Call for urgent action to protect infants from unhealthy food

Health campaigners have called on the Government to take urgent action to protect infants and young children following a study that found top brands are selling sugar-heavy, nutritionally poor baby food.

A coalition of 40 leading health and child organisations have written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care following the findings of the Leeds University research, featured in the BBC Panorama investigation The Truth About Baby Food Pouches which looked at 632 food products marketed towards babies and toddlers under three.

It found that 41% of main meals marketed for children had sugar levels that were too high and that 21% of ready-to-eat fruit products, cereals and meals were too watery and not providing adequate nutrition.

It also discovered that many early weaning foods were being sold as being suitable for babies aged four months, which goes against NHS and World Health Organisation guidance.

The study also found that a quarter of the products analysed were so high in sugar they would require a sugar warning label on the front of the pack, in accordance with WHO guidelines.

According to NHS guidelines, babies aged one should have no more than ten grams of sugar per day, and no more than 14 grams per day for children aged two and three.

The sugar recommendation is applicable to naturally occurring free sugars and added sugars.

The coalition warned of a “worsening health crisis”, with government data showing more children shifting from a healthy weight to overweight or obesity between Reception and Year 6 than the reverse, especially in the most deprived areas.

The Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) said it had serious concerns that without urgent action, today’s children could grow up facing worse health outcomes than their parents.

It is calling for stronger regulation of the commercial baby food sector, including mandatory limits for sugar in baby and toddler foods, stronger restrictions for “unnecessary” follow-on formula milk products, and clearer, “more responsible” marketing and labelling.

The coalition said that despite recent progress – such as restrictions on junk food advertising on TV before 9pm and online at any time, the forthcoming multibuy promotion ban, and the proposed extension of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to sugary milk drinks – the measures did not go far enough.

OHA director Katharine Jenner said: “The evidence is clear: children’s health is being compromised from the very start of life.

“Given industry has failed to act voluntarily, it’s now time for government intervention to protect the next generation and grant every child a healthier start.

“From the moment they’re born, babies are bombarded with sugary, highly processed foods.

“It’s fuelling a health crisis that starts in infancy and is almost impossible to undo later in life. Ignoring the issue is no longer an option.”

Which? head of food policy Sue Davies said: “It’s unacceptable that so many foods and snacks aimed at babies have such poor nutritional quality and high sugar levels.

“To make matters worse, these items are often misleadingly marketed as being healthy, making it difficult for parents to make informed choices about the best products to buy for their children.

“The Government urgently needs to update the out-of-date laws for commercial baby foods to ensure there are tighter controls on their composition, including limits on their sugar and salt content, make labelling clear and upfront, and clamp down on any misleading marketing claims that suggest products are healthier than they really are.”