Nestle's Controversies Over The Years
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20 April 2024
Nestle hit the headlines this week for the sugar content in its baby food sold in developing countries
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While products sold in Europe were found to be free of added sugars, those distributed in Asia, Africa, and Latin America contained them
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Nestle India was found to have included sugar and honey in infant milk and cereal products such as Cerelac, per an investigation by Public Eye
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Amid this new concern, here's a look at Nestle's past controversies
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In 2021, Nestle faced criticism after an internal presentation revealed that a large portion of its food and drinks were not meeting the required health standards
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The document showed that 60% of Nestle's food and drink portfolio, excluding pet food, baby formula, and coffee, fell short of these standards
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In 2015, Nestle's Maggi noodles were banned in India after it was found that the product contained more-than-permissible levels of lead and MSG
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The noodles claimed to have "no added MSG" but test results revealed MSG and lead content exceeding Nestle India's claims by over 1,000 times
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The same year, the company was also accused of child labour. A report revealed that children under 15 were still working on cocoa farms linked to Nestle
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Children were found to be working as "family workers", were denied education and exposed to heavy tasks like using machetes and carrying huge loads, per the report
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In the 1970s, Nestle also discouraged breastfeeding to push their baby formula as a superior option, even though there was no solid proof to support this claim
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This triggered a widespread boycott of Nestle goods, which eventually extended to Europe. The boycott went on from 1977 to 1984
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