The World Health Organisation has updated the infant diets guidelines. This report has noted that there’s too much sugar in baby foods sold in the market today. This high sugar content is a health concern, WHO says.
Testing for too much sugar in baby foods
An examination conducted by the UN agency’s European office on public health tested 8,000 baby food products on the market for three months between November 2017 – January 2018.
The agency found that 30% of the calories in the different brands were from total sugars. Also, one-third of these baby foods contained sweetening agents and added sugar. The organisation tested for too much sugar in baby foods by examining baby food brands across 500 stores in Israel, Bulgaria, Austria, and Hungary.
Alarmingly, the labels on most of these foods claimed that they were suitable for Infants under the age of six months when it clearly wasn’t so.
The implications
The World Health Organisation has warned that the present trend of adding high level of sugars to commercial products is a health concern. It can increase the risk of obesity and promote the development of dental cavities. Additionally, it can lead to unhealthy food preferences and sugar cravings that can last a lifetime.
Fighting the problem
1. WHO has reiterated its stance on exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life
2. The organisation is encouraging countries to make laws that will reduce sugar intake and also ban sweeteners and sugars in baby foods
3. The World Health Organisation says countries should end the trend of replacing breast milk with substitutes
4. It should be mandatory to put labels on sweets and candies to show what is not suitable for children under the age of three, says WHO
5. The organisation recommends that children should be fed healthy, nutrient-rich homemade foods
Children require good nutrition during infancy and in their early childhood years. This will promote optimal growth and development while also encouraging better health and nutrition choices in the future.
Resources: WHO
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