Approximately 60% of baby foods in U.S. grocery stores failed to meet nutrition standards

According to recent research, baby foods—from snack pouches to premade purees—found in grocery stores across the country might not be as healthful as you might expect. Researchers at The George Institute for Global Health examined 651 commercially made newborn and toddler foods from ten major U.S. grocery chains for their study, which was published in the journal Nutrients on Wednesday. They discovered that about 60% of the items did not satisfy WHO nutritional guidelines.

Out of all the items, 44% had more sugar than recommended and 70% did not meet protein requirements. Furthermore, 1 in 5 goods had more sodium than was advised and 1 in 4 products did not fulfill calorie needs.

“It appears from this study that the majority of processed baby foods found in grocery stores have highly processed ingredients along with elevated levels of sugar, salt, and fat,” pediatrician Dr. Ellie Erickson of Duke University said on “CBS Mornings.”

The convenience-focused products, such snack foods and pouches, were the most worrying.

“Snack and finger foods, such as fruit bars, cereal bars, and puffed snacks, made up nearly 20% of products available for purchase in 2023 yet had some of the lowest compliance rates across the WHO’s nutrition and promotional criteria,” the study’s authors stated. Low protein, high energy, salt, and sugar content were present in these foods, which also typically had added free sugars.

Elizabeth Dunford, an adjunct assistant professor at the University of North Carolina and research scholar at The George Institute, expressed worry in a news release about the growing popularity of processed convenience foods for young children.

“Early childhood is a crucial period of rapid growth and when taste preferences and dietary habits form, potentially paving the way for the development of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and some cancers later in life,” she stated. “Time-poor parents are increasingly choosing convenience foods, unaware that many of these products lack key nutrients needed for their child’s development and tricked into believing they are healthier than they really are.” Although the study did not name any particular brands, Erickson suggests that parents return to the fundamentals of baby food if they want to avoid some of these products.