Infants and toddlers enjoy a good snack just as much as adolescents and adults.
Of particular parental concern is the levels of sugar and salt added in the manufacturing process of food products that are marketed specifically for babies of over 4 months.
The Consumer Council has conducted a study of the ingredients and nutrient contents of these prepackaged food products based on their label information.
The study revealed considerable variations in the sugar and sodium contents of 26 food samples - 3 cereals, 5 teething biscuits and 18 snacks.
Two of the snack samples - a cracker and a cookie samples - were found to contain sodium in excess of the CODEX Standard for Processed Cereal-Based Foods for Infants and Young Children, which prescribes a limit of not more than 100 mg/100 kcal of ready-to-eat products.
According to the Food Standards Agency of UK, the sodium daily recommended maximum for children is : 400 mg (=1 g or one-fifth of a teaspoonful of salt) for newborn to 12 months; and 800 mg for 1 to 3 years.
But bear in mind, these are the recommended maximum, and it is better for infants and toddlers to have less.
Of the 2 snack samples in question, the cracker sample had 189 mg/100 kcal sodium or 89% higher than the CODEX standard.
The product was labelled to be suitable for babies of 6 months or above. So in the case of an 1-year-old, consuming one package (25g) of the cracker would take in 177 mg of sodium, which is about 22% of the recommended maximum sodium intake.
The other, a cookies product, had 109 mg/100 kcal just barely exceeding the CODEX standard by 9%.
Overall, the sodium content of the remainder samples (of the 22 models with sodium content label) were all within the limit with over half (13 out of 22) containing as little as between 0 mg/100 kcal and 50 mg/100 kcal of sodium for the choice of consumers.
Though an essential mineral in the body, excessive sodium can raise blood pressure and lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. This is particularly serious with infants and young children, as their kidney cannot cope with large amounts of salt.
In addition, the study examined the total sugars content (both added or naturally occurring in the ingredients) of the samples.
They were found to vary over a vast range from 3.4 g/100 g to 36 g/100 g of food, a difference of over 10 times (both extremes were found in the teething biscuits).
High intake of added sugars threatens the overall nutrient quality of diets for infants and young children by providing significant energy but without supplying specific nutrients, risking unhealthy weight gain.
Consumers are advised to read the ingredient list and nutrition label and choose food products with less or no added sugars and sodium. It is important for children to follow the Food Pyramid and practise a balanced diet. Snacks should only be taken moderately and not to replace the main meals.
Further, as part of the study, the ingredients of 9 vegetable purees and 8 apple purees were also examined and found to vary in composition other than vegetable and apple such as water, starch and flour from one to another.
As vegetables and fruits have their own unique vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, parents are advised to study the ingredient lists to suit their preference for more vegetables or fruits.
To counter inflation and to achieve savings, the report includes also DIY tips on making your own baby puree foods.
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