Energy, Sugars, Iron, and Vitamin B12 Content of Commercial Infant Food Pouches and Other Commercial Infant Foods on the New Zealand Market

Abstract

There has been an important shift in the New Zealand infant food market over the past decade, with the majority of complementary foods now sold in “pouches”. Along with the increasing market share of commercial infant food pouches internationally, there have been growing concerns about their nutritional quality. However, research examining the nutritional quality of these pouches compared to other forms of commercial infant foods in New Zealand has not been undertaken. Nor have any studies reported the free sugars or added sugars content of these foods. To address this knowledge gap, a cross-sectional survey of infant foods sold in New Zealand supermarkets was conducted in 2019–2020. Recipes and nutrient lines were developed for the 266 foods identified (133 food pouches). The energy, iron, vitamin B12, total sugars, free sugars, and added sugars content of infant food pouches and other forms of commercial infant foods per 100 g were compared, both within food groups and by age group. Infant food pouches contained similar median amounts of energy, iron, and vitamin B12 to other forms of commercial infant foods but contained considerably more total sugars (8.4 g/100 g vs. 2.3 g/100 g). However, median free sugars and added sugars content was very low across all food groups except for “dairy” and “sweet snacks”. All “dry cereals” were fortified with iron whereas none of the infant food pouches were. Therefore, consuming food pouches to the exclusion of other commercial infant foods may place infants at risk of iron deficiency if they do not receive sufficient iron from other sources.

Extensive use of on-pack promotional claims on commercial baby foods in the UK

“…4 CBFs are predominantly sweet, [5][6][7][8] soft in texture, 9 10 and a large proportion are snacks. [10][11][12] The promotional statements used on packaging of CBFs are also concerning. 13 14 Claims such as 'finger foods' and 'encourages self-feeding' were observed on snacks high in sugar, 11 which may suggest the appropriateness of these snacks for baby-led weaning (BLW).…”

“…CBFs are predominantly sweet,5–8 soft in texture,9 10 and a large proportion are snacks 10–12. The promotional statements used on packaging of CBFs are also concerning 13 14.…”

“…The use of ‘health’ related promotions and marketing in foods targeted toward young children have been extensively described,4 10 19–21 but the evidence for CBFs is limited. In-depth exploration of the use of such marketing practices by the baby food industry is needed to generate evidence for changes in regulations to protect infant nutrition.…”

Fruit Pouch Consumption and Dietary Patterns Related to BMIz at 18 Months of Age

“…The baby food pouches have gained popularity among children and parents and, in 2016, approximately one third of American children aged 6–12 months consumed at least one pouch per week [ 9 ]. Most of these baby food pouches contain fruit purées (fruit pouches) [ 10 ]. The European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) recommends that the energy intake from free sugars for children should be less than 5% of total energy intake [ 11 ].…”

“…The European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) recommends that the energy intake from free sugars for children should be less than 5% of total energy intake [ 11 ]. Contrary to these recommendations, baby food pouches are more likely to contain higher levels of sugar than other package types [ 10 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Particular concern has been raised that fruit pouches are too energy dense, contain too much sugar and induce a preference for sweet taste.…”