Researchers say that 60 percent of infant and toddler foods at major grocery stores in the U.S. currently fail to reach nutritional recommendations — and none meet the World Health Organization’s promotional requirements.
In a study published Monday and led by The George Institute for Global Health, the authors combed through data on m ore than 650 infant and toddler food products sold in the top 10 U.S. grocery chains.
The study’s contributors visited eight stores in Raleigh, North Carolina, including Walmart, Kroger, Costco, Ahold Delhaize, Publix, Sam’s Club, Target, and Aldi. Two others, H-E-B and Safeway, were not located in the state, and their websites were used to collect the data instead. Among all of the products analyzed, a whopping 70 percent failed to meet protein requirements and 44 percent exceeded total sugar requirements.
One in four products were also unable to meet calorie requirements and one in five exceeded the recommended sodium limits. Baby food pouches have seen a massive spike in popularity, with a 900 percent increase in sales over the course of the past 13 years. But, fewer than 7 percent of pouches were found to meet total sugar recommendations.
“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,” Dr. Elizabeth Dunford, Research Fellow at the Australia-based instit.