Advocates gathered in Abuja on Wednesday to object to the presence of added sugar in baby food. Across from the headquarters of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), advocates held up signs calling for the elimination of sugar in baby formula and stronger food policies that include clear nutrition labels on processed food products.
This action comes in response to a recent report by UK newspaper, The Guardian, which revealed that Nestlé, a notable consumer goods company, is adding sugars into baby formula and cereals placed in African markets.
The investigative report further disclosed that one Cerelac variety sold in Nigeria contains up to 6.8g of sugar per serving, in contrast to varieties sold in Europe, where baby formulas contain 0g of sugar. The World Health Organisation has called it a “double standard.”
Speaking at the advocacy rally, Gloria Okwu, a member of the National Action on Sugar Reduction (NASR) Coalition and Program Manager at Project Pink Blue, a cancer advocacy organisation, said, “Endangering the lives of children and exposing them to life-threatening illnesses is profiteering and criminal. Having different standards for producing baby formula for different populations is deceptive and discriminatory.”
In Nigeria, one in three deaths is caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease and diabetes. Ironically, while Nigeria is starting to battle diet-related conditions like obesity, undernutrition remains a public health problem. Feeding children high-sugar foods can increase the risk of childhood obesity without improving the issues caused by poor nutrition.
Okwu further said, “The lives of children all over the world matter, and it’s our collective
responsibility to protect them from diseases and situations that could negatively alter their lives
now or in the future. No wonder an increasing number of children are starting to develop
diabetes and cancer earlier in life.”