A new study reveals a disturbing truth to parents and policymakers: a large proportion of food products for babies and toddlers sold in the US do not meet nutrition standards. According to the research, published Monday in the Journal of Nutrients, 60% of such products fail to meet nutritional recommendations, and none conform to the promotional guidelines of the World Health Organization.
A review by the George Institute for Global Health assessed 651 available infant and toddler food products across the top ten US grocery chains. The findings are alarming: 70% of the products were below protein requirements, while 44% were above total sugar limits; nearly one in four did not meet calorie requirements, while about one in five were above recommended sodium levels.
Dr. Elizabeth Dunford of The George Institute, Research Fellow, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina, voiced her concern over the rising popularity of processed convenience foods for young children. She mentioned that the early childhood years are times of growth but also the forming period for preferences in taste and eating habits, likely to influence lifelong risks of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and some cancers.
“Time-poor parents are increasingly choosing convenience foods, unaware that many of these products lack key nutrients needed for their child’s development and tricked into believing they are healthier than they are,” Dunford said.
The research highlighted the rise of baby food pouches, with sales skyrocketing by 900 percent in only the past 13 years. Fewer than 7 percent of pouches met total sugar recommendations.
Much of this problem is compounded by misleading marketing practices. Nearly all products had at least one forbidden claim on their packaging; some had as many as 11. Common claims were “non-genetically modified” 70%, “organic” 59%, “no BPA” 37%, and “no artificial colors/flavors” 25%.
According to Dr. Daisy Coyle, a Research Fellow and Dietitian at The George Institute, such claims in particular create a “health halo” around the products and misdirect busy parents. Moreover, she says that many products don’t describe what their key ingredients are. For example, snacks and finger foods usually describe fruits or vegetables, when in fact they often have starches—flour being one of them—as major ingredients.
The prevalence of childhood obesity in the US has more than doubled since the 1970s and currently stands at about 13% of preschool children living with obesity.Â
“Although reducing childhood obesity was touted as a priority during the Obama administration, this issue appears to have fallen by the wayside over the past several years,” Dunford said.
Indeed, the research findings just underline with red the urgent need for better regulation and guidance in the market of foods for babies and toddlers in the United States. It is, after all, the health of generations to come.