LAST April, Swiss nonprofit organisation Public Eye released a report accusing a multinational company of selling baby food products in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) that contained high levels of added sugar. Since then, say, regulatory authorities in Bangladesh and India have announced their own investi- gations on the matter. The reaction in Pakistan, however, has been largely muted and lukewarm. Unfortunately, this is despite the fact that the Public Eye investigation identified that most baby cereal products sold by the company in Pakistan contained, on average, one sugar cube per serving.

Although international guidelines prohibit the promotion of infant foods containing high levels of sugar, national laws are less protective as a result of lobbying by the baby food industry, particularly the multinational players in the lucrative arena. In essence, across Pakistan, food standards discourage the use of added sugars in baby food, but do not specify any restrictions.

In 2018, the Punjab Food Authority introduced regulations on the distribution and promotion of infant formula in the province. These prohibited infant formula companies from approaching healthcare providers to promote their products. In practice, however, these guidelines remain largely unenforced.

Moreover, following suit, the Sindh government passed a similar legislation last year. Though the effects of this policy are yet to be seen, history suggests that they, too, will remain largely weak.

In the current scenario, if the federal government cannot control the ongoing distribution of baby food, it should at least attempt to regulate the use of added sugar in baby food, which is impacting the food standards. This does not seem like a big ask, given that infant formula products sold across Pakistan by multinationals claim to have no added sugar. Such a regulation will allow parents to make informed choices about their children’s nutrition, safeguarding Pakistan’s public health prospects in the long run.

Emaan Siddique
Washington, DC, USA

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2024