Best baby food pouches uk
8 of the best baby food pouches according to Mother&Baby Award testers | Baby
If you're starting out on your weaning journey, then you'll know that practical and easy food options are super important - that's why the best baby food pouches should be on the top of your shopping list.
When you begin to introduce solids to your baby, food pouches are a great option because they're easy to store and can be taken on the go. As well as this, there are loads of delicious flavours and options that your child can get stuck into.
Being able to feed your baby nutritious and delicious food while you're on the go is vital. Sometimes, food pouches are the most convenient and tasty options available to both you and your baby.
How can I use my baby food pouches?
Not sure how you can incorporate food pouches into actual meals? ](https://www.ellaskitchen.co.uk/){:target=_blank :rel=nofollow noopener}Well, [Ella's Kitchen is on hand to help you create yummy food for tiny tummies. We love this incredible fish fingers recipe!
There are lots of ways to include baby food pouches though, most mothers will use them as compact and easy food if you're in a rush or out and about.
Are baby food pouches healthy?
We recommend using baby food pouches up until 9 months because they'll be slightly thicker and a good way to work different ingredients into your baby's diet. They're a great tool to work your way onto solid food easily and accessibly.
After 9 months, though, you'll want to move your baby onto even thicker recipes with chunks and pieces for your baby to chew. You can still use baby food pouches within this time to slowly adapt.
So what baby food pouches should I be buying?
That said, there are loads of baby food pouches available to buy these days - it isn't about jars of spag bol anymore. With so many brands and flavours to choose from, how do you know which ones are best?
Luckily for you, we've rounded up the reviews from our Mother&Baby Awards testers to bring you our list of the best baby food pouches that you can buy today, either online or in the supermarkets.
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Winner of the 2021 Mu0026B Awards Best Baby Food Range/Product
Mamia's breakfast range of
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Shortlisted in the 2020 Mu0026B Awards Best Baby Food Range/Product
If you loved the
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Shortlisted in the 2020 Mu0026B Awards Best Baby Food Range/Product
Little Freddie's Stage 2
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Bronze winner in the 2019 Mu0026B Awards Best Baby Food Range/Product
These Ella's Kitchen
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Shortlisted in the 2019 Mu0026B Awards Best Baby Food Range/Product
The range of Babease food
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Silver winner in the 2018 Mu0026B Awards Best Baby Food Range/Product
These baby food pouches
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Shortlisted in the 2018 Mu0026B Awards Best Baby Food Range/Product
A huge selling point of
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Shortlisted in the 2021 Mu0026B Awards Best Baby Food Range/Product
A perfect choice for any
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Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us
Award-winning best baby food pouches for weaning 2021 to buy in UK
1. My First Savsé Baby Food Pouches, from £1
My First Savsé aims to comes as close as possible to home-made food without the faff, and to revolutionise the baby-food markets with it cold-pressed processing technique.
Unlike many cupboard-dwelling products, My First Savsé pouches are never heated and so retain most of their natural nutrients. Stored in the fridge, it is made with 100% organic fruit and veg, with no added sugar, no additives, no flavourings and no colouring.
You can buy My First Savsé Waitress or Planet Organic,
2. Piccolo Organic Baby Food Pouches, £1
.10Piccolo's collection of yummy pouches is inspired by Mediterranean values of healthy living, quality ingredients and supporting communities.
For your little one, this means tasty concoctions such as ‘Mango, Apple & Kale with a dash of yoghurt’, and Sweet Potato, Beetroot, Apple & Pear’. For parents, it’s good to know that Piccolo has committed 10% of profits to help fund food education, as well as donating pouches to families in need.
You can Piccolo organic baby food from Amazon, Ocado or Boots
3. For Aisha Baby Food Pouches, £1.45
This fabulous, British, halal certified baby food brand has pouches of delicious food for babies from 7 months.
The range offers a wide range of flavours and tastes to inspire, expand and excite your child's palate.
The wide range of flavours include, Moroccan chicken tagine with couscous, authentic Indian chicken and sweet potato curry and jerk chicken.
The For Aisha food range, which was very popular with our taste testing mums and babies, also claims to be gluten, dairy, soya and nut free.
You can buy For Aisha from Tesco, Asda or Morrisons
4. Ella's Kitchen Veg First Tastes Food Pouches, £0.80
Ella's Kitchen are on a mission to promote vegetables as a babies first weaning taste. They believe that feeding little ones veggies at the very beginning of their eating adventures will ensure a lifelong love of healthy vegetables.
More like this
These pouches are designed for babies from 4 months old and have just one type of vegetable in each pouch: peas, parsnips, carrots and sweet potato!
However, they are 100% organic with no hidden extras.
These pouches were a sure win with our mums and their babies, not only that they are a very affordable price to boot.
You can buy these food pouches from Waitrose, Sainsburys or Boots
5. Babease Food Pouches, £1.19
Made in the UK, Babease offers mums a food product that is 100% organic, made in the UK and with products sourced from the UK as much as possible.
The range includes a number of flavours all of which are salt, dairy and gluten-free.
