Ultra-processed baby foods that “set children up for a lifetime of obesity” are “dominating” supermarket shelves, experts have warned.
A study by researchers at the University of Leeds found that one in three baby food products filling the aisles are classed as ultra-processed foods (UPF), which have been linked to long-term health damage.
Researchers have also warned parents over “misleading” packaging which promotes natural ingredients in a food product that is industrially produced.
The team analysed 600 baby food items from major brands and found that a staggering 87 per cent of baby snacks and 79 per cent of baby cereals are classed as UPFs. This means they were made using industrial techniques, with ingredients not typically found in home cooking.
They also found “troubling trends” in popular snacks marketed at infants, including “melty” puffed snacks and fruit-based chews and bars.
The study’s authors are now calling on the government to introduce tougher regulations on UPFs, saying the foods on offer “bear little resemblance to the kind of food young children should be growing up on”.
Dr Diane Threapleton, lead researcher and paediatric nutrition expert at the University of Leeds said: “We’re seeing highly processed snacks, sweets, cereals – even meals dominating the baby aisle. These are often marketed as healthy, organic, or with ‘no added sugar’ claims, but they contain ingredients and undergo processing that bear little resemblance to the kind of food young children should be growing up on.
“These products are setting up babies to crave ultra-processed, overly sweet foods from the very start. There’s a real opportunity now for the Government to show it’s serious about raising a healthier generation. The current state of the baby food aisle is unacceptable, and it must no longer be ignored.”
Their work is backed by the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA), who said the government needs to act “urgently” to clamp down on the sale of sugary snacks with “misleading” labelling.
The director of the OHA, Katharine Jenner, said: “The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan talks of a moonshot to end obesity, but we’ll never get off the launchpad unless we close the gap in our early years. A healthy life starts from the very beginning and right now, we’re feeding our babies and toddlers ultra-processed foods that undermine their development and long-term health.
“The baby food aisle is flooded with sugary, ultra-processed snacks that set children up for a lifetime of poor eating habits, obesity, and tooth decay. With the UK in the grip of an oral health crisis, we urgently need government to limit baby food companies from selling high sugar foods with misleading labelling.”
She added: “These products undermine the best intentions of parents and carers, who want to put their child’s health first.”
