A shocking new study claims that more than 60 percent of infant and young child foods sold in US grocery markets are extremely unhealthy. The study aims to draw the urgent attention of parents and policymakers to the widespread use of misleading claims on the packaging of these items.

According to research from the George Institute for Global Health, more than two-thirds of brands fail to meet the nutritional recommendations set by the World Health Organization, or WHO. The research group, headquartered in Australia, compared data from 651 commercial infant foods to WHO guidelines, finding that 70 percent failed to meet protein standards and 44 percent had higher than recommended total sugar levels.

How was the study conducted?

According to the researchers, they evaluated data on baby and toddler food products sold at the top 10 grocery chains in the institute’s FoodSwitch database. “One in four products did not meet calorie requirements and one in five exceeded recommended sodium limits,” the research institute said in a release. The researchers published the study in the journal Nutrients.

The study scientists reported that they visited eight stores in Raleigh, North Carolina, including Walmart, Kroger, Costco, Ahold Delhaize, Publix, Sam’s Club, Target and Aldi. Two others, HEB and Safeway, were not located in the state, and their websites were used to collect data.

Dr. Elizabeth Dunford, a research fellow at the George Institute and assistant professor at the University of North Carolina, told the New York Post, “The most important thing is that these foods should not make up the bulk of young children’s diets, but rather be a part of their diet when needed.” She added, “We just hope that manufacturers can work together to better inform parents about what’s in the foods they’re buying.”

Researchers have also criticized manufacturers for making misleading claims.

What do the World Health Organization guidelines say?

WHO says that infant food should not contain added sugar – including concentrated fruit juices and supports sodium limits. Products that have protein content on the front of the package must contain a certain amount of protein – whether it is fish, poultry or meat.

The researchers advised and encouraged parents to always turn the product over to check the nutrition label and ingredients list. They also called for more government regulation on infant and young child food to curb the growing epidemic of obesity among young children.

What are the misleading claims about baby food?

According to experts, besides sugar, baby food is high in sodium or salt, saturated oils, and artificial flavors and colors — all of which are harmful to children’s health.

Since the study also revealed poor marketing practices – as 99.4 percent of the products were found to have at least one prohibited claim on their packaging – the researchers fear that BPA chemicals may be in even wider use. Noting that such claims are creating a so-called ‘health halo’ around these products, researcher Daisy Coyle said in a statement, “The lack of regulation in this area leaves the way open for the food industry to deceive busy parents.”

What do US laws say?

The United States has recently introduced the Infant Food Safety Act of 2024 – which gives the Food and Drug Administration the authority to limit toxic heavy metals in commercial baby foods. This law has been created after numerous reports of contaminants such as lead and arsenic being found in large amounts in food products meant for babies and young children.

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