Two of the best-selling baby-food brands by Nestle in India contain high levels of added sugar, while such products are sugar-free in the United Kingdom, Germany Switzerland, and other developed nations, according to an investigation by Public Eye. The report said that Nestle, which is the world’s largest consumer goods company, adds sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products in several countries, a violation of international guidelines aimed at preventing obesity and chronic diseases. Violations were found only in Asian, African, and Latin American countries.

Findings showed that in India, all 15 Cerelac baby products contain an average of nearly 3 grams of sugar per serving. The same product is being sold with no added sugar in Germany and the UK, while in Ethiopia and Thailand, it contains nearly 6 grams, the study said.  

The amount of added sugar is often not even disclosed in the nutritional information available on the packaging of these kinds of products.

“While Nestle prominently highlights the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients contained in its products using idealizing imagery, it’s not transparent when it comes to added sugar,” the report said.

Nestle sold over Rs 20,000-Crore worth of Cerelac products in India in 2022.

Experts say that adding sugar, which is highly addictive, to baby products is a dangerous and unnecessary practice.

“This is a big concern. Sugar should not be added to foods offered to babies and young children because it is unnecessary and highly addictive,” says Rodrigo Vianna, epidemiologist and Professor at the Department of Nutrition of the Federal University of Paraiba in Brazil.

“Children get used to the sweet taste and start looking for more sugary foods, starting a negative cycle that increases the risk of nutrition-based disorders in adult life. These include obesity and other chronic non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes or high blood pressure,” he added.

A Nestle India spokesperson though said that they comply with all local regulations and international standards, and have already reduced added sugars across its infant cereal range by up to 30% in the last five years.

“Over the past five years, Nestlé India has reduced added sugars by up to 30%, depending on the variant, in our infant cereals portfolio (milk cereal-based complementary food),” the spokesperson told LiveMint.

Another suspect involved in the Salman Khan firing case was detained from Haryana Wednesday night. As per police sources, this individual served as a liaison between the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and the shooters – Vicky Gupta, 24, and Sagar Kumar Palak, 21 – who are in police custody. 

On Sunday at 4:55 am, two men on a motorcycle fired five rounds outside Galaxy Apartments in Mumbai’s Bandra, where the actor resides, and fled from the spot.

Sagar Kumar Palak, one of the two suspects, was allegedly provided with a gun just hours before the incident, sourced from the Bandra area on the night of April 13. However, the identity of the person supplying the weapon remains unknown, police said. Both the accused are from West Champaran in Bihar and were arrested by Mumbai Police from the premises of a temple in Gujarat’s Kutch district late Monday night. 

According to police sources, both Palak and his accomplice Vicky Gupta were allegedly offered Rs 4 lakh to carry out the shooting, with an initial payment of Rs 1 lakh provided upfront. The intended objective, as stated by Mumbai Crime Branch officials, was not to murder Mr Khan but to scare him.

“The accused conducted a ‘recce’ of Salman Khan’s farmhouse in Panvel. They intended to just scare him, not murder him. The statements of both families have been recorded in Bihar. Around 7 people have been called from Haryana and other states for questioning, which is ongoing,” a Mumbai Crime Branch official said, as quoted by news agency ANI. 

The Mumbai Crime Branch is also set to record Mr Khan’s statement as a witness in the case. 

Yesterday afternoon, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met with the actor and assured him all help. 

“The government is with you, I have told Salman Khan. Both the accused have been arrested. They will be interrogated. We will get to the root of the case. Nobody will be spared. Nobody should targeted this way,” Eknath Shinde told reporters outside the actor’s home.

“No gang or gang war will be allowed. We won’t allow this to happen. We will finish (Lawrence) Bishnoi,” he added.

Last year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said that Mr Khan topped the list of 10 main targets that jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi planned to eliminate, citing the actor’s infamous 1998 black buck hunting incident, which according to the gangster, offended the Bishnoi community.

Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk’s tweet from January has caught the attention of the US, possibly paving the way for India to get a permanent seat at the UNSC. Musk said in his tweet that it’s ‘crazy’ that India doesn’t have a permanent UNSC seat. He also said that powerful nations are hesitant to give up their power.