Table of Contents
Topline
About 60% of baby and toddler food products sold in major US retailers do not meet international nutritional guidelines, and almost all products use ‘misleading’ marketing tactics, a new report suggests. Two factors that researchers say may contribute to high childhood obesity rates.
Close up of a baby in a shopping cart.
Key facts
Although the specific names of the products were not disclosed, 651 baby and toddler food products sold in the top 10 U.S. supermarkets were examined to see if they met nutritional and promotional criteria. guidelines determined by the World Health Organization, according to a study published Wednesday in Nutrients.
WHO guidelines were used because there are no US-specific recommendations for infant feeding, except for the Food and Drug Administration recommendations for infant formula, milk, and oral electrolytes, which were not included in the study.
Overall, 60% of products did not meet dietary guidelines, 70% did not meet protein recommendations, 44% exceeded total sugar recommendations and 20% exceeded sodium guidelines.
The study also found that more than 99% were promoted with “deceptive” marketing practices by using terms and claims that the WHO bans from appearing on baby and toddler food products – the researchers warned that these terms could be a “health halo” that overestimates the healthiness of the products.
Each product had an average of 4.7 prohibited claims, and some had as many as 11 claims; the most commonly misused claims were ‘non-genetically modified’ (70%), ‘organic’ (59%), ‘no BPA’ (37%) and ‘no artificial colors or flavors’ (25%).
Many products also had ‘misleading’ names: ‘Snacks and snacks often referred to fruit or vegetables in the product name, despite being mainly composed of flour or other starches,’ says Dr. Daisy Coyle, research fellow and dietitian at the George Institute. said in a statement.
The researchers believe their findings “should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers,” as they said the high sugar and sodium content in baby foods and the use of WHO-banned marketing terms could contribute to the high rates of obesity in children. in the US, which is almost an influence 15 million children.
Which supermarkets are involved in the research?
Researchers visited eight stores in Raleigh, North Carolina between March and May 2023: Walmart, Target, Kroger, Costco, Ahold Delhaize, Publix, Sam’s Club and Aldi. The remaining two stores – HEB and Safeway – were not located in the city, so their online websites were used to collect data. Each product was labeled into one of eight categories: dry grains and starches, dairy products, fruit and vegetable purees/smoothies and fruit desserts, snacks and appetizers, ingredients, confectionery, beverages and savory meals/meal components, which were defined as combinations of starches, vegetables, dairy and/or traditional proteins. Because only food available in the “baby” aisle was tested, yogurt, meat, beverages and other products stored in refrigerators or other aisles were not included.
What are whose guidelines for baby food?
The WHO Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model provides both nutritional value and promotion standards for foods marketed for infants and toddlers. Nutritional recommendations include not marketing flavored or sweetened beverages to infants, restrictions on the number of calories in certain snacks and meals, a sugar limit for meals and snacks totaling 15% of total calories, and no addition of free sugars and sweeteners such as fruit syrups and concentrated fruit juice into products. Some promotional guidelines include recommendations for minimum and maximum age limits for certain foods, such as purees, and the absence of health and marketing claims that could mislead consumers. Some of these claims include phrases such as ‘full of goodness’, ‘100% natural’, ‘fresh’, ‘real fruits/vegetables’ and ‘contains only naturally occurring…’
Surprising fact
The George Institute researchers found that baby food pouches were the fastest growing products in the baby food sector, with sales increasing 900% between 2010 and 2023. However, the pouches were also the unhealthiest products tested, according to the study.
Important background
Childhood obesity has an impact one in five children, and this statistic has more than tripled since the 1970s. The US has the 22nd highest global childhood obesity rates for girls, and the 26th highest for boys. Several factors play a role in increasing the risk of developing obesity in children, including genetics, physical inactivity, certain diseases and poor diet. Children with diets high in ultra-processed foods are more likely to have risk factors such as a higher body mass index, systolic blood pressure and waist-to-height ratio, according to a JAMA. study. Obesity in children can lead to: complications such as type 2 diabetes, risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, breathing problems, joint pain and gallstone disease.
Read more
More than 1 billion people now suffer from obesity, study shows: What you need to know about global weight trends (Forbes)