Dentists want new regulations to reduce sugar content in baby food
Dentists have called for swift action to reduce the sugar content of popular baby food products.
A new report compiled by the British Dental Association shows that some best-selling baby food pouches contain more sugar than fizzy drinks.
The BDA study found that more than 25% of the 109 food pouches analysed contained more sugar by volume than Coca Cola. In some cases, the pouches contained the equivalent of 150% of the sugar content of popular fizzy drinks.
Baby food pouches have become increasingly popular in recent years. They are designed for babies as young as 4 months old and are often considered as a convenient, healthy option. Researchers discovered that many of the leading products were marketed as healthy foods for babies and toddlers, with claims such as ‘nutritionally-balanced’ and ‘no added sugars’ found frequently on packaging labels.
The BDA has called for new regulations to prevent manufacturers and marketers from misleading parents and carers. Parents often buy food pouches because they think that they are purchasing healthy products and they don’t realise that the sugar content is so high.
Eddie Crouch, chair of the BDA, said that parents think that they are buying healthy food for their children, but “nothing could be further than the truth.” He called for urgent action to protect children from a sugar “epidemic” and prevent “hooking the next generation before they can even walk.”
For more news click here.
Join this Discussion