Parents who buy Ella's Kitchen, Heinz, Aldi, and Lidl baby food pouches issued major warning
Parents across the UK who buy food pouches have been issued a major warning after an investigation found they are failing to meet the key nutritional needs of babies and toddlers.
BBC's Panorama says that parents are being "misled" by marketing, as some of these products are dangerously high in sugar and low in vital vitimins and nutrients – in some cases exceeding the daily sugar recommendation for a child in just one pouch.
The BBC commissioned a lab accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to test a fruit, yoghurt and savoury pouch from some of the major players in the multi-million pound baby pouch market, such as Ella's Kitchen, Heinz, Piccolo, Little Freddie, Aldi and Lidl
Laboratory testing of 18 pouches found that many were low in vitamin C and iron, and a quarter of all products were so high in sugar they would trigger a front-of-pack warning label under World Health Organisation guidelines. Children need 7.8mg of iron a day to help build a healthy immune system, growth and brain development
The research found that savoury pouches contained less than 5% of iron, that an infant needs each day. Of the four pouches tested that contained meat, Heinz's Sweet Potato, Chicken and Veggies contained the lowest, with just over 0.3mg of iron. Piccolo's Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese contained just 0.1mg.
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Some of the UK's leading food pouch brands also failed to meet the requirements, with Little Freddie Butternut Squash, Red Lentil and Coconut containing just 1mg of iron, while Ella's Kitchen Spag Bol had 0.7mg and Aldi's Bangers and Mash had 0.5mg.
BBC's Panorama noted that the sugar levels across these products were a major concern, with over 40% of main meals having high sugar levels, and over half of snacks containing added sugars. In fruit pouches, 71% of the calories came from sugar. Ella's Kitchen's Bananas and Apples found to be the worst offender, with 19.6g of sugar – equivalent to more than four teaspoons.
According to the NHS, a one-year-old child should have no more than 10g of "free sugars" a day. Free sugars occur when fruit is pureed, as the sugar is released from inside the fruit cell walls and can be absorbed much more quickly.
A recent British Dental Association (BDA) report, shared exclusively with the BBC, indicated that 37 of 60 fruit pouches found on supermarket shelves contained more free sugar than the 10g guideline. Ella's Kitchen - as well as Lidl, Aldi, Piccolo and Heinz - all label their products as containing "no added sugar".
The investigation also found that almost all vitamin C nutrients in the pouches had been lost during the manufacturing process. The Pure Mango pouch from Piccolo had less than 0.1mg. This is despite the same amount of fresh mango (70g) containing 18.2mg of vitamin C.
However, not all the pouches had low results. The investigation found that Heinz's Apple pouch - which has vitamin C added - and Ella's Kitchen's Bananas pouch tested high in vitamin C.
Experts have come forward to say that the nutritional claims of baby food pouches are misleading. According to Dr Alison Tedstone - who spent nine years as chief nutritionist to the UK government - many of the biggest brands use "halo-marketing" which is when brands use health-coded words and phrases to market the product.
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Ella's Kitchen describes its savoury products as "perfectly balanced for growing babies", while Piccolo claims many pouches are "packed with goodness". Some Little Freddie pouches feature the tad line "Good for Brains" and Heinz claims some of its fruit products are "as nutritionally good as homemade".
The BBC also found that the six companies had failed to implement some NHS, Public Health England and World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Piccolo, Aldi and Ella's Kitchen currently promote their fruit pouches to babies as young as four months, despite the NHS and WHO saying babies should not be given solid food until six months.
Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe from the WHO told the BBC that companies promoting foods to parents of four-month-olds were acting "against the best interest of the babies." Since the BBC started its investigation, some of the major food pouch companies are changing the age recommendations on their products to align with UK guidance.
When approached by the BBC, all brands said their products were intended as a "complementary part of a child's varied weaning diet." The brands also told the BBC they were committed to infant health and provided quality, nutritional products that meet UK regulations.
On the subject of sugar, Piccolo said it develops 'recipes that combine fruits with vegetables' to reduce sugar levels, while Ella's Kitchen said that, 'the sugar content would be the same if you pureed the ingredients yourself at home' and that it has 'a dedicated sugar reduction pathway for 2025'. Heinz, Aldi, Little Freddie and Lidl all said their products contained 'no added sugars'.
Regarding marketing, Piccolo and Little Freddie told the BBC their packaging accurately represented the key ingredients and flavours contained in their products, while Ella's Kitchen said it "would never use" misleading claims. Heinz did not address the BBC's questions on marketing.
On the low levels of iron, Little Freddie added that its products were not intended to be meal replacements for one-year-olds, and Ella's Kitchen said that its pouches should be used sparingly.
Public health experts who contributed to the investigation told the BBC that no parent should feel guilty for using the products.
BBC Panorama: The Truth about Baby Food Pouches is available on iPlayer now and airs Monday 28 April at 8pm.
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