“Urgent” Study Finds 60% of Baby Foods Failed to Meet Nutrition Requirements

“Urgent” Study Finds Most Baby Foods Failed to Meet Nutrition Requirements and Use Misleading Marketing

A recent article published by Forbes explored concerns about the lack of nutrition and misleading marketing in most baby and toddler foods in the U.S.

After evaluating 651 products from the top 10 grocery stores in the United States and comparing them against Nutrition and Promotional Guidelines set by the WHO:

“Around 60% of baby and toddler food items sold in major U.S. retailers fail to meet international nutritional guidelines, and nearly all of the products utilize “misleading” marketing tactics, a new report suggests, two factors researchers say may be contributing to the country’s high childhood obesity rates.” - FORBES

Misleading marketing and a lack of balanced nutrition are key issues that have plagued the baby food aisle for over a decade. In this article, we will summarize the findings and prove how Square Baby is committed to providing the best nutrition for your baby. 

Key Takeaways from the Study

• 60% of the products failed to meet nutritional guidelines
• 70% didn’t meet protein recommendations
• 44% exceeded total sugar recommendations
• 20% went over sodium guidelines
• 99% were promoted with “misleading” marketing practices that overestimates the products’ healthfulness

Let’s dig into the facts…

60% of baby and toddler products fail to meet nutrition guidelines

“These numbers are truly alarming when you consider we're talking about food for infants and toddlers. The core issue is that many of these products, especially pouches, are far too sweet to offer proper, balanced nutrition. This not only fails to meet nutritional needs but also hinders the development of a child's palate. If babies are constantly fed overly sweet purees, they're unlikely to grow up enjoying a variety of flavors, especially vegetables. We're essentially setting them up for a lifetime of poor eating habits.”

– Katie Thomson MS, RDN, Square Baby Cofounder & CEO

Fruit-Heavy, High Sugar Meals Could Lead to Obesity

This study found that 44% of US Baby Foods in the grocery aisle exceeded total sugar recommendations.

Whether it's natural or added sugar, too much sugar can be harmful to the growth and brain development of your little one. We know from science and research that the effects of sugar on the development of children can be long-lasting, including:

• An impact on baby and toddler palate development 
• Developing a “sweet tooth”; craving sweet foods
• Disruption in blood sugar
• Promotion of tooth decay
• Health complications later in life such as obesity or diabetes

Baby Foods Often Have More Sugar Than Many Junk Foods

“Big Baby” food manufacturers know about their high-sugar, fruit-filled products -- but, products higher in sugar tend to be cheaper to make, making their profit margin stronger. And there’s no question that sugar sells in America.

It’s true! Many baby foods have 10g of sugar (or more!) per serving. That’s equivalent to:

• 1 Original Glazed Krispy Kreme Donut
• 8 Jelly Belly jelly beans
• 1 cup of Lucky Charms cereal

Yikes.

It’s not just junk food that shares a similar amount of sugar found in baby and toddler pouches -- it’s soda, juice, and flavored yogurt, too!
Let’s take a closer look at comparing these -- ounce for ounce.

• Baby Foods with 10g of sugar per 3.2oz serving = 3.1g sugar/oz
• Pepsi: 3.4g sugar/oz
• Orange Juice: 2.8g sugar/oz
• Trix Flavored Yogurt by Yoplait: 2.8g added sugar/oz; 3.5 total sugar/oz

Even if it’s all fruit. All organic fruit. You’re still training this tiny eater to crave sweets if these foods are provided over and over again -- and as a mainstay of their diet.

This misconception extends to fruit juices as well. Many parents believe these are healthy options for babies, but in reality, they're often just sources of added sugar. This goes against the recommendation of zero added sugar for children under 2 years old. Instead, focus on whole fruits and vegetables as they provide important nutrients along with beneficial fiber.

Ultimately, the goal is balance and variety.

A variety of different colors, textures, and food groups all working together to support your baby's growth and development. It's about creating a diverse, balanced diet that goes beyond what any single pouch or jar can provide.

