Too Much Salt, Sugar in Baby Foods

Baby and toddler foods should be better monitored for their sugar and salt content, according to a study from the University of Calgary (J Public Health (Oxf). 2010 Jun 28). The author, Charlene Elliott, associate professor at the University of Calgary, said these foods are currently overlooked in public policy, yet these products are clearly of concern because they promote a taste for 'sweet' and 'salty' in our youngest consumers.

Elliott’s goal in the study was to critically examine baby and toddler food products sold in Canada for their sugar and sodium content, and to assess these in light of current recommendations. She coded 186 baby and toddler foods for various attributes, including nutrition facts label data. Four categories of baby/toddler foods were analyzed against their adult counterparts for sugar and salt to reveal whether a healthy halo effect attributed to baby/toddler food is warranted.

She found the opposite. More than half (63 percent) of baby and toddler products had either high levels of sodium or an excessive proportion of calories coming from sugar. More than 12 percent of products had moderate or high levels of sodium; more than 53 percent of products derive more than 20 percent of their calories from sugar. Baby and toddler foods were not found to be nutritionally superior-in terms of sodium or sugar-to their adult counterparts.