The BDA writes that it found “obscene sugar levels” in certain baby food packages that posed a danger to the teeth of the youngest.
“As sweet as Coca Cola”. The Association of British Dentists, in a press release published in early July, warns of the risks of consuming compotes for young children, especially babies: Some of these plastic gourds contain proportionately more sugar than Coca-Cola and their mode of intake – bottle to mouth closed lead and suck up the contents – leading to the formation of more cavities, they say.
The BDA analyzed the contents of 109 of these bags and selected different brands available in the UK and different contents offered. She writes that some baby food packets sold for babies have “obscene sugar levels” and calls for “widespread government action on infant food and drink.”
“You must ensure that sugar becomes the new tobacco, especially when it comes to our youngest patients,” writes the BDA, recalling that “caries is the leading cause of hospitalization in young children.”
“Up to two-thirds of the recommended daily allowance for an adult in sugar”
Analyzing various products offered to children under 12 months, the BDA found that “more than a quarter contained more sugar by volume than a Coca-Cola”. Products for four-month-old babies contain “the equivalent of up to 150% of the soft drink’s sugar content,” and they were all fruit-based mixes, she notes. Some of these blends “have up to two-thirds of the recommended daily allowance [au Royaume-Uni] for an adult in sugar,” it goes on to say. Products containing vegetables tend to have lower sugar levels.
As a reminder, in addition to tooth decay, “too much sugar can lead to overweight, obesity and related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer,” explains ANSES (Agence Nationale Sécurité Sanitaire Alimentaire National).
In France, last month, health professionals warned about the phenomenon of “coca babies”, those very young children who drink soda from their first months, leading to tooth decay in the baby teeth and even infections from the start. Marco Mazevet from the French Dentists reminded on our antenna that the recommended daily dose of sugar is 25 g for an adult and half for a child. Some of the products examined by the BDA contain 17.3 grams of sugar per 100 grams of product.
The UK organization also points out that these products, with labels such as “no added sugar” or “natural sugar only”, give the impression of “healthy” products to parents. But even if it’s natural sugar from fruit, it can be too much. “Dentists have pointed out that with teeth it makes little or no difference whether the sugar is added or natural,” writes the BDA.
“It may seem like a glass of orange juice in the morning is good for a baby or toddler’s health. But no, it’s too much. We’re not made to swallow the equivalent of six oranges in twenty seconds,” he explained to Marco Mazevet.
With these sachets “the food spends more time in contact with the teeth”
On the other hand, the BDA warns of the risks of ingesting these products that are put in the mouth and inhaled. “Contents are often sucked right out of the pouch, allowing food to spend more time with baby teeth as they grow and exposing teeth to risk of erosion and tooth decay,” it explains.
The French website L’Assurance Maladie writes that “when we eat, the acids in our mouth produced by bacteria from sugar increase and attack the teeth, promoting tooth decay. It takes several hours for this acid to disappear”. And through “small amounts of sugar several times a day, the acid is never consumed in the mouth and permanently attacks the teeth.”
Health authorities in England recommend that infants be introduced to drinking from a mug or sippy cup from the age of six months and discourage drinking from a bottle from the age of 12 months.
Ella’s Kitchen, whose products are among the sweetest according to the BDA classification, says in a press release that it “takes infant nutrition very seriously” and has “reduced the amount of fruit with a high sugar content” in its products. The company adds that it doesn’t advise consuming its purees straight from the pouch.
For her part, Annabel Karmel – another company in question – writes that their food is “specially developed for babies” and that “the limited sugar content is due to the natural sugars in the fruit used”.
Salomé Vincendon Journalist BFMTV