Misleading Marketing Plagues the Baby Food Aisle:

Numerous companies have been promoting their baby food products with health claims despite concerns about the actual content and quality of their products. The lack of transparency and quality are leading to confusion among parents who rely on these claims to make informed choices for their infants.

• Each product had an average of 4.7 prohibited claims, with some having as many as 11 claims; the most commonly misused claims were “non-genetically modified” (70%), “organic” (59%), “no-BPA” (37%) and “no artificial colors/flavors” (25%).
• Many products also had “misleading” names: “Snack and finger foods often referred to fruit or vegetables in the product name, despite primarily being made of flour or other starches,” Dr. Daisy Coyle, research fellow and dietician at the George Institute, said in a statement.
• The researchers believe their findings should “serve as a wake-up call for policymakers,” because they said the high sugar and sodium content in baby food, and the use of WHO-prohibited marketing terms could be contributing to the high rates of childhood obesity in the U.S., which affects almost 15 million kids.
• Baby food products found to be the unhealthiest. Despite being the fastest-growing products in the baby food sector, with sales jumping 900% between 2010 and 2023, the pouches were also the unhealthiest products tested, according to the study.

Additionally, the unbalanced, high-fruit purees lack a variety of nutrients and foods including fiber, protein, healthy fats, green veggies, and herbs and spices that provide proper nutrition for growth and development and help establish lifelong eating habits that will set baby up for a healthy life and a lower risk of disease.

70% of US Baby Foods Fail to Meet Protein Requirements

This is crucial because protein isn't just a number on a label – it's fundamental for everything from muscle development to immune function to enzyme production. Many parents are surprised to learn that babies actually need more protein per pound of body weight than adults to support their rapid growth and development

Protein Requirements for Baby

The protein requirements can range from 11-14g of protein per day, depending on your infant's age and growth requirement. Younger babies 12 months of age and younger will need closer to 11g of protein per day while toddlers up until 4 years will need closer to 14g of protein per day.

Read more about the Importance of Protein and “9 Best Sources of Protein for Baby” on our blog.

Another often overlooked aspect is the inclusion of common allergens.

Current research suggests that incorporating allergenic foods like peanuts, eggs, dairy, and fish into a baby's diet early on, typically around 4-6 months of age, may actually help prevent the development of food allergies. This represents a shift in thinking and highlights the importance of including a wide variety of foods in a baby's diet right from the start.

However, many baby food products fail to include these important components which can create a whole host of health issues later in life.

Square Baby is proud to be a leader in Early Allergen Introduction.

Learn more about preventing food allergies.

But the problem goes beyond protein.

Many of these foods are also lacking in healthy fats, which are essential for brain development, and important micronutrients like calcium, iron, and vitamin D. There's also a noticeable absence of those nutrient-dense green and earthy vegetables. Instead, we're seeing a heavy reliance on fruits and starchy veggies, which might be appealing taste-wise but don't provide the full spectrum of nutrients babies need.

When it comes to crucial nutritional components that are often overlooked in a baby's diet, healthy fats top the list. These fats, particularly omega-3s, are essential for brain development, yet they're frequently underrepresented in commercial baby foods. They not only support cognitive growth but also aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

The Study Calls this an "Urgent" Issue. We agree.

The "urgent" label is entirely appropriate and, frankly, long overdue. We're talking about the first 1000 days of a child's life - a critical window where nutrition plays a pivotal role in shaping long-term health outcomes. This study isn't just highlighting a small issue; it's revealing a widespread problem across the majority of baby foods in the market.

“Childhood obesity affects one in five children, and this statistic has more than tripled since the 1970s. The U.S. has the 22nd-highest global childhood obesity rates for girls, and 26th-highest for boys.” - FORBES

What's particularly alarming is the scale of this issue.

With the explosive growth of convenient options like pouches - which have seen a staggering 900% increase in sales over just 13 years - we're looking at a situation where more and more children are being impacted. This isn't just about what babies are eating today; it's about potentially affecting the health of an entire generation.

