Many popular baby food pouches are more sugary than Coca-Cola, claims a recent report by British Dental Association (BDA) amid an “epidemic” of tooth decay among young children.
According to BDA’s survey109 pouches aimed at children under 12 months old, more than a quarter contained more sugar by volume than Coca-Cola.
Fruit-based pouches marketed for infants as young as four months old contained sugar levels the equivalent of up to 150 percent of the soft drink, according to the findings.
The BDA has also claimed that the products are also jarred with marketing claims like “naturally occurring sugars” or “no added sugar”, “nutritionally approved” or in line with infants’ “nutritional and developmental needs”.
All products found to be high in sugar adopted so-called “halo” labelling, focusing on their “organic” status or that they were “high in fibre” or contained “1 of your 5 a day”, potentially misleading parents into thinking they were making healthy choices, the report warned.
The BDA’s survey also found that some brands have managed to offer similar products containing around half the sugar of the worst offenders.
The BDA also warned that infants often sucked directly from the pouches, for the convenience of caregivers while on the move. This ensured the food spent more time in contact with baby teeth and increased the risk of erosion and decay.
The BDA noted a lack of clear messaging from manufacturers advising that infants should not consume the products directly from the pouch, with a leading brand’s packaging and the brand’s website explicitly stating “eat straight from the pouch”.
BDA chairman Eddie Crouch said, “Disingenuous marketeers are giving parents the impression they are making a healthy choice with these pouches. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“Claims of ‘no added sugar’ are meaningless when mums and dads end up delivering the lion’s share of a can of Coke to their infants.
The Department of Health and Social Care is expected to consult imminently on the marketing and labelling of infant food.
