Saturday, July 12, 2025
spot_img

WHO finds market baby foods too much sugary

Date:

Share post:

spot_imgspot_img

Baby foods on market generally contain too much sugar, posing a source of health concern, a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.
The United Nations specialised agency on public health based the conclusion on an examination by its European office of about 8,000 baby food products on shelf between November 2017 and January 2018.
It warned that “the very high levels of sugars present in commercial products is a cause for concern” by increasing the risk of overweight and dental cavities while inducing a lifetime eating habit in favor of sugary foods.
In around half of the products examined, “more than 30 per cent of calories were from total sugars and around a third of products contained added sugar or other sweetening agents,” the world health body said in the report released on Monday to update guidelines for infant diets.
The examination that covered more than 500 stores in Austria, Bulgaria, Israel and Hungary also finds the labels of up to 60 per cent of the inspected food are misleading by claiming to suit infants under six months old.
The WHO has long recommended that “infants receive exclusively breast milk for the first six months of life.”
In the WHO report, countries are advised to make new laws on curbing high sugar intake, ban added sugars and sweeteners in baby foods, and put an end to the promotion of breast milk substitutes.
It also requires labels on candies and sweetened beverages, including fruit juices and condensed milk, to state they are not suitable for children under three.
Meanwhile, the WHO recommends that children between six months and two years be fed nutrient-rich home-prepared foods.
“Good nutrition in infancy and early childhood remains key to ensuring optimal child growth and development, and to better health outcomes later in life,” said Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO regional director for Europe, in a statement. (UNI)

spot_imgspot_img

Related articles

Air India plane crash: Pilots’ union seeks to join AAIB probe as observer

New Delhi, July 12: The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) on Saturday raised concerns over the preliminary...

UK faces third, more extensive heatwave

London, July 12: The United Kingdom is bracing for its third heatwave of the year, with exceptionally hot...

Union Minister Jual Oram announces retirement from electoral politics

Sambalpur (Odisha), July 12:  In a major development for Odisha politics, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs and senior...

IIM-Calcutta rape case: Questions raised over campus security

Kolkata, July 12: Serious concerns have emerged over the security arrangements at the Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta (IIM-C),...