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Cheating the innocent! Baby food companies are playing with the health of children. Many baby foods manufactured by these companies have been found to contain very high amounts of sugar. A new study has revealed that more than 60 percent of baby foods sold in the US do not meet the nutritional standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and can have a bad effect on children's health. Packaged baby foods sold in the US, including ready-to-eat foods, can promote nutritional deficiencies in children and put them at risk of obesity and many lifestyle diseases when they grow up.
Researchers at the George Institute for Global Health, a medical research center in Australia, examined 651 commercial infant food products purchased from major US grocery chains between March and May 2023. They used the 2022 nutrient and promotion guidelines established by the WHO Regional Office Europe to evaluate these products.
Most of these products did not meet the protein requirements (70 percent) that are part of the WHO guidelines and almost half of them (44 percent) exceeded the total sugar limits. In the study, researchers found that 1 in 4 products did not meet the calorie requirements while 1 in 5 products exceeded sodium levels.
What are ultra-processed foods?
These are foods that contain multiple ingredients you won't find in your kitchen. They contain food additives, preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners and artificial colours and flavours, which help extend the product's shelf life. According to a study published in BMJ by researchers at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, high intake of ultra-processed foods such as processed meats, sweetened breakfast foods and sugar may increase the risk of premature death.
Childhood is a critical period for children to develop good dietary habits and taste preferences. According to a study published in the journal Nutrition, mothers who consume healthy foods during pregnancy and breastfeeding and later feed these foods to their children during the complementary feeding period can promote healthy eating habits in their children and families.
What the experts say
Dr. Elizabeth Dunford, research fellow at the George Institute and assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina, said early childhood is a critical period of rapid growth and it is at this time that dietary habits are formed that can pave the way for the development of long-term diseases later in life, such as obesity, diabetes and certain cancers.
Why is sugar so dangerous for babies?
Eating too much sugar in childhood can lead to unhealthy eating habits in the future. If children eat sugary foods in childhood, they may develop a sugar craving, which may be associated with a higher risk of obesity and other metabolic problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease later in life.