Ascorbic acid baby food
17 Truths About What's Hiding In Baby Food (And 5 Times Moms Don't Need To Worry)
We love our babies and want to feed them the best food possible. Babies have yet to develop their immune systems. Their bodies are also smaller and more fragile, so ingredients that might not harm us as adults can be life-threatening to an infant. This is why it is so important to be aware of what is in the baby food that we feed our children.
Before buying any brand of baby food, it is a good idea to read the list of ingredients on each item. This is one of the ways that moms can learn about what is in the baby food that they buy, and then make informed decisions about which brands to choose. But the research goes beyond just what the brand says is inside the baby food.
There could be other things lurking in the baby food that we find on the grocery store shelves. Research the companies to find out where they stand on safety regulations, how they test for the safety of their food and what their values are when it comes the to quality of ingredients. Does the company have any law suits against it for its baby food or other items that it sells? Are there items recalled from the store on a regular basis? If so, then maybe that is not a good brand to buy baby food from.
We researched to find the 17 truths of what is lurking in our baby food. But we also found five instances when moms don't need to worry about it.
22/22 Sweet Tooth
Wikimedia CommonsMost of us are aware that sugar eats away at our tooth enamel and causes tooth decay. Store-bought baby food is often loaded with sugar. Do we want to set up our little ones with early onset tooth decay? Of course not!
The different types of sugar that can be found in baby food include glucose, lactose, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, dextrose and rice syrup.
There are many other types of sugars, but any ingredient that ends in -ose or has syrup as part of the name is likely to be a kind of sugar.
Sugar in and of itself is not a bad thing; the body needs some sugar in order to function.
The problem arises when we are getting too much sugar. Babies who are given lots of sugar tend to have a sweet tooth later in life. And baby foods with lots of sugar and nothing else don't provide the nutrition that the babies need to grow.
21/22 Don't Be So Salty
UnsplashIf too much sugar is a reason to worry, then so is too much sodium (also known as salt). That's right. Some baby food is loaded with sodium. Babies don't need to have much sodium in their diets.
According to Cleveland Clinic, too much sodium contributes to heart problems. Overloading the baby's system with sodium could cause issues for him or her early in life.
Too much salt may also have a dehydrating effect. You know how you get super thirsty after gorging on some salt-laden french fries? Babies experience the same effects.
When looking for baby food, check the salt content. Most food will always have some amount of sodium in it, and our bodies do need a little bit in order to function properly.
But an overabundance of salt is dangerous in the long term and even in the short term. According to the Poison Control Center, it is possible to have sodium poisoning from too much salt.
20/22 Preserved For What
BingDoes baby food need preservatives? We think not. Too many preservatives are one of the reasons that convenience foods, that we adults often indulge in, are so bad for our health. What could preservatives do to our little ones? The most common preservative used in baby food is Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid. It is an antioxidant that keeps foods from spoiling very fast.
As adults, we can handle more amounts of Vitamin C, and it can be good for our immune systems, too. But too much of a good thing is often a bad thing for infants. According to the National Institutes of Health, infants between birth to 12 months old only need 40 to 50 milligrams of Vitamin C a day that they mostly get from their mother's milk or from formula. Kids only need 15 mg of Vitamin C a day once they reach a year old.
19/22 So Much Junk... Not Enough Nutritional Value
Flickr/Lars PlougmannBaby snacks, those snacks that we see in grocery stores labeled specifically for baby, are actually not good for the baby at all. Why?
Well, according to The Stir, baby snacks have more ingredients than actual nutritional value. It is actually better and healthier to give babies dried fruits (with no added sugars) as a snack than giving them baby puff snacks.
Snacks should also be used in moderation. It's generally a good rule of thumb to only give babies unprocessed foods as much as possible, including during snack time. Think in terms of nutritional value because the baby's first few years need to be focused on getting enough of the vitamins, minerals and proteins that they need in order to grow up healthy and strong.
18/22 A Chemical Concoction - Arsenic? No, Thank You
WikipediaAccording to a study done by the Clean Label Project, so-called certified organic products had twice the level of arsenic compared to conventional baby food.
The study also found that 80 percent of baby formulas contain arsenic. What is arsenic? It is a naturally occurring semi-metal that is most often found in ground water. High levels of arsenic can cause fatal consequences, though.
