A significant majority of infant and toddler foods in the US do not meet international nutritional standards, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of New South Wales, Australia, looked at 651 infant and toddler foods for sale in the top eight US supermarket chains.
Around 60% of the food products studied did not meet nutritional guidelines. 70% did not meet protein guidelines and 44% had more sugar than is recommended. 25% did not meet calorie requirements.
The researchers singled out infant and toddler foods in squeezable pouches, which are designed to allow infants to be fed without the use of a spoon. Just 7% of pouch products tested met sugar recommendations.
In addition, the researchers found almost all of the products were deceptively labelled in some way. 99.4% of the products tested contained at least one false claim on their packaging, and some products had as many as 11.
The researchers conclude that “these findings highlight that urgent work is needed to improve the nutritional quality of commercially produced infant and toddler foods in the United States. The high use of prohibited claims also suggests the need to regulate the type and number of claims allowed on-pack.”
A study from last year found that microwaveable baby-food pouches release millions or even billions of microplastic particles into the food when they are heated. Childhood exposure to microplastics and harmful plastic chemicals like BPA and phthalates, including via food, has become a subject of increasing worry in recent years. Microplastics and plastic chemicals have been linked to a wide array of negative health conditions, from reproductive issues and infertility, to chronic digestive dysfunction, obesity and diabetes and neurobehavioural issues, including autism.
Top Economist Martin Armstrong’s Computer Warns 2024 Will Probably Be Our Last Election
