Ready-made baby food from the supermarket is certainly a convenient alternative for parents who are short on time. But do these products provide the important nutrients that infants need? A study reveals a shocking truth: 60% of baby food sold in the USA does not meet the nutritional needs of growing children.

Since there are no clear guidelines on the nutritional content and advertising of baby food sold in the United States, researchers at the George Institute for Global Health decided to investigate the quality and marketing of these products. The study examined 651 products sold in the top 10 U.S. grocery chains. The results showed that none of these products met the advertising requirements of the WHO guidelines. While 70% did not meet protein needs, around 25% remained low in calories, 44% exceeded total sugar limits, and 20% exceeded sodium limits.

The findings are concerning, especially as the popularity of prepared foods for infants and young children is increasing. “Our findings underscore the urgent need for better regulation and guidance in the infant and young child food market in the United States – the health of future generations depends on it,” said Dr. Elizabeth Dunford, research fellow at the George Institute, in a press release.

“Early childhood is a crucial period of rapid growth and development of taste preferences and dietary habits, potentially paving the way for the development of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and some cancers later in life. Time-poor parents are increasingly opting for convenience foods, not realising that many of these products lack key nutrients needed for their child’s development and are being misled into believing that these products are healthier than they actually are,” said Dr Dunford.

The study also found that almost all products had at least one prohibited claim on their packaging, such as “non-GMO,” “organic,” “BPA-free,” or “no artificial colors/flavors.” On average, products had four prohibited claims, and some had as many as eleven.

Of the baby food products studied, pouched formula is the fastest growing sector, with sales increasing by 900% over the last 13 years. However, the study found that pouched formula is one of the “unhealthiest products” with less than 7% meeting the recommended total sugar content.

“The lack of regulation in this area opens the door for the food industry to deceive busy parents. We have seen this not only in the use of misleading claims, but also in the use of misleading names where the product name did not reflect the main ingredients found in the ingredients list. For example, snacks and finger foods often referred to fruit or vegetables in the product name, even though they were made primarily from flour or other starches,” said Dr Daisy Coyle, research fellow and nutritionist at the George Institute.