Yes. That is a toddler pictured eating a sugary cake. And no. I haven’t completely lost my mind and started advising parents to feed their kids sugary items. It is just being used to highlight an important new report released from Public Health England (PHE) that is deeply concerned about the baby food and snack manufacturers products available in the UK. With the report finding that some sweet snacks marketed to babies and toddlers containing as much sugar as confectionary. This also has huge relevance to parents globally, not just those in the UK where the food manufacturing standards and compliance are much higher and tightly regulated than many other countries.
Trust In Food Manufacturers High
The report also found that based on consumer research, that parents trusted food manufacturers, and they went on to say that for parents buying these items, they only did so thinking that the food manufacturers wouldn’t have put them there if they were not healthy for babies and toddlers.
This is the very beginning of the story for me. The same goes for all stories where choosing food made out of the home is concerned. As many food manufacturers care most about their bottom financial line, and not enough about your health or your little ones health as is the case here.
I am not saying this is the case for every single baby food and snack manufacturer, but the point is to get to know these companies and get to know what is healthiest for your kids by doing some research or even speaking to a nutritionist for guidance before making your choices. Choices that can do long-term damage to your child’s personal taste preferences and healthy habits.
An Overview of The PHE Report
So let’s take a look at the main concerns of the Public Health England report focusing on the baby food and snack market in England at present:
- Baby and toddler snacks accounted for one-third of the total market.
- Sweet snacking is being encouraged by baby food manufacturers.
- Sweet snacks are often being marketed as ‘healthy’ yet many contain as much free sugar as confectionary.
- Two-thirds of the total baby food finger market is made up of sweet finger foods including items such as: biscuits, wafers, puffs, bars, bites and fruit shapes.
- The highest sugar content is found in processed dried fruit products.
- Many dried fruit products contain ‘free’ sugars such as: fruit juices, purees and concentrates.
- The highest average sugar levels were found in fruit and vegetable based products.
- Unclear labels on products is encouraging parents to introduce solid food before 6 months.
- PHE feels that food companies could be doing more to support parents in making the best food choices for their children.
- PHE also stated that early years feeding is crucial in shaping future taste preferences and healthy habits.
- Savoury foods were not exempt. Puffs, crisps, biscuits, crackers and wafers contain the highest levels of salt per 100g across all product lines.
- Around one-third of the commercial baby foods are packaged in pouches, many with nozzles. The concern here is that the nozzles may harm developing teeth.
Obesity Matters
The same report pointed out that almost one-quarter of children aged 4 to 5 years are overweight in England, or obese. Which is why it is really important that parents become informed about the external foods choices they give to their growing babies and children and get involved in this conversation. We have to use our voices as parents to shape the future of baby food and snacks for our kids sake.
As, the PHE report rightfully stated, the food choices we give to our children early on life really does have life long effects on their health. I have seen this first hand with my son who is now five years old. We used to buy some of the organic fruit and vegetable pouches, and some of the toddler biscuits and other snacks. But these were usually for when we were out and about and didn’t bring enough snacks, and sometimes I did like the fruit and vegetable pouches as they allowed me to introduce new green vegetables in a subtle way sometimes.
But generally, I do feel pre-bought pouches and snacks cannot be relied upon for daily nutrition, here I feel homemade is always best. Especially when making that important transition from breast milk to solid food. There really is such a small window for encouraging those tastebuds to like healthy food!
Change Will Come
Baby food and snack manufacturers will have their work cut out for them when it comes to improving their nutritional status of their foods, as redesigning the ingredients list of their very profitable snacks they currently offer, won’t be easy.
Some may not even take notice of these warnings, especially not initially. Those that do would be the ones that might be worth buying from in future as they might be the ones that actually care about the consumer.
Either way, as more and more baby food companies come to the party and reformulate their snacks and baby food options, more and more will follow. They will be forced to do this or eventually shut down. Which is why it is super important we as parents keep researching what is truly healthy for our kids, instead of believing what we have been told / marketed and that we continue putting the pressure on these companies by demanding healthy snack and baby food options for our little loves.
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