There's a clear connection to long-term health issues, like the obesity epidemic that’s been heavily researched and well documented. What we feed babies today shapes their food preferences and eating habits for years to come. If we're not getting the nutrition right at this crucial stage, we're essentially setting kids up for challenges later in life. That's why there's such urgency for quick action. When it comes to infant nutrition, we simply can't afford to delay improvements.

This Has Been a Problem for Over a Decade

This is not a new problem, unfortunately. Hundreds of lawsuits have plagued the major baby food companies - with claims of misleading marketing, false claims, lack of nutrition, and toxic levels of heavy metals.

• March 2015: This study found that 74% of sampled infant formulas, breakfast cereals, packaged baked goods, and yogurts had 20% or more of their calories from added sugars.
• June 2018: “Rethinking Baby Food Pouches” 
• Aug 2019: “The Truth About Baby Food Pouches”: "The fruit-and-vegetable packets are O.K. in moderation, experts say, but don't rely on them for every meal."
• July 2019: “A study analyzed 703 pureed baby and toddler food products and found that pouched purees were often higher in sugar than baby food in other packages, like jars or plastic tubs. For example, among fruit and vegetable blend products, pouches had a median of 11 grams of sugar per serving, compared with 5 grams of sugar per serving in products with other packaging because the pouches both came in larger serving sizes and were more concentrated in sugar.”
• The Truth About Baby Food Pouches, New York Times, April 2020
• July 2022: “Baby Food Pouches Have More Sugar as Coca-Cola, Dentists Warn” – Parents warned of an ‘epidemic’ of tooth decay and how fruit-heavy, sugary pouches are a contributing factor.
• We documented this and so much more in our Blog “The Truth About Sugar in Baby Food”

WHO Outlines Concerns for “Food Products for Infants and Young Children”

According to the WHO, a number of concerns exist about the nutrition and marketing of some infant & toddler foods, including:

• HIGH SUGAR – high total sugar including:
• high fruit content
• frequent added sugars
• sweet taste profile
• claims of “no added sugars” but a significant proportion of energy is derived from sugar (e.g. via fruit)
• LACKING PROTEIN – simple fruit or vegetable purées, without any protein source/dairy may have a low density of important nutrients such as iron or iodine
• SALT – addition of salt or high sodium content
• FAT – high fat content, particularly in some snack foods
• LACKING NUTRITION – low nutrient or energy density in purées aimed at younger ages/early weaning
• MARKETING ISSUES
• frequent marketing of very smooth/puréed foods beyond 12 months of age but:
• introduction of texture is important for chewing development
• most infants can accept textured foods from 12 months
• ongoing exposure to purées, with high liberated sugar content is a concern for oral health and development of sweet taste preference

• Frequently misleading product names which imply vegetable or savoury flavours, or high dairy, vegetable or cereal content, but high fruit content and sweet taste. For example:
• “peppers, broccoli and apple purée” containing 80% apple, 10% pepper and 10% broccoli
• “baby porridge with mango” containing 50% apple, 20% mango and 30% rehydrated oats
•  “apricot and banana baby rice: containing only 3% rice flour

What Are WHO’s Guidelines For Baby Foods? 

"The WHO Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model provides both nutritional and promotional standards for foods marketed toward babies and toddlers. Nutritional recommendations include not marketing flavored or sweetened drinks to babies, limits on how many calories certain snacks and meals should be, a sugar limit for meals and snacks totaling 15% of total calories and no addition of free sugars and sweeteners like fruit syrups and concentrated fruit juice to products. Some of the promotional guidelines include minimum and maximum age recommendations for certain foods like purées, and the absence of health and marketing claims that could mislead consumers. Some of these claims include phrases like “full of goodness,” “100% natural,” “fresh,” “real fruit/vegetables” and “contains only naturally occurring...” – WHO's Nutrient & Promotional Profile Model

Babies deserve better. And parents deserve a science-based, transparent brand they can trust.

