sugar detected in the African analysis was found in a Cerelac product sold in Kenya and specifically intended for six-month-old babies. This Kenyan-market product had 7.5 grammes of added sugar per serving, equivalent to almost two sugar cubes.
On average, the analysed servings of Cerelac in Africa contained nearly six grammes of added sugar, about one-and-a-half sugar cubes. This is 50 per cent more than the average found in a previous investigation that focused on Asia and Latin America, and twice the amount detected in India. In stark contrast, Nestlé’s main baby cereal brand in its home country, Switzerland, contains zero added sugar. The same standard applies to all Cerelac products for babies aged six months and older in key European markets like Germany and the United Kingdom.
Cerelac infant cereals are dominant in Africa, promoted as "specially designed to meet the nutritional needs" of babies. Annual sales in Africa exceed $250 million, giving Nestlé a market share of over 50 per cent, according to Euromonitor data. Nigeria alone represents the largest African market for Cerelac, with sales exceeding $50 million annually.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned for decades that early exposure to sugar can foster a lifelong preference for sweet products, a major risk factor for overweight and obesity. This is a critical concern as obesity in Africa is projected to increase by more than 250 per cent by 2050, with one in two adults potentially affected. Childhood obesity is also a rising concern, with the number of overweight under-fives having nearly doubled since 1990.
In response to what they term an "unacceptable double standard," 20 civil society organisations across countries, including Benin, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, have issued an open letter. They are calling on Nestlé to comply with WHO guidelines and immediately stop adding sugar to its baby foods globally. “All babies have an equal right to healthy nutrition, regardless of their nationality or skin colour. All babies are equal. So, do the right thing. The world is watching,” the letter warns.
Furthermore, consumer advocates highlighted a lack of transparency. For around two thirds of the African products analysed, the amount of added sugar was not even disclosed in the nutritional information on the packaging. Kenyan parents have also expressed shock at the investigation, while calling for organic foods.
“We need to go back to basics and feed our children with locally available nutritious food. We grew up on them, and we turned out fine,” said Jane Atieno.
“This is a wakeup call to be self-reliant. Until we become really independent and begin doing things for ourselves, we shall always remain vulnerable as Africans,” said Leah Wangeci.
Mombasa-based Consultant Nutritionist Joshua Katembo has welcomed recent findings on maternal and infant nutrition, stressing that addressing feeding practices is crucial for "generational and intergenerational societal development."
Mr Katembo warns that incorrect feeding in infancy, specifically the early administration of food products lacking minimum dietary allowances and balance can have severe long-term implications, affecting a child's school performance, working life, and eventual productivity.
He points directly to the allure of certain fast-to-prepare, highly marketed infant foods currently available on the market. These products are readily available, quick to prepare, and often quantified in small, purchasable volumes, making them appealing to new mothers, particularly in urban settings. However, the convenience masks a fundamental flaw in their composition: they often contain a high amount of refined sugar and simple carbohydrates.
"The issue here is that it contains a high amount of sugar, or rather carbohydrate, which is basically sugar in its making. This sugar is refined. So, we are exposing or rather we are disposing this infant to very high levels of this particular nutrient. And most of the time, it is a single nutrient," Mr Katembo explains.
He warns that exposing a developing infant, whose systems are still maturing, to excessive refined sugar can have immediate and long-term metabolic consequences. “The high glucose load causes insulin spikes. The pancreas, the organ responsible for producing the sugar-regulating hormone insulin, is forced to release a flood of the hormone to deal with the oversupply of glucose. Over time, as the baby develops, their cells begin to resist the action of insulin, leading to insulin resistance at a very early stage,” he says. “The manifestations of insulin resistance include, but are not limited to, inappropriate weight gain, which results in obesity, particularly observable as central adiposity (accumulation of fat around the midsection).
“Insulin resistance is not the only risk. A child who is overnourished, itself a form of malnutrition, presents numerous complications, including an increased risk of developing Type 1 Diabetes. Furthermore, rapid, unexpected weight gain, detected during routine growth monitoring, can lead to delayed developmental milestones,” he adds.
Mr Katembo notes that if complementary feeding is introduced incorrectly, the child may struggle to sit or achieve other age-appropriate milestones. Crucially, early introduction of fast foods and sugary components can create a fussy eater: a baby who becomes choosy, preferring the high-sugar foods and actively avoiding other nutritious meals. This leads to a severe lack of dietary diversity, preventing the baby from achieving optimal growth and nutritional adequacy.
He outlines the standards for optimal, complementary feeding, which begins at six months. The fundamental requirement is to ensure the baby's diet includes a minimum of five food groups, complementing the continued supply of breast milk.