It is never listed as an ingredient on baby food because baby food manufacturers are not putting it into the food on purpose, but some of their processes for making baby food result in accidental high levels of arsenic in their products. There are ways that companies can mitigate this, of course, but it can be expensive for them to change how they do things; so, some companies take the risk. But should we?
17/22 Unleaded Or Leaded Fuel Is The Question
WikipediaThe Clean Label Project also found that 36 percent of baby food products contain detectable levels of lead. Lead poisoning has been in the news quite often lately, as high amounts of lead in a city's water supply can lead to long-term health effects and other social issues that should be addressed.
High levels of lead can cause fatal consequences. Other problems include interference with the child's growth, their ability to learn and even their behavior.
Lead ends up in processed baby foods as a result of the soil content in which the vegetables or fruits were grown, the water that may have been used in processing and other factors.
According to Parents magazine, it might not even be possible to avoid lead even if we grow our own vegetables to make baby food.
Testing your soil and your water supply are the only way to know for sure that lead isn't in the food that you grow yourself.
16/22 More Than Dark Roast Coffee
BingWould we give our babies a cup of dark roast coffee? Of course we wouldn't. But the five worst performing baby food products were found to have nearly double a chemical called acrylamide than what is found in dark roast coffee. Yikes! Acrylamide has been linked to brain damage and cancer. According to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, acrylamide can cause neurotoxicity in people who are exposed to it.
The Food and Chemical Toxicology journal describes acrylamide as "a monomer that can form in heated starchy food as a result of Maillard reaction" (Mojska, Gielecińska and Stoś). So, it sounds as if the process of making baby food can create acrylamide.
15/22 Oh No, Soy
BingAnother carcinogenic metal that has been found lurking in baby food is cadmium.
Soy-based baby formula had seven times more cadmium than other formulas, according to the study done by the Clean Label Project.
OSHA warns about the health effects of cadmium exposure. The metal can be found naturally in small amounts inside of rocks and soil, and many batteries also use the metal because it does not corrode easily.
According to a LiveSciencereport, cadmium has even been used as a coloring for the red and yellow on McDonald's cups! Even small level exposure to the metal can cause kidney problems and bone softening. Cigarette smoke also contains high levels of cadmium, a reminder that we should not smoke around our children.
14/22 That's So Corny
PixabayIf corn syrup isn't good for adults, then it is certainly not good for babies! So why do some baby formulas contain corn syrup and corn syrup solids in the ingredients? It's cheaper and makes the formula taste better, but corn syrup can cause an addiction to sugar. Dr. William Sears told Parenting magazine, "Artificial sweeteners in infant formulas can only increase the intensity of the sweet tooth that babies are already born with."
There are many debates on whether corn syrup is a worse form of sugar than regular sugar or cane sugar. But we can certainly agree that too much sugar, especially forms of processed sugar, could be a bad thing for a developing baby.
13/22 The Mysterious Flavor
Flickr/ShannonPatrick17If we look at the ingredients list on baby food, we might see a nondescript item just called "flavor." The Environmental Working Group (EWG) scores foods based on their ingredients, preservatives and processing.
Those that have the mysterious ingredient called "flavor" often get dinged in their score because no one knows what that means.
It could be anything! According to the EWG's Food Scores, "added 'flavors' are secret and often complex mixtures of chemicals that modify and manipulate the taste and smell of food." Basically, it's generally a good idea to find baby food that lists all of the ingredients in understandable language. Mysterious ingredients are a risk that we shouldn't take.
12/22 What It's Lacking - Vitamins
UnsplashIt's not just what is hiding in baby food that we should be concerned about but also what is lacking in the food. Babies need nutrients in order to grow and thrive.
According to a study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, many baby foods do not meet the nutritional needs of babies. Babies are in a fast-growing stage and need to get all of their vitamins and nutrients in order to develop properly.
Baby foods that only provide them with sugar, salt and fillers are not going to be doing the important job of giving their bodies vital nutrition. Some processes for making baby food also contribute to a loss of nutritional value. Consult with a pediatrician to find out what would be a healthy meal plan for your baby and how you can incorporate fresh-made foods into their diets as they grow.
11/22 Those Pesky Pesticides
UnsplashAccording to a study done by the EWG, sixteen pesticides were found in eight of the top baby food brands in a laboratory study. The pesticides include iprodione (rovral), thiabendazole, botran and permethrin. Most of these pesticides can cause cancer, illness and other health effects that we would not want our children to experience.