That's why we created Square Baby.

Where truth, transparency, quality, and science-based nutrition is our north star. And veggie-first, balanced meals are our promise -- and we have HALF THE SUGAR as most pouches.

Square Baby was cofounded by a Registered Dietitian & Prenatal Genetic Counselor. Our company’s ethos is rooted in nutrition science -- and all about “Square”, balanced meals. We’re here to provide 100% Daily Nutrition. 100% Balance. 0% BS.

Our recommendation: "Everything in moderation."  

Fruit is absolutely a healthy part of a balanced diet. It's why we're proud to offer 100% of baby's daily recommended servings of fruit, veggies, whole grains, and protein through our "Square Meal System".
Above all, seek balance. It’s that simple. Balanced meals can provide a touch of sweetness from real fruit, but aren’t devoid of:

• Protein
• Healthy fats
• Veggies 
• Other key nutrients

Why Can "Hiding Veggies" Be A Problem?

If your baby can't taste the vegetables -- because they're drowned in fruit or other ingredients -- then they can't learn to enjoy the earthy, savory, and even bitter taste of so many delicious veggies!

It's hard to learn to love veggies if you can't taste them.

Balanced meals that are veggie-forward can help with palate development and training your baby to enjoy a variety of adventurous foods.

Square Baby is proud to offer meals that ALWAYS have more veggies than any other food group. In fact, our meals contain 40-90% veggies. Because balanced, science-based nutrition is one of our core values. And following the research and recommendations is what we stand for.

Our Note from our Cofounder, CEO & Registered Dietitian, Katie Thomson

“This study sheds light on a critical issue in the baby food industry, one that we have been aware of for some time and have been waiting for someone to call out these brands that label themselves as “healthy” when really they are anything but. 

The "urgent" label is entirely appropriate.

And frankly, long overdue. We're talking about the first 1000 days of a child's life - a critical window where nutrition plays a pivotal role in shaping long-term health outcomes. This study isn't just highlighting a small issue; it's revealing a widespread problem across the majority of baby foods in the market.

Unfortunately, it seems that many industry leaders are prioritizing profits over proper nutrition. They've realized that super-sweet, easily consumable pouches appeal to infants, toddlers, and parents. 

While I understand the appeal – these pouches can act as convenient, self-feeding options – this approach is ultimately detrimental to children's long-term health and eating habits. 

This study should serve as a major wake-up call for the entire baby food industry.

It's high time these issues were rigorously investigated and quantified. The industry as a whole needs to be deeply committed to nutrition science – meticulously studying the latest research and recommendations to create meals that provide the full spectrum of nutrients, textures, and flavors that babies need.” 

Read more in Katie Thomson's Interview with Fox News

How can parents make informed choices about baby foods?

Making informed choices about baby food starts with becoming a savvy label reader. The ingredient list is your roadmap – scrutinize it carefully. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so pay close attention to what comes first. If you see fruits or sweeteners leading the pack in a product that's marketed as a veggie blend, that's a pretty clear indication that you might want to think twice.

Look for products that offer a good balance of proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates from whole food sources, and keep an eye out for any red flags in the sugar content or ingredient quality.

Don't hesitate to talk to your pediatrician about your baby's nutritional needs, especially when it comes to things like early allergen introduction or ensuring a wide variety of vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats in your little one's diet. They can offer personalized guidance based on your baby's unique needs and developmental stage.

And remember, just because a product claims to be "organic" or "natural" doesn't necessarily mean it's the most nutritious choice. While these qualities are certainly beneficial, your primary focus should always be on the overall nutritional value and ingredient integrity of the foods you choose for your baby.

What are some guidelines for parents looking to provide nutritious and balanced meals for their babies?

