The National Consumers Front has said they would be lodging a complaint with the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) next week over the quality of ‘Nido’ and ‘Cerelac’ products produced by the world’s largest consumer goods company – Nestlé.

Chairman of the National Consumers Front – Asela Sampath has said that a report has revealed that Nestlé adds sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold in many poorer countries, contrary to international guidelines aimed at preventing obesity and chronic diseases.

Earlier in April, it was reported that campaigners from Public Eye, a Swiss investigative organisation, had sent samples of the Swiss multinational’s baby-food products sold in Asia, Africa and Latin America to a Belgian laboratory for testing.

The results, and examination of product packaging, revealed added sugar in the form of sucrose or honey in samples of Nido, a follow-up milk formula brand intended for use for infants aged one and above, and Cerelac, a cereal aimed at children aged between six months and two years.

In Nestlé’s main European markets, including the UK, there is no added sugar in formulas for young children. While some cereals aimed at older toddlers contain added sugar, there is none in products targeted at babies between six months and one year.

Laurent Gaberell, Public Eye’s agriculture and nutrition expert, said: “Nestlé must put an end to these dangerous double standards and stop adding sugar in all products for children under three years old, in every part of the world.”

WHO guidelines for the European region say no added sugars or sweetening agents should be permitted in any food for children under three. While no guidance has been specifically produced for other regions, researchers say the European document remains equally relevant to other parts of the world.

The UK recommends that children under four avoid food with added sugars because of risks including weight gain and tooth decay. US government guidelines recommend avoiding foods and drinks with added sugars for those younger than two.

In its report, written in collaboration with the International Baby Food Action Network, Public Eye said data from Euromonitor International, a market-research company, revealed global retail sales of above $1bn (£800m) for Cerelac. The highest figures are in low- and middle-income countries, with 40% of sales just in Brazil and India.

Dr Nigel Rollins, a medical officer at the WHO, said the findings represented “a double standard […] that can’t be justified”.

Biscuit-flavoured cereals for babies aged six months and older contained 6g of added sugar for every serving in Senegal and South Africa, researchers found. The same product sold in Switzerland has none.

Tests on Cerelac products sold in India showed, on average, more than 2.7g of added sugar for every serving.

In Brazil, where Cerelac is known as Mucilon, two out of eight products were found to have no added sugar but the other six contained nearly 4g for each serving. In Nigeria, one product tested had up to 6.8g .

Meanwhile, tests on products from the Nido brand, which has worldwide retail sales of more than $1bn, revealed significant variation in sugar levels.

In the Philippines, products aimed at toddlers contain no added sugar. However, in Indonesia, Nido baby-food products, sold as Dancow, all contained about 2g of added sugar per 100g of product in the form of honey, or 0.8g a serving.

In Mexico, two of the three Nido products available for toddlers contained no added sugar, but the third contained 1.7g per serving. Nido Kinder 1+ products sold in South-Africa, Nigeria and Senegal all contained nearly 1g per serving, the report said.

A Nestlé spokesperson said: “We believe in the nutritional quality of our products for early childhood and prioritise using high-quality ingredients adapted to the growth and development of children.”

She said that within the “highly regulated” category of baby food, Nestlé always complied “with local regulations or international standards, including labelling requirements and thresholds on carbohydrate content that encompasses sugars” and declared total sugars in its products, including those coming from honey.

Variations in recipes depended on factors including regulation and availability of local ingredients, she said.

The company has reduced the total amount of added sugars in its infant cereals portfolio by 11% worldwide over the past decade, she said, and continued to reformulate products to reduce them further.

Sucrose and glucose syrup were being phased out of “growing-up milks” aimed at toddlers worldwide, she added.

(Excerpts : theguardian.com)

The Department of Agrarian Development has made arrangements to establish Sri Lanka’s first strawberry cultivation model village in Nuwara Eliya.

The Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, advised the Department of Agrarian Development to start this strawberry model cultivation village under the program initiated by the government to acquaint the farmers with the new crops that have been exported using new technology. Accordingly, the Department of Agrarian Development took steps to start this strawberry cultivation.

Under this arrangement, 40 farmers in Nuwara Eliya have been selected and arrangements have been made by the Department of Agrarian Development to provide the farmers with the financial allocation, strawberry plants required for cultivation as well as the new technology and water supply required for cultivation.

Especially for this cultivation, one farmer spends about Rs.1.3million of which 750,000 rupees have been provided by the Department of Agrarian Development without any recovery.

The remaining amount of 06 lakhs will be borne by the farmers engaged in the respective cultivation.

Under this, the Department of Agrarian Development will provide an amount of Rs.30 million to these 40 farmers for strawberry cultivation.

This strawberry cultivation is done in net houses in Nuwara Eliya and 40 net houses have been prepared so far. All of these safe houses can be fully automated by a remote control application.

Arrangements have been made to import the strawberry plants required for this cultivation to Sri Lanka before the end of this month. Approximately more than 300 strawberry plants are grown in one net house. The Commissioner General of the Department of Agrarian Development Mr. A.M.H.L.Abeyrathna said that steps will be taken to start cultivation as soon as the plants are received in Sri Lanka.

This strawberry cultivation is going to be cultivated locally as well as for export and the Department of Agrarian Development has already organized the necessary facilities to buy the harvest from the farmers.

Commenting on this, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that this first strawberry cultivation model village will be established under the Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurship Village program, which was started with the aim of attracting the youth community to agriculture, especially to generate high yield and income by using new technology, as well as the dollars needed by the country. He also mentioned that earning should be the aim of this work arrangement.

(dailynews.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

President Ranil Wickremesinghe declared open the super-luxury hotel ‘ITC Ratnadipa Colombo’ which boasts Sri Lanka’s first ever sky bridge ‘AHASA ONE’ connecting two towers at a height of 100m above the ground.

ITC’s Hotel Group, one of India’s leading luxury hotel chains, is reported to have invested close to INR 3,000 crore in the luxury Sri Lankan property, which is being set up under a subsidiary WelcomHotels Lanka. The luxury hotel – ITC Ratnadipa in Colombo – reportedly features about 352 rooms.

The USD 500 million + ITC development, comprising the Sapphire Residences and super-luxury hotel ITC Ratnadipa, occupies pride of place at the centre of Colombo’s most prestigious ocean front location.

Overlooking the Galle Face and the Indian Ocean on one side and the Beira Lake on the other, this landmark is already redefining the city’s skyline.

Speaking at the event,President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed his dedication to fostering an economic landscape in the nation that would prevent future struggles among its citizens. Emphasizing the swift reconstruction of the economy within a mere two-year span, he underscored his resolve to elevate the standard of living by fortifying the economy’s resilience.

extended a warm welcome, the President said, “ITC welcome to Sri Lanka.” He highlighted the prominent hotels in the vicinity, including the historic Galle Face Hotel which is bestowed as the first five-star hotel in Asia, the Taj Hotel from India and the Shangri-La Hotel from Singapore. He emphasized the significance of the newly established ITC Ratnadipa Hotel, positioned among these esteemed establishments by its height. He mentioned the forthcoming Cinnamon Life project located behind the hotel.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, former Presidents Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, along with a host of ministers and dignitaries including Minister Ali Sabry P.C., Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka, former Minister Ravi Karunanayake and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka H.E. Santosh Jha, were among the distinguished guests present at the event. Also in attendance were General Shavendra Silva and the Chairman and Managing Director of ITC Ltd Mr. Sanjiv Puri among others.