As adults, we also consume more pesticides than is healthy if we purchase our fruits and vegetables from the supermarket. "It is more obvious than ever that the society needs the implementation of a new agricultural concept regarding food production, which is safer for man and the environment," says a research report in the Frontiers in Public Health journal ("Chemical Pesticides and Human Health: The Urgent Need for a New Concept in Agriculture").
10/22 Chalk It Up
UnsplashSome baby foods include an ingredient called calcium carbonate. What is this? Well, calcium carbonate is essentially chalk (naturally occurring as limestone and chalk in the earth) that is used for industrial building purposes. It can also neutralize acid and can be found in antacids for adults, according to Medline Plus.
The reason that it is put into baby food is that it is a cheap way to provide calcium. Too much calcium carbonate can cause constipation in babies.
No thanks. Not only is constipation painful, it can be fatal if left untreated, especially in little infants. When looking for a baby formula, research the ingredients and consult with your pediatrician about your concerns. Breast milk is the healthiest option, but that is not always possible for many valid reasons.
9/22 Oh-Em-Gee, It's MSG
PixabayAnother concerning ingredient found in baby formula and baby food is MSG. MSG stands for Monosodium glutamate, which is the sodium (salt) form of glutamic acid.
And glutamic acid is a non-essential amino acid. “Its ingestion can cause inflammation of the small intestine, referred to as leaky gut, which will result in symptoms such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, and abdominal pain,” Michael Galitzer, MD, an integrative medicine specialist in Los Angeles, told Reader's Digest.
None of that sounds good at all. Baby will be uncomfortable and in pain, which is not what we want. Look for baby food products that are MSG-free according to the label. It's also a good idea to research to see if the product truly is MSG-free like it says it is.
8/22 Not As Pretty As It Looks
PexelsArtificial colors are used to make food look more attractive for consumption. Some baby foods include artificial colors. According to Today's Parent, the source for those artificial colors is incredibly unappetizing: petroleum by-products or coal tar. Artificial ingredients can be harmful to a baby's system.
At the very least, a long list of artificial ingredients means that the baby formula or baby food product will not provide the necessary nutrition that our babies need in order to grow properly.
Look for foods that do not use artificial coloring and other artificial ingredients.
That neon pink baby dessert might look so pretty on the shelf, but it's not a good idea to feed that product to your baby.
7/22 Soap In The Belly
Max PixelSome baby formulas contain an ingredient called palm oil. It doesn't sound like it would be very bad, but research from the University of Iowa discovered that palm oil (also called palm olein) affects the baby's absorption of calcium because "of the formation of insoluble calcium soaps of unabsorbed palmitic acid."
Basically, it can create a soap-like substance in the baby's belly that prevents the absorption of calcium. It is also likely to be very uncomfortable for the baby. Another researcher found that palm oil can cause adverse effects, like organotoxicity of the heart. Some doctors recommend avoiding palm oil altogether. The risks are too great to regularly ingest it.
6/22 DHA And ARA Aren't The Cool Kids
PixabayResearchers from the Cornucopia Institute discovered that the ingredients listed as DHA and ARA in baby formula may not be so good for baby's health.
DHA stands for docosahexaenoic acid, and ARA refers to arachidonic acid. The Cornucopia Institute research says that the synthetic versions of DHA and ARA come from algae and fungus.
The research suggests that these are dangerous and unnecessary to add to baby formulas and have no place in them.
According to Consumer Reports, the majority of the baby formula brands in the United States contain DHA and ARA, a synthetic version of the same essential fatty acids found naturally in human breast milk. But the synthetic versions are not identical to the natural version. The FDA has still approved the use of these synthetic fatty acids in baby foods, but it might not be something that moms want for their babies after reviewing the research.
And here are 5 things moms don't need to be so concerned with...
5/22 No Need To Bar The Jar
Flickr/Kim LoveJust because the baby food is bought from the store does not automatically mean that it is not safe for the baby.
Baby food products are required by law to follow certain safety guidelines. The FDA is not required to approve baby formulas before they are marketed to customers, although all formulas are required to meet certain nutrition guidelines. Baby formula manufacturers also have to provide a list of their ingredients to the FDA. Any formula that does not let the FDA review its ingredients and processes may be subject to compliance actions and be taken out of the market.
But it is possible for parents to prepare their own baby food, according to Federal Food Safety. Parents who make their own baby food should follow strict safety protocols so that the food that they prepare is safe for their children to consume. Homemade baby food has the added benefit of containing many of the vital nutrients that are lost in store-bought processed baby foods.