The key to balanced nutrition for babies is variety. Offer a diverse range of foods, flavors, textures, and colors. This approach not only ensures optimal nutrition but also supports palate development. A helpful concept to keep in mind is "Eat the Rainbow." Different colored foods often signify different nutritional profiles, offering a spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

In general, aim for meals that offer a balance of fat, fiber, and protein, while keeping sugar content low. As a rough guideline, a 4-ounce balanced meal should contain approximately:

• Less than 6 grams of sugar
• 2-4 grams of fat
• 2-4 grams of fiber
• 2-5 grams of protein

It's important to note that these are general guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Don't forgo a nutritious meal just because it doesn't hit these exact numbers. For example, a meal of zucchini and avocado might be a bit lower in protein but still offers a host of valuable nutrients.

In the first year, breast milk or formula still provides significant nutrition, with solid foods gradually complementing this foundation. Introduce a wide variety of foods, including potential allergens under your doctor's guidance, to support both nutritional needs and immune system development.

As both a Registered Dietitian and a mother, I've experienced the challenges of finding nutritious, balanced meals for my own children.

I noticed that many of the options available on the market were either too fruit-heavy or lacked the necessary variety to meet a baby’s nutritional needs. This realization inspired me to create Square Baby—a line of meals designed to be nutrient-dense and well-balanced. With a focus on offering a blend of veggies, fruits, whole grains, and premium proteins, Square Baby meals aim to provide what babies need for healthy growth and development, with half the sugar and twice the protein and healthy fats compared to most pouches.

Square Baby’s Commitment to Transparency, Quality and Science-Based Nutrition:

At Square Baby, we take pride in our unwavering commitment to quality, transparency, and integrity. Unlike other competitors, we provide clear and verifiable information about the sourcing and processing of our products. Here’s how we ensure that our products stand out:

1. Certified Ingredients: All our ingredients are USDA certified organic. We use certification to guarantee the authenticity of our claims, providing parents with peace of mind. 
1. We’ve partnered with the best farms and suppliers to select our organic ingredients. 
2. Safety & Transparency: We openly share detailed information about our ingredient sourcing, production processes, and nutritional content. Our labeling is straightforward and accurate, with no hidden additives or misleading claims.
1. We use a 3rd-party lab testing for heavy metals, plasticizers, pesticide residues, and over 400 other contaminants 
2. We share these results on our blog.
3. Nutritional Excellence: Our baby food products are nutrient-dense. Each product is perfectly crafted to contain vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and a variety of high-quality proteins to meet 100% of your baby’s daily recommendations. 
1. Square Baby offers more veggies than any other food group in every meal. 
2. We have ½ the sugar and 2x the protein and healthy fat compared to most pouches. 
3. We are proud members of PHA’s “Shaping Early Palates” where we have met PHA’s rigorous Veggie Icon criteria 
4. Sustainable & Ethical Practices: We maintain strict ethical standards in our production processes, ensuring that our products are not only safe but also produced with respect for the environment.
1. Our containers are recyclable, using recycled materials that are free of BPA, phthalates, plasticizers, and fillers. 
2. Additionally, our meals are shipped in recyclable boxes that have 100% compostable insulations. 
5. Research & Education: We are committed to educating parents about the latest research, recommendations, and best choices for their babies. Our website offers resources and expert advice on baby nutrition, allowing parents to make informed decisions. 

About the Study 

Researchers visited eight stores located in Raleigh, North Carolina between March and May 2023: Walmart, Target, Kroger, Costco, Ahold Delhaize, Publix, Sam’s Club and Aldi. The remaining two stores—H-E-B and Safeway—weren’t located in the city, so their online websites were used to collect data. Each product was labeled into one of eight categories: dry cereals and starches, dairy foods, fruit and vegetable purées/smoothies and fruit desserts, snacks and finger foods, ingredients, confectionary, drinks and savory meals/meal components, which was defined as combinations of starches, vegetables, dairy and/or traditional proteins. Because only food available in the “baby” aisle was tested, yogurt, meat, drinks and other products kept in fridges or in other aisles weren’t included.

Please note: This blog post is for information purposes only and shouldn’t be used as personal, health, nutritional, or medical advice. Above all, always consult with your pediatrician before making any decisions about your child's health or readiness for various foods.