KUALA LUMPUR: Nestlé Malaysia's infant formula and baby food comply with international standards and local food regulations following reports of its products containing high levels of sugar.
Nestlé Malaysia said it included specific labelling requirements in their products, strictly following threshold limits for carbohydrates and added sugars.
"Nestlé and Wyeth infant formulas use lactose as the sole source of carbohydrate. Lactose is also the main source of carbohydrate in Nestlé and Wyeth growing up milks.
"Similarly, Nestlé infant cereals comply with both international standards and Malaysia food regulations.
"Wherever our products are sold, its nutritional profile complies with all applicable local regulations," it told the New Straits Times today in a statement.
It said that slight variations in recipes across countries would depend on several factors, including meeting the requirements of local regulations and the availability of local ingredients.
An article published by Public Eye had noted that the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) and Public Eye scrutinised around 150 products, including best-selling brands like Cerelac.
The team found that almost all the Cerelac infant cereals examined contained added sugar – nearly four grams per serving on average, equal to roughly a sugar cube – although they were targeted at babies from six months of age.
NST conducted a quick check of the Cerelac dry cereal market in Malaysia, but the ingredients stated that it included a total of 15gm of sugar per 50gm + 150ml water serving.
In the nutrition information, it didn't state what type of sugars were in the products.