BingThe good news is that parents have resources, and doctors say that the choice to use store bought baby food or homemade is up to them.
"The quality of processed baby food is no longer an issue,” Dr. Mona Rifka told Cleveland Clinic's Health Essentials blog.
“There are high-quality, natural baby foods on store shelves now, and most well-known brands have good safety records. But if parents want to make homemade food, it’s fine as long as they do it safely.”
A combination of store-bought baby food and homemade baby food could provide your child with a varied diet that gives them their essential nutrients and promotes their healthy development. And the occasional store-bought baby food while out and about is a great convenience for busy moms and a special treat for the baby.
3/22 An Honest Day's Research
IG/@JessicaAlbaAs much as we would love to ensure that *everything* our babies come into contact with is safe, that is next to impossible. The most we can do is research baby foods and talk with our pediatricians. Then we make the best choice possible regarding our circumstances.
Take an honest day's research to look into the various baby food options.
Once you have done your due diligence, you can be fairly sure that you don't need to worry. Some of the ingredients may be unavoidable at times, or there could be financial constraints that make it difficult to buy organic-certified baby food or make your own at home. You're still a good mom because you do care about what goes into your baby's food and you have done your best to ensure that their food is wholesome, healthy and safe.
Organic Baby Food - What You Need To Know About It
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Reasons to Go Organic Baby Food instead of Non-Organic Baby Food
Non-organic baby food contains vegetables & fruits with chemical pesticides and meats with antibiotics or growth hormones. There are also preservatives, starchy fillers, thickening agents, artificial flavors or colors. Organic baby food can minimize your baby’s exposures to these dangerous chemicals.
Organic labels have to meet strict government standards and regulations for their organic food. All organic baby food listed below have a USDA certified organic label. USDA certified means the manufacturer has to use at least 95% organic ingredients. USDA looks at how those organic food is grown, processed, packaged and shipped. When food is grown, processed, packaged and shipped, no synthetic pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, synthetic growth hormones, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, No GMOs or ionizing radiation should be used. For meats, poultry and dairy products, no antibiotics or hormones are allowed. Also, the animals have to be fed only organic, vegetarian feed and live in an appropriate housing and conditions which doesn’t jeopardize animals’ health, safety, or well-being.
Additives/ Preservatives in Organic Baby Food
So organic baby food uses at least 95% organic ingredients, then what is in that 5%? Some of the organic baby food use preservatives.
Commonly used preservatives are Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), Citric acid, or Lemon juice concentrate. They are mostly used with fruit or vegetable and fruit mix purees. Bacteria can’t grow in acidic environment so many food companies use ascorbic acid, citric asid or lemon juice concentrate as a preservative. Citric acid is also used by many drink or food companies to enhance citric flavor. So what are they? Let’s take a look.
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) – Ascorbic acid is synthetic vitamin C. It is usually synthesized from GMO corn.
Citric Acid – Getting citric acid from natural fruit is not economical so most of the time citric acid is chemically produced with the mold, Aspergillus niger.
Lemon Juice Concentrate – To make lemon juice concentrate, water is removed from lemon and dried up to make powder. This powder is called concentrate. Removing water concentrates the natural sugar more, and makes a lemon
juice concentrate very sweet.
If the lemon used is not organic, it will have pesticides.
Health Effect from Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid or Lemon Juice Concentrate
Dr. Jamie Koufman and Dr. Jordan Stern, authors of The Reflux Diet Cookbook found that acid preservatives in baby food can cause reflux in babies. (read more here.) Added acid increases acidity in baby’s food and it can upset the baby’s stomach. If the baby food already has an acidic fruit such as an apple in it, the food will become more acidic by an added acid preservative. Many pediatricians suggest that babies with reflux avoid acidic food. The authors of the book also said that having acidic food sometimes is okay but it shouldn’t be a regular diet for the baby. In addition, acidic foods such as citrus fruits are not recommended for babies under 12 months because their stomach can not handle them well. As you would see in author’s finds, not all baby food with acid preservatives, is highly acidic (a PH of greater than 5 should be fed to babies.
), however, some of them are. Therefore, if you have a baby with reflux or just want to avoid acidic food, get the baby food without acid preservatives or select the one with an ingredient that is not acidic.
