Health experts warn that children who rely on handy bags of fruit can suffer long-term problems, such as tooth decay and chewing problems.
Toddler food pouches have increased 900 percent in the last decade as they replace jarred baby foods.
But it’s not just about babies.
A growing number of elementary school students who once ate solid foods at snack time now suck on pureed fruits, vegetables, cereals and other foods from a bag.
Marketed to busy parents on the go, the snacks are praised for their convenience, as well as helping picky eaters consume more servings of fruits and vegetables.
But health experts warned that some of these bags can contain as much sugar as a Krispy Kreme donut or a small chocolate bar, and their smooth, creamy texture makes them easy to overeat.
The warning comes nearly a year after bags of WanaBana applesauce were found to contain cinnamon with “extremely high” levels of lead, which has sickened more than 400 children in 44 states and left them vulnerable to lead problems. behavior and development.
Doctors have warned that children who rely on fruit bags can suffer long-term problems such as tooth decay and chewing problems (file image)
And children who avoid solid foods may have trouble learning to chew food or suffer tooth decay due to excess acidity.
Dr. Mark Cortkins, a pediatric gastroenterologist at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, told Los Angeles Times: “In the long run we are going to pay for it.”
The ingredients in the bag vary widely. While some only contain fruit, others contain a mixture of vegetables, cereals and yogurts; several even contain meats like turkey. Several also contain added sugar and salt.
TO study 2019 found that baby and toddler bags contained an average of 8.4 grams of sugar, about the same amount as two Krispy Kreme donuts.
This was about 30 percent more sugar than similar foods in jars and three times more than foods in “other packages,” such as trays and packets.
Other study 2019 published in the journal Nutrients analyzed 703 pureed products for babies and toddlers and found that the bags had more than twice as much sugar as products in other packages.
Fruit bags have also been the subject of controversy, with more than 400 children falling ill due to “extremely high” levels of lead in WanaBana bags.
Researchers said this could be because the bags have larger portions, possibly to appeal to older children.
While the products in other packages had about five grams of sugar, the bags had 11 grams, more than a Krispy Kreme donut and almost as much as half a Hershey’s chocolate bar.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children consume no more than 25 grams of sugar per day, so two bags a day would put them close to the limit.
And several children reached that threshold. Heidi Martinez, a mother of three in California, said her oldest son eats two to three bags a day. And Caitlin Scuttio, also from California, noted that her son would eat “six a day” if she let him.
The agency also notes that children under two years old should not have added sugar because it could make them prefer sugar more in later years.
In addition to obesity, hyperactivity, and diabetes, too much sugar can increase the risk of cavities, leading to lifelong complications such as gum disease, tooth loss, and tooth repositioning.
Dr. Francisco Ramos-Gómez, director of the UCLA Center for Children’s Oral Health, told the Los Angeles Times that purees like applesauce stick to the teeth more than eating an actual apple. This means that food stays on the teeth longer, increasing the acidity in the mouth, causing the teeth to erode and form cavities.
Dr. Bridget Young, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, told the Los Angeles Times that the bags may not actually contain as many healthy nutrients as advertised.
A bag advertised as mashed turkey, for example, “could be applesauce with a hint of turkey,” Dr. Young said.
And there’s nothing wrong with apple sauce. But something is wrong when you think you are feeding your child turkey.”
And in the case of the vegetables that are included, experts said their flavor can be masked by the fruit, which reinforces the sweetness and draws children away from real vegetables.
Dr. Corkins said he sometimes sees children who rely so much on soft, sweet pouches that they have an aversion to regular fruits and vegetables and might have trouble chewing because they aren’t exposed to enough solid foods.
Susan Greenberg, a speech therapist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, said that instead of relying so much on bags, children should be introduced to the “lumpy textures” found in solid foods as early as possible to help the body learn to handle them. chew and swallow.
She told the Los Angeles Times: ‘Bags are easy and we live in a world that is very busy these days.
“I think we can all agree that it’s not a bad thing. It just can’t replace the other things.