Parents ‘misled’ by unhealthy baby food in US supermarkets, study warns

Parents are being ‘misled’ by health claims on baby food sold in major US supermarkets, research published today has found.

Manufacturers use advertising claims to distract consumers from a product’s poor nutritional value and create the misleading impression that it is healthy, researchers from the George Institute for Global Health wrote in a scientific journal. Nutrients.

“Time-poor parents are increasingly turning to convenience foods, unaware that many of these products lack important nutrients their child needs for development. They also think they are healthier than they actually are,” says Elizabeth Dunford, a nutrition scientist at the University of North Carolina.

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“Early childhood is a critical period of rapid growth, during which taste preferences and eating habits develop. This can pave the way for the development of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and some cancers later in life.”

Researchers tested 651 products sold by the top 10 grocery chains in the U.S. for children ages 6 months to 3 years old, and compared them to recommendations issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022.

They found that nearly 60 percent of these foods did not meet WHO guidelines for nutritional quality and none of the products met promotion and marketing standards.

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Lead author Daisy Coyle, a dietitian at The George Institute, said: “The lack of regulation in this area leaves the door wide open for the food industry to mislead busy parents.”

Dunford clarified in a statement to Newsweek: “I don’t believe the intent is malicious. The intent is to sell products. It’s no secret that food companies use marketing tactics to sell their products and baby food is no exception.”

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“I don’t know any mother who has the time to read ingredient lists and nutrition labels to compare each product before they buy it. I’m a mother of two young children and even as a researcher in this field, I find it difficult to navigate the baby food aisle.”

“I too am guilty of using squeeze pouches as a convenient way to feed my children. But where regulation (or a strong government push on the industry) can help is to ensure that whatever is on the product packaging is not misleading or deceptive in any way.”

“The concern is that baby food products may have advertising claims on their packaging such as ‘organic’, ‘healthy’, ‘natural’, but also contain free sugars, added sodium or other less desirable ingredients.”

On average, baby and toddler food packages contained four misleading health claims prohibited by the WHO, but 99.4 percent contained at least one prohibited claim, with some having as many as 11.

The most common reason given was that foods were not genetically modified (GM). This was the case for 70 percent of products, while 59 percent were labeled organic and 25 percent said they contained no artificial colors or flavors.

Coyle said these claims created a health aura around these products, adding: “We saw this not only in the use of misleading claims, but also in the use of misleading names, where the product name did not reflect the key ingredients listed on the ingredients list.”

“For example, snacks and finger foods often refer to fruit or vegetables in the product name, while they are mainly made from flour or other starches.”

However, researchers also found that most of the baby foods they tested were unhealthy, according to WHO guidelines. Specifically, 70 percent did not meet protein requirements, 44 percent exceeded sugar recommendations, 1 in 4 contained too many calories, and 1 in 5 was considered too salty.

The sugar content was a particular concern for the study authors, who said it could encourage children to develop a preference for sugary foods. They added that excessive sugar consumption is a primary cause of obesity and lifestyle diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Baby bags were among the least healthy products rated, with less than 7 percent meeting total sugar recommendations. Over the past 13 years, the share of bag sales has increased by 900 percent.

Dunford said: “We know that squeeze pouches dominate the market and account for around 60% of all baby food… Squeeze pouches in other countries, for example, often carry a warning that the contents should be emptied onto a spoon or into a bowl and not sucked directly from the pouch.”

“However, in the US we found an extremely small number of products that did this, most of which even encouraged consumption out of the pouch. This has implications for dental health … [and] eating behavior and development.”

Snacks performed worst as a category, with none of the products assessed meeting WHO dietary recommendations. None contained sufficient protein, 90.3 percent contained too many calories, 87.1 percent contained too much sugar, and 71 percent contained added sugars or sweeteners.

The researchers concluded with a call for stricter rules on the nutritional quality of baby food and the promotional messages allowed on packaging.

“Our findings highlight the urgent need for better regulation and guidance in the infant and toddler food market in the United States. The health of future generations depends on it,” Dunford said.

One reason these foods scored so poorly in the analysis is that the WHO guidelines were developed in Europe, where promotion regulations are stricter. But Dunford says they still apply because “the baby food market is not that different.”

Do you have a tip for a culinary story that Newsweek should be addressed? Is there a nutritional issue that concerns you? Let us know at science@newsweek.com. We can consult experts for advice and your story may be included in Newsweek.

References

Coyle, D. H., Shahid, M., Parkins, K., Hu, M., Padovan, M., & Dunford, E. K. (2024). An evaluation of the nutritional and promotional profile of commercial infant and toddler foods in the United States. Nutrients, 16(16). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16160000