Homemade Baby Food VS Store Bought Baby Food
Food has to be cooked in a very high temperature to have a long shelf life (usually about 2 years) for the store bought baby food. This process of cooking is to ensure food is not contaminated and is sterilized so that it can be preserved for a long time. However, in this process, many nutrients are killed. For non-organic baby food, often starchy fillers, thickening agents, artificial flavors, artificial colors or artificial preservatives are added to the baby food. After all this process, baby food will have very little nutrients compared to homemade baby food. Organic brands don’t use starchy fillers, thickening agents, artificial flavors , artificial colors or artificial preservatives so it is much better than non-organic baby food.
However, it still has to be cooked at very high temperature so the nutrients will be less than your homemade baby food. Homemade food is more fresh, more nutritious and you know exactly what goes into the food so making your own baby food will be the best.
On the other hand, store bought baby food is very convenient. They often come in a jar or a pouch. You can put only the amount of food that you are going to feed your baby in a bowl and you can just store the rest of it in the fridge. (in the same jar or pouch). Baby can also self-feed with the pouch. It is also ready-to-eat food so you do not need to cook, defrost or warm which is a lot less work. I personally cooked my own baby food a lot. However, I also used a lot of commercial organic baby food too when I got too busy or when I needed food right away but didn’t have food prepared. Store bought baby food also came in very handy when I went to places with my baby. I didn’t have to worry about packing the food, just grabbed one of these pouches and that was it.
Also, Stage 2 and Stage 3 organic baby foods have several ingredients in one pouch. (Sweet potato, Pear, Broccoli, Spinach for example) This means, my baby can eat many different ingredients and benefit several nutrients at once without me going shopping for all of these ingredients. Store bought baby food did save time for me. Also, baby sometimes doesn’t like to eat a certain vegetable or meat (spinach for example) because she doesn’t like the taste of it. In this case, you can try to offer a pouch with that particular vegetable or meat mixed with other ingredients. (spinach, raspberry and yogurt for example) She may like the taste and not notice that vegetable (spinach) in the food. Store bought baby food is very convenient, however, it is more expensive than homemade baby food.
For the nutritional value, I would pick organic baby foods that have whole organic ingredients than the ones that are pureed ingredients. For example, I would select the food that states ‘organic pear’, not ‘organic pear puree’ as an ingredient.
I would also look at the first ingredient in the jar or pouch if the first ingredient is water. Unless the dish is supposed to be a soup, you don’t want baby food that is diluted with water. Having whole ingredients or having water as a last ingredient will be more nutritious.
Organic Baby Food That Doesn’t have Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid or Lemon Concentrate
Sprout Organic Baby Food Pouches
Sprout Organic Baby Food
Sprout Organic Baby food is made with USDA certified organic, non-GMO ingredients and contains no preservatives, concentrates, additives, artificial colors, flavors, added sugar, fillers of any kind or anything artificial. They don’t use lemon juice concentrate, citric acid or ascorbic acid in their ingredients as other organic baby food brands do. In addition, they use actual whole organic ingredients, not pureed organic ingredients.
More Info
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3
Ella’s Kitchen Organic Baby Food Pouches
Ella’s Kitchen Organic Baby Food
Ella’s Kitchen Organic baby food has no GMO, preservatives, thickeners, additives, gluten, wheat, dairy, lactose, lumps or bits, anything artificial, added water, salt or sugar.
Their products are Kosher and USDA Organic certified. They use <1% lemon concentrate for fruits and veggies. Ingredients are also whole organic ingredients, not pureed organic ingredients.
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3
More Info
Vitamin C for children: what foods contain what to include in the diet
05/14/2020 Reading time: 3 min 7902 nine0010 Adults need vitamins to stay fit and healthy. Children also need them for active growth and development. Vitamins do not accumulate in the body, are quickly excreted and are practically not synthesized, so they must be ingested daily.
Why do we need vitamin C?
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) plays a huge role in a growing organism.
nine0015Basic properties of ascorbic acid:
- contributes to the body's resistance to viral and bacterial infections
- participates in the restoration and healing of the body
- helps in the formation of blood
- saves blood vessels
- improves the absorption and metabolism of iron in the body
Important! nine0014
A breastfed baby receives vitamin C from breast milk. The content of vitamin C in breast milk depends on the nutrition of a nursing woman.On artificial feeding, the child receives it as part of the infant formula. When complementary foods are introduced to a child, his vegetables and fruits become an additional source of vitamin C.
