The company faced accusations of "double standards," especially given the high rates of childhood obesity on the continent, which prompted calls to remove all added sugars from infant food products.
"misleading," asserting through a spokesperson that making cereals palatable for infants is vital to combating malnutrition, and that its formulas comply with national regulations in the countries concerned.
Researchers from Public Eye, which calls itself the Global Justice Organization, collaborated with activists in more than 20 African countries to purchase 94 samples of Cerelac products marketed to infants six months and older, and sent them to a laboratory for analysis.
Added sugars were present in more than 90% of the samples.
An average of 6 grams (equivalent to one and a half teaspoons) per serving.
The quantities ranged from 5 grams per serving in Egypt, Madagascar, South Africa, Malawi and Nigeria, to 7.5 grams in a product sold in Kenya.
It is worth noting that the World Health Organization recommends not adding sugars to the food of children under the age of three, in anticipation of the formation of long-term preferences for sweetened foods.
A previous investigation by the organization in April 2024 also revealed that Nestlé added sugar and honey to infant products in Asia, Africa and Latin America, while similar products in wealthy countries did not contain added sugar.
In response, 12 African organizations said in a letter to Nestlé CEO Philippe Navratil: "You know how to do things differently, but you have deliberately decided to feed children in Africa with less healthy options."
They added: "By adding sugar to infant cereals, Nestlé is endangering the health of African children for profit." They accused the company of participating in a "preventable public health catastrophe," saying that "an epidemic of diet-related non-communicable diseases is spreading across the continent."
For her part, Peggy Debe, head of global corporate affairs at Nestlé's nutrition division, said: "These are baseless allegations and suggest actions that go against all our values. We disagree with the Public Eye report. It is misleading. We do not have double standards when it comes to early childhood nutrition."
Last year, Nestlé introduced 14 varieties of Cerelac with no added sugar in India, and Debbie said the company is accelerating the rollout of sugar-free varieties in African countries.
The company confirmed that its products comply with international Codex Alimentarius standards, noting that the main challenge in Africa is malnutrition, not obesity.
Dr. Sara Colombo Motaze, Head of Global Medical, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs in the Nutrition Division at Nestlé, explained that the company has internal "controls" in place to limit added sugars, and that product palatability is important to ensure that infants accept food and grow properly.