Some food products for babies and toddlers sold in Australian supermarkets are not meeting global nutritional guidelines, with parents being urged to read ingredient lists more carefully.
Many items marketed for young children are loaded with additives, including sugar, raising concerns about their long-term health impacts.
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For many families, squeeze and serve snacks have become a staple. But experts warn what’s inside may not be as healthy as parents think.
Paediatric nutritionist Mandy Sacher says these products are designed to delight, with sweet and smooth textures created to hook tiny taste buds.
“Added sugars, thickness and flavours, the kind of things that set them up to enjoy ultra processed foods right from the start,” she said.
One product examined, a chocolate custard from Rafferty’s Garden marketed for babies six months and older, lists sugar as the third ingredient.
“This is literally dessert in a pouch,” Sacher said.
At the moment, one in four products fail to meet nutrition standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and all of them fail to meet promotional recommendations, such as bright packaging and cartoon characters are used to attract kids and bold claims designed to reassure parents.
The George Institute for Global Health has found meals marketed as meat based can be as little as 8 per cent meat, while some veggie products only contain trace amounts.
“They don’t actually contain the nutrition that you think it does,” warned the institute’s Dr Daisy Cole.
More than one in four Australian children are currently overweight or obese. Without change, that number is expected to climb to half by 2050.
Sacher recommends babies from six months onwards should be introduced to finger foods to help strengthen their oral motor development, allowing the whole family to eat together.
Despite multiple attempts, Rafferty’s did not respond to requests for comment.