Complementary foods and dishes of industrial production are additionally enriched with vitamins.
nine0013 A little about the dangers of vitamin C deficiency. Lack of nutrients, including vitamins, changes physical functions and processes at the most basic cellular level: there is a violation of water balance, fermentation functions, the functioning of the nervous and digestive systems, and metabolism. This is especially dangerous for an unformed child's body.
The state of lack of nutrients in the body is called hypovitaminosis. Modern mothers know how dangerous this condition is and make every effort to prevent its development in their child. nine0010
A severe form of vitamin deficiency is called avitaminosis. It is characterized by a complete lack of vitamins in the body and causes big problems with the gastrointestinal tract, interferes with the absorption of nutrients. This case already requires the direct intervention of a doctor to draw up a suitable diet.
The main concomitants of vitamin C deficiency in children are frequent colds, fatigue and poor appetite, which negatively affects their activity and maturation.
The lack of ascorbic acid leads to the fact that the walls of the blood vessels become fragile, as a result of which the gums often bleed in children, and hematomas and bruises appear, which take a long time to pass. nine0010
It is worth remembering that there are periods in a child's life when he needs vitamins more than usual - for example, during periods of active growth, illness, and intense exercise. At such a time, an increased intake of vitamin C in the body is especially important, because it is he who is responsible for the body's resistance to various sores and allows the body to develop correctly.
So, what are the signs of a lack of vitamin C in a child's body?
nine0016
- Loss of appetite;
- Fatigue;
- General weakness of the body; nemia or a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood, as well as the occurrence of bruises.
In addition to hypovitaminosis, there is also such a phenomenon as hypervitaminosis, which occurs when there is an excess content of any vitamin in the body. Most often it is associated with taking medications. An excess of vitamins is no less dangerous than their lack in vitamin deficiency, as it leads to deviations in the development of internal organs, growth retardation, and chronic diseases. Acute hypervitaminosis usually leads to an increase in the body temperature of the child, the appearance of rashes on the skin and other allergic reactions, convulsions. nine0002 Therefore, only a doctor can prescribe some vitamin preparations to children, and the task of parents is to ensure proper nutrition, varied and balanced.
How to make up for the lack of vitamin C? This issue is especially acute during the period of late winter and early spring - the season of colds and flu.
So, here are some practical tips on how to make up for the lack of vitamin C in a child:
- Ensure proper, balanced nutrition; nine0027
- The child needs more sleep to replenish his strength;
- Walk more often and spend time outdoors;
- Add physical activity, but do not overdo it.
As for food, there are also certain rules:
- The following products should be added to the child's diet: citrus fruits - lemons, oranges; black currant; rose hip; nine0026 Fruits and vegetables should be consumed fresh or steamed;
- It is better to consume vegetables and fruits, rather than juices from them - fiber is not stored in juices, which directly affects metabolism;
- It is advisable not to exceed the daily rate, because an excess of vitamins is as dangerous as their lack.
For example, there are products on the market that contain pure vitamin C. However, not all drugs are suitable for consumption by children. For a child, those medicines are suitable, which, in addition to pure ascorbic acid, contain dextrose (glucose), which is completely absorbed by the body and participates in metabolic processes.
Such vitamins are prescribed for adults both for preventive and medical purposes; for children, they are prescribed for strictly medicinal purposes. nine0013 Summing up
Vitamins play an important role in ensuring the normal growth and development of the child. Vitamin C, in particular, helps the body fight seasonal colds. With an abundance of ascorbic acid, the child grows vigorous, healthy and happy, his body has a great resistance to viruses.Be friends with vitamins and let your children always be healthy!
(1 ratings; article rating 5.0)
Baby food: reading labels - Letidor
Nowadays, almost every self-respecting manufacturer of something has a line of children's products. Of course, they are positioned as the most natural, healthy, environmentally friendly and hypoallergenic. In this way, absolutely everything “childish” is advertised, from cottage cheese and cookies to washing powders and cotton swabs.
Parents need to be very careful not to fall for tricky marketing moves and advertising. Let's look at some of the subtleties using the example of baby food for complementary foods. nine0010
I don't want to start a long and pointless discussion about "tins and boxes vs homemade". There is no doubt, it is unlikely that someone will refuse to feed the baby with vegetables from the grandmother's garden, farm dairy products and meat from cows grown in protected conditions, but not everyone has the opportunity (and means) to approach the issue of nutrition so thoroughly. It is possible that sometimes you have to buy a jar of mashed potatoes or a bag of baby yogurt for your baby in the store. It’s great if, for example, children’s kefir consists of milk and fermented milk starter, and vegetable puree consists exclusively of vegetables and water. This is the best option. However, quite often on a jar or box there can be frightening inscriptions “preservative E such” and “dye E such”. nine0010
You shouldn't be so scared right away.