These include Carbohydrates needed for energy, especially as the baby becomes more active and playful, Proteins, essential for structural development, muscle replacement, and growth and fats and oils, particularly those containing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (found in good oils like fish, avocado, or extra virgin coconut oil). He cautions against using toxic oils, such as those that are highly processed or repeatedly reused, which can build toxins.
“Bright-colored varieties of fruits and vegetables provide crucial vitamins like A, B complex, and C. Preparation methods, such as steaming vegetables before lightly frying them with essential oils, should be used to preserve nutrients. The transition to solid foods must be gradual and inclusive. We encourage mothers to transition the baby into family menus by the seventh month, making family food baby-friendly through mashing, and then quickly graduating to semi-solid and solid forms as the baby develops teeth,” said Katembo.
Kebs defends regulations
Meanwhile, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) offered a detailed defence of the existing regulatory framework. Esther Ngari, the Kebs managing director, confirmed that Kenya implements the EAC harmonised regional standard, KS EAS 72:2024, which aligns with the global Codex Standard CXS 74-1981 (amended 2023). Both standards permit a maximum limit of 7.5 g/100 Kcal for added sugars. "The results as published by Public Eye (6.6 g/100kcal) are within allowed limits both by National standards and Codex standards," she stated.
Ms Ngari further explained that the product's energy from sugars contributes 6.0 g/100 Kcal, which translates to about 10 per cent of energy provided by sugars, aligning with WHO's recommendation that sugar energy contribution be below 10 per cent. "Based on national standard and global standard - Codex, the product is safe for consumption by the targeted group."
However, Ms Ngari also highlighted a crucial distinction: "The Kenya/EAC standard (KS/EAS 72:2024), being aligned to Codex (CXS 74:1981), permits limited levels of added sugars expressed per energy, whereas WHO guidance is more precautionary and recommends avoiding added sugars in foods for infants and young children wherever possible. In other words, the technical standard sets maximum compositional limits (per Codex) while WHO guidance recommends no added sugars as best practice for infant and young child feeding."
While Kebs cannot confirm batch-level compliance from third-party reports alone, it outlined procedures for verifying product details and conducting independent laboratory analysis. Enforcement actions, ranging from product withdrawal to legal measures, would be taken if products fail to comply with standards.
“Kebs inspects products year-round as part of its annual market surveillance programme; certain product categories are sampled on a routine schedule while higher risk or complaint-driven categories receive more frequent attention. Kebs follows risk-based selection (complaints, national interest, risk assessments) and ISO/IEC 17020 principles for impartial inspection. Samples are drawn from retail/wholesale/distribution points with a chain-of-custody, submitted to Kebs or other accredited labs for analysis against the applicable Kenya/EAC/Codex standards; findings determine enforcement actions,” the MD explained.
“If a product fails to comply with the relevant KS/EAS requirements: Kebs may require corrective action including product withdrawal/recall, suspension of permits, seizure/destruction of non-conforming stocks and legal action. All these are provided under the Standards Act Cap 496 Laws of Kenya. Kebs has previously ordered withdrawals/recalls for safety/non-compliance reasons. Sugar content is part of the requirements and hence the product is evaluated based on the requirement and appropriate action taken where there is non-compliance.”
When asked about reviewing current standards to align more strictly with WHO recommendations on avoiding added sugars, Kebs indicated that it periodically reviews and updates standards. Any move to tighten compositional limits would involve established procedures, including stakeholder consultations and engagement with health authorities.
Nestlé, when contacted by Public Eye, emphasised its "consistent approach to nutrition for all babies everywhere" and claimed full compliance with national legislations. The company stated that it has accelerated the roll-out of Cerelac with no added sugar, aiming to introduce these variants to all markets where it operates by the end of 2025. According to WHO, an estimated 35 million under-fives were overweight in 2024. In Africa, the number of overweight children under five years has increased by nearly 12.1 per cent since 2000.
“Being overweight in childhood and adolescence affects children’s and adolescents’ immediate health and is associated with greater risk and earlier onset of various non communicable diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Childhood and adolescent obesity have adverse psychosocial consequences; it affects school performance and quality of life, compounded by stigma, discrimination and bullying. Children with obesity are very likely to be adults with obesity and are also at a higher risk of developing NCDs in adulthood,” the WHO said on its website.
The economic impacts of the obesity epidemic are also important. If nothing is done, the global costs of overweight and obesity are predicted to reach $3 trillion per year by 2030 and more than $18 trillion by 2060.
