THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said the Nido infant milk formula, allegedly containing sugar or honey was not registered or sold in Nigeria.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, stated this in a statement on Sunday, April 28.
She said the agency’s attention was drawn to an online publication that alleged that one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies added sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold in many poorer countries, contrary to international guidelines to prevent obesity and chronic diseases.
Adeyeye noted that the online publication of April 17, 2024, was circulated widely to the general public.
The Guardian UK published the report titled ‘Nestlé adds sugar to infant milk sold in poorer countries, report finds’.
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According to the report, samples of baby food products sold in Asia, Africa and Latin America were tested, and results revealed that sugar and honey were added in the form of sucrose in samples of Nido and Cerelac.
Campaigners from Public Eye, a Swiss investigative organisation, sent samples of the Swiss multinational’s baby food products sold in Asia, Africa and Latin America to a Belgian laboratory for testing.
The results and examination of product packaging revealed added sugar in the form of sucrose or honey in samples of Nido, a follow-up milk formula brand intended for use by infants aged one and above, and Cerelac, a cereal aimed at children aged six months and two years.
It added that Nestlé’s main European markets, including the UK, contain formula for young children that contains no added sugar. While some cereals for older toddlers contain added sugar, none is in products targeted at babies between six months and one year.
“Nestlé must put an end to these dangerous double standards and stop adding sugar in all products for children under three years old, in every part of the world,” the Public Eye’s agriculture and nutrition expert, Laurent Gaberell, was quoted to have said.
In her statement on Sunday, the NAFDAC boss said, “The management of NAFDAC wishes to use this medium to reassure the public that the agency exercises due regulatory diligence in the registration of infant and young children foods distributed and used in Nigeria.
“This is in line with relevant Codex Alimentarius international food standards (Codex) and more specifically, Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS). This is applicable to all categories of infant and young children foods distributed by manufacturers, importers, and marketers of infant and young children foods operating within Nigeria.
She said the product was not registered in Nigeria, not known to the agency, and not in circulation in the country.
Adeyeye maintained that the range of Nestle Cerelac infant cereals distributed in the country was duly registered with NAFDAC and was in line with the Nigerian Industrial Standard for Foods for Infants and Young Children.
“Processed Cereal Based foods (NIS 256:2010) and the Codex Standard for Processed Cereal-based Foods for Infants and Young Children (CXS 74-1981 was adopted in 1981, revised in 2006, amended in 2017, 2019, and 2023), as well as the applicable NAFDAC regulations for compliance with safety, quality, and labelling requirements.
“Adequate, optimal nutrition during infancy and early childhood is essential to ensure the growth, health, and development of children to their full potential.
“The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) implements the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, developing international food standards, guidelines, and codes of practice with the mandate to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair international food trade, Adeyeye explained.
She added that iNAFDAC was fully aware of its responsibility to ensure the safety, wholesomeness, and quality of infant and young children’s foods offered for sale in Nigeria in compliance with the relevant standards and regulations.