According to the accepted nomenclature, the letter E denotes any food additives, and the serial number indicates the type of additive. So, E 100-199 are dyes, E 200-299 are preservatives, E 600-699 are flavors and flavors, etc.
By definition, food additives are substances that are added for one purpose or another to food products, i.e. this is not only artificially synthesized additives, but also natural substances (for example, curcumin and chlorophyll). The most common soda, acetic acid, pectin are also food additives and are designated according to this nomenclature E500, E260 and E440. Ethanol, by the way, is prohibited in Russia as a food additive E1510 (hehe). nine0010
The main document regulating the production and sale of baby food in Russia is the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union No. 021/2011 (PDF), which we will refer to as TR. The document is open and everyone can study it, but I would like to dwell on a few points that usually worry parents:
) raw materials containing GMOs .
In principle, the law is fine, except for the recent scandals with a well-known foreign manufacturer of baby food caught using GM soybeans and corn. The issue of expertise and fines for the use of GM raw materials secretly remains open. That is, an examination is carried out, fines are paid, but it is perhaps impossible to give a 100% guarantee of non-use of GM raw materials.
In the production of food products for baby food , the use of food (food) raw materials obtained with the use of pesticides is not allowed. nine0139
Determining the content of pesticides is much easier technically and cheaper than the examination for GMOs. We can speak quite confidently about the absence of pesticides in baby food.
In the production (manufacturing) of food products for baby food for children of all age groups, in order to give a specific aroma and taste, it is allowed to use only natural food flavors (flavoring substances) and for children older than 4 months - also vanillin.
nine0140
Great, with the proviso that, of course, you should not start giving vanillin directly at 4 months.
It is also forbidden to use artificial dyes in baby food (for example, the permitted dye E 160a is ordinary carotene, a pigment that gives a yellow-orange color to carrots and is a provitamin of vitamin A), and as preservatives in canned baby food, it is allowed to use E300 - ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C or citric acid E330. There is a rumor about the latter on the network that it is a carcinogen. Comrades! This is a myth, a reprint of the so-called Villejuive list - either a scientific error or a hoax. nine0010
And one more little trick of the manufacturers. It is quite possible that a food additive whose name is well-known to the consumer, for example, the same ascorbic acid, will be called an ordinary word, but the now unpopular sodium nitrite will be hidden behind the designation E250. However, this is more likely to apply to "adult" products - the use of E250 in baby food is prohibited.
Canned baby food, as you know, is divided into several stages according to the age of the child. Long shelf life is provided by instant pasteurization (rather than preservatives). Often the contents of the jars are additionally fortified. How much this is necessary is a separate question, but it must be borne in mind that the manufacturer must indicate this information on the label. nine0010
As mentioned above, industrial baby food does not use artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, and the raw materials used are subject to fairly strict control. However, "superfluous", more precisely, additives not always requested by the consumer, are found quite often. All of them should be indicated on the label, which should be studied very carefully, surprises are possible. The penalty for a false label is very high, so important information is indicated, but in much the same way as consumer loans with wild interest - small letters on a bright background. nine0010
So, what else, besides the ingredients promised in large print, can be found in the selected jar?
_ Modified starch _.
The main horror movie of parents who did not study chemistry well. He is considered genetically modified and is amazed at the frank cynicism of the producers. Of course, this is nonsense. Starch is a substance, not an organism, and by definition there are no genes in it. Modification of starch consists in changing its properties, for example, increasing the viscosity. It does no harm to the child. nine0010
_ Vegetable protein _. Behind this word lies ordinary soy, that is, soy protein. Do you need it? Decide for yourself. By the way, unlike soy protein isolate and concentrate, the use of soy flour in baby food is prohibited.
_ Vitamin complex _. Surely, many children from large cities have hypovitaminosis and additional vitamins will not hurt. However, some vitamins are often strong allergens. Parents of allergic people are better off choosing a jar without them. nine0010
In addition, approved supplements may be present in canned food - milk powder, rice flour, salt, white pepper, vegetable oil, lemon juice, etc.
