Nestlé Senegal must be boycotted by consumers. The Nestlé added sugar scandal for children has not spared the Senegalese subsidiary of the Swiss agri-food giant. A study carried out by the Swiss NGO “Public Eye” in Nigeria, Senegal, Bangladesh and South Africa where Nido is one of the most popular brands – shows that all products for children aged 1 to 3 contain added sugar.
According to LeTémoin which provides the information, the highest volume of sugar added to a product, i.e. 7.3 grams per serving, was detected in the Philippines, followed by 6.8 grams in Nigeria and 5.9 grams in Senegal. . Furthermore, Nido milk powders intended for children aged 1 to 3 contained almost two grams of added sugar per serving. In Senegal, 0.5 grams of sugar are added to Nido milk powders for children aged one and over. The survey shows that, “for Nestlé, not all babies are equal when it comes to added sugar”.
While in Switzerland, where the company is headquartered, and in developed countries, the main brands of infant cereals and growth milks sold by the agri-food giant are free of added sugar. “Such a double standard is unjustifiable,” reacted a scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigel Rollins. What is worrying, despite the Nestlé scandal, we note in our country the silence of the authorities of the Ministry of Health and also of consumer associations.
The State must challenge Nestlé Senegal on this scandal and consumer associations must step up to the plate. Momar Ndao from Ascosen and Me Massokhna Kane from Sos Consommateurs among others must come out of their silence to call for a boycott of Nestlé products if the Senegalese subsidiary of the Swiss giant does not give guarantees on its products intended for Senegalese children.
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