Reacción a "An analysis suggests that baby food pouches with spouts are more like sugary drinks or milkshakes than nutritious food"

This study measures, for the first time, the texture and composition of around 300 baby food jars and pouches (the little sachets with spouts found in supermarkets) sold in the UK and provides, for the first time, an objective assessment of texture, going beyond the descriptions on the packaging of these products. They have observed that, depending on the product, nutritional quality can vary – something already highlighted by nutritionists and paediatricians, who have long warned that many commercial baby foods contain too much sugar and are low in nutritional density.

The practical implication is, above all, regulatory. The authors suggest that many pouches are more similar, in texture and composition, to a fruit purée than to a complementary food, and argue that regulations and labelling should distinguish more clearly between ‘food’ and ‘drink’.

That said, this is a cross-sectional and descriptive study with its limitations: the products were selected from large supermarkets in the UK (so the findings cannot be extrapolated to other countries) and nutritional data are scarce, comprising little more than what is stated on the product label. Another important point is that the study has not demonstrated that pouches cause tooth decay, overweight or a reluctance to eat solids.

For families, the message and recommendation are that pouches should be used only occasionally, particularly in the early stages of life, when children are learning to eat solids and chew.