Nearly 60% of baby foods in the U.S. don't meet nutritional guidelines, study says

Nearly 60% of food products made for toddlers and babies did not meet nutrition standards set by the World Health Organization, according to a new study.

Researchers tested 651 products in 2023, across eight food retailers in North Carolina, including Kroger, Walmart, Costco, Ahold Delhaize, Publix, Sam’s Club, Target and Aldi. Other samples were included from the websites of Safeway and H-E-B.

Only about 30% of products complied with the agency’s protein recommendations, while 56% were compliant with sugar guidelines. About 93% of the products aligned with the fat recommendations, according to the study that was published in the Nutrients journal Wednesday.

About 1 in 4 products did not meet calorie requirements and about 20% exceeded recommended sodium limits.

“Early childhood is a crucial period of rapid growth and when taste preferences and dietary habits form, potentially paving the way for the development of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and some cancers later in life,” said Dr. Elizabeth Dunford, a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, which co-authored the study.

She added, “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.”

About 60% of products complied with WHO’s age-label recommendations, which say age should be measured in months and years. However, many of the labels used signifiers such as “sitter”, “tots”, “crawling baby”, or “toddler”.

Products had, on average, almost five health and nutrient-related claims on a single product. However, many of the claims made are prohibited by WHO, including “no pesticides,” “organic” and “no preservatives,” the study said.