The U.S. hasn’t set nutritional guidelines for commercial foods for infants and toddlers, but the World Health Organization has.
And a new study says that almost 60% of the baby foods available in U.S. supermarkets fall short.
The study found that, on average, products had four prohibited claims on their packaging and some had as many as 11.
“The lack of regulation in this area leaves the door wide open for the food industry to deceive busy parents,” she said.
Is baby food regulated?
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has implemented regulations on infant formulas and levels of arsenic in baby food, and it makes recommendations on food safety and handling,” per CNN.
But commercially produced food for infants and toddlers counts on parents to read and understand the nutrition labels.
According to the institute’s website, “The FoodSwitch app works by using your mobile phone camera to scan the barcode of a packaged food.
The US. S. has not established nutritional standards for commercial foods intended for young children, but the World Health Organization has. Furthermore, according to a recent study, nearly 60% of the baby foods sold in the U.S. s. Supermarkets don’t measure up.
The George Institute for Global Health conducted a study with an international team of researchers that examined the nutritional composition of baby and toddler foods found in ten U.S. s. grocery stores, and then contrasted them with the 2022 recommendations released by the International Health Organization.
The health of future generations depends on improved regulation and guidance in the infant and toddler food market in the United States, according to research fellow Elizabeth Dunford of The George Institute and adjunct assistant professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina. Her findings were released in a written statement.
She stated that the results should raise concerns. Early childhood is a critical time for rapid growth, the formation of food preferences and dietary habits, and the potential predisposition to chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers. “.
Time-pressed parents are increasingly selecting convenience foods, she continued, not realizing that many of these items are deceived into thinking they are healthier than they actually are and lack essential nutrients for a child’s growth. “.
The study found that snack-size packages had the “lowest compliance with nutrient requirements.”. “.
Additionally, baby food pouches have the fastest rate of growth in terms of popularity among baby foods, according to researchers. However, less than 7% of those pouches had sugar levels that were appropriate.
They also make marketing mistakes.
The WHO’s promotional requirements are not met by any of the products under examination. According to the study, almost every product included at least one marketing claim that was against the global health giant’s policies. According to the study, products’ packaging typically included four prohibited claims, with some having as many as 11.
Common claims included not being genetically modified (70 percent), organic (59 percent), free of BPA (37 percent), and free of artificial flavors and colors (25 percent).
Dietitian Daisy Coyle, a fellow research fellow at the institute, stated that these kinds of claims give products a “health halo.”. She claimed that “the food industry can easily mislead working parents due to the lack of regulation in this area.”. This was evident not only in the use of deceptive claims but also in the use of deceptive product names that did not accurately represent the primary ingredients listed in the ingredients list. “.
As Coyle pointed out, snack and finger foods are mostly composed of flour and starches, despite their fruit and vegetable names.
Is the food for babies regulated?
The U.S. s. According to CNN, the Food and Drug Administration has put restrictions on baby food formulas and the amount of arsenic in it into effect. It also offers advice on handling and safety measures for food.
However, commercially manufactured baby and toddler food depends on parents to read and comprehend the nutrition labels.
“In short, no, there aren’t any regulations in different countries that are specific to foods for infants and toddlers. However, where I’m from—in Europe, the UK, New Zealand, and Australia—there are more extensive regulations regarding what can be listed on product labels that also affect foods given to kids,” Dunford told CNN.
The article states that in those countries, the product would be referred to as “Pear, spinach, beef and potato pie” if it contained 10% spinach, 8% beef, and 2% potato, with the majority of the product being apples or pears, which are frequently used as sweeteners in baby foods. “.
A label-checking app?
Information on thousands of packaged foods in the United States, Australia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Kuwait, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom can be found in what the George Institute refers to as a “FoodSwitch” database.
The FoodSwitch app operates by utilizing your smartphone’s camera to scan the barcode of a packaged food item, as stated on the institute’s website. It then computes and shows basic nutrition profiles of the food using science-based algorithms. “.
Customers can scan the barcode, and the app will locate the calculations in the database if the item is present in the database. The institute stated that the nutrition information is presented in an understandable manner and can be viewed as a Health Star Rating (HSR) or as traffic light-colored icons for essential nutrients and energy.
