Fact-check
Is Cerelac banned in India?
Last checked 20 September 2026. A few details are still being checked against the original document.
Cerelac is not banned in India as of 20 Sep 2026; the April 2024 Public Eye and IBFAN report found about 3 g of added sugar per serving, the CCPA asked FSSAI to examine it, and no order has followed.
- Classification
- No ban or recall found in official records
- Decided by
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI); Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)
- Reference
- CCPA reference to FSSAI, 18 to 19 Apr 2024 (letter reference:, being verified; no FSSAI order on record
- Latest action
- 17 October 2024
- Last checked
- 20 September 2026details being verified
Cerelac brand logo (PD-textlogo). Photo: Cerelac brand logo.png by Unknown author (Public domain). Brand names and logos belong to their owners and are used here to identify the product this entry is about. All photo credits.
Nestlé adds sugar to infant milk, cereal sold in many countries, including India, claims report
We have not yet found this action in a published government document. Treat it as reported, not confirmed. If you have the order, send it to us.
Scope. A record here does not by itself mean a product or company is unsafe or banned today. Regulatory actions can apply to one batch, one formulation, one period or one state. Always check the linked government document for the current position, and tell us if something is out of date. How we label records.
Below: Blacklisted's explanationWe explain what has been reported. The report above is the best source we hold.
Key facts
- Current status
- On sale nationwide; no order in force
- The report
- Public Eye and IBFAN, 17 to 18 Apr 2024: every Cerelac cereal sold in India contained added sugar, averaging about 3 g per serving, while the same products in Nestlé's main European markets had none
- Government response
- CCPA asked FSSAI to examine Cerelac's composition; FSSAI said it would investigate and act if Nestlé was at fault
- Nestlé response
- Said it had cut added sugar in infant cereals by up to 30% over five years and that products meet Indian standards; 14 no-refined-sugar variants announced 17 Oct 2024
- Outcome
- No FSSAI order, recall or notice against Cerelac published (probe outcome:, being verified
- Is added sugar illegal?
- No. Indian standards permit sugar in infant cereals within limits; the report was about a double standard, not a legal breach
Where the claim comes from
The rumour is the April 2024 Public Eye and IBFAN report. It found that Nestlé added sugar to Cerelac and Nido sold in lower-income countries, including India, while the same products in Europe had none. Indian coverage was heavy, the consumer affairs ministry asked FSSAI to examine the product, and posts began saying Cerelac had been or would be banned. No such order was ever made, and the story has resurfaced with each Nestlé notice since.
Cerelac has never been banned in India and is not under any FSSAI order today. The question comes from a real report with a real government response, but the response was an examination, not a ban.
On 17 to 18 Apr 2024 the Swiss group Public Eye and the International Baby Food Action Network published laboratory results for Nestlé baby foods bought in Asia, Africa and Latin America. For India they reported that every Cerelac cereal tested contained added sugar, averaging about 3 g per serving, and that the same product lines sold in Nestlé's main European markets had none. FSSAI said on 18 Apr 2024 that it would investigate and act if Nestlé was at fault. On 19 Apr 2024 the Central Consumer Protection Authority wrote to FSSAI asking it to examine Cerelac's composition.
Nestlé India said it had reduced added sugar in its infant cereals by up to 30 per cent over five years and that its products complied with Indian standards, which permit sugar in infant cereals within limits. On 17 Oct 2024 it announced 14 Cerelac variants with no refined sugar for India, with the first seven in stores by the end of November 2024, sold alongside the originals. No FSSAI finding, order, recall or notice against Cerelac has been published since; the outcome of the examination is flagged for verification.
The point the report made was about a double standard between markets, not about a legal breach in India. Cerelac is not banned, not recalled and not under notice in India as of 20 Sep 2026.
What this means for you
Cerelac is not restricted
No order stops its sale or recalls any batch. The 2024 report raised a question about sugar, not about safety limits being broken.
Read the ingredients
Some Cerelac variants list sugar; newer ones say no added sugar. The choice is on the label, and WHO advice is to avoid added sugar for children under three.
A probe is not a finding
The CCPA asked FSSAI to look. No result has been published. Until one is, there is no regulatory verdict either way.
This is a record of official orders, not medical advice. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without asking your doctor or pharmacist.
Common questions
Did FSSAI ban Cerelac after the sugar report?
No. The CCPA asked FSSAI to examine Cerelac in April 2024. No order, recall or notice against Cerelac has been published.
Does Cerelac still contain added sugar?
Some variants do, within Indian limits. Nestlé launched no-added-sugar variants in late 2024. Check the ingredients list on the pack.
Official sources and primary records
- Nestlé adds sugar to infant milk, cereal sold in many countries, including India, claims reportNewsBusiness Today · 18 April 2024
- FSSAI examining charges against Nestle on adding sugar in baby foodsNewsDeccan Herald · 18 April 2024
- FSSAI to probe composition of Nestle's Cerelac baby cereals sold in IndiaNewsBusiness Standard · 19 April 2024
- Nestle launches Cerelac with no added sugar in Indian marketNewsStoryboard18 · 17 October 2024