You can buy these pouched from Boots or Ocado
6. Goodness Gracious Organic Food Pouches, £1.10
Made in the UK, 100% organic with no added salt, sugar or preservatives - this definitely sounds like the a great beginning for your babies relationship with food.
The Goodness Gracious range of food has no added gluten and is committed to producing healthy recipes and products that, they say, even adults can enjoy. Based on Ayurvedic principles, but with a healthy dose of common sense throw in - Goodness Gracious was a real hit with our mums and their babies.
You can get these food pouches at The Vegan Kind
7. Sainsbury's Little Ones Food Pouches, from £0.70p
The newest brand of baby food for 2018 comes from supermarket chain Sainsbury's. The organic pouches are set in 2 stages, the range starts with the 1st stage, single flavour savoury pouches, which are suitable from 4 to 6 months. They are all gluten and dairy free and don't include any added sugar or salt.
The second stage, from 6 months upwards introduces babies to new flavours textures and come with added omega 3 oils.
You can get these found pouches at Sainsbury's
We've got more eating and foodie ideas for your family below:
- Recipes to cook with your toddler
- Best organic food products for babies and toddlers
- Why choose organic?
- See all of our MadeForMums Awards 2018 winning products, we’ve tested everything from buggies to bottles, creams and highchairs!
Summer camps in England, the best summer camps in Britain for children and schoolchildren
The UK is the best place to learn classic British English.
Numerous educational and language programs have been developed to effectively improve the level of English proficiency.
It's hard to find a better way to spend your summer holidays than sending your child to the UK's leading children's language camps. So, staying in a UK rating boarding school allows you to create a successful combination of relaxation with useful and effective classes. If you want to improve your English language skills and at the same time have a great vacation during the holidays, then you simply need to go to English's leading summer language camps. During the school holidays, it is planned to conduct classes in the best language boarding schools in England. Regardless of the level of academic preparation and the age of a foreign and Russian teenager, it is possible to study within the walls of the best British children's language camps.
The highly qualified specialists of our educational center take into account your individual goals, preferences, and financial capabilities as part of the selection of an educational program for your child.
The top language boarding schools in the UK guarantee a balance between study hours and free time to participate in leisure activities organized by the educational institution. In this connection, a high result in the form of significantly improved language skills of a foreign teenager will not have to wait long, since the intensity of the classes ensures the effectiveness of learning. It is also worth noting that the leading British summer camps guarantee the constant use of English, not only in the classroom, but also when participating in leisure activities.
According to our experienced specialists, in order to improve your language skills and quickly learn English, a trip to the best language camps for children in England will be the best way to relax and get quality education.
Our educational center has established close cooperation with the rating boarding schools in the UK, which creates the widest choice of educational and academic programs for Russian teenagers to choose from.
Top language children's camps in England
It is planned to subdivide into several types of leading British youth language camps, namely: in terms of age, advanced language camps for children, teenagers and youth have been created in the UK
As for accommodation conditions, foreign and Russian teenagers during their stay in England can live in cozy residences or in a host family. Each type of accommodation has its own advantages. So, in a British host family, a Russian child will not leave the feeling of being at home, while at the same time receiving family warmth and comfort and having, on an additional basis, constant conversational practice with members of the new family.
As for the residence of an elite boarding school in England, a foreign teenager has the widest opportunities for communicating with peers who are representatives of various nationalities.
By choosing to take part in educational programs during the holidays, your child will have a truly exciting journey filled with adventure, gaining knowledge of the English language, as well as getting to know the traditions and culture of the unexplored UK. Constant communication in English with peers, representatives of various countries of the world, staying in a new language environment contributes to the development of interest in the learning process and improving the level of English proficiency. Numerous positive reviews from parents can be cited as confirmation of the effectiveness of training in top British camps.
It is worth noting that our highly qualified specialists personally visited the best boarding schools in the UK, in connection with which, our educational center guarantees the objectivity of the assessment as part of the process of selecting an educational institution or a children's camp.
In particular, the elite boarding school Millfield, located a three-hour drive from the British capital, covering an area of approximately 50 hectares, has developed the widest list of educational programs aimed at the effective study of English by foreign teenagers, namely:
- Some courses are related to specific topics
- Some programs provide additional classes in certain disciplines
- Part of the language courses is focused on providing quality preparation for the successful passing of international language exams
- The duration of training is at least two weeks.
In addition to conducting effective training sessions in the best British language camps and boarding schools, the developed educational programs provide for the organization of educational excursions, incendiary discos, exciting competitions and various olympiads. Thus, these activities contribute to the full disclosure of the student's potential and the manifestation of individual abilities.
Upon reaching the age of seven, a Russian teenager can enroll in a rating of children's language camps in the UK. However, as practice shows, Russian parents decide to send their child to England when he turns 12-13 years old and before reaching 16-17 years old.
At the time of arrival at the elite English language boarding school, it is planned to conduct a test among foreign teenagers in order to determine the level of English proficiency. Based on the results obtained, students are divided by age. As a rule, before the onset of lunch, all classes end. In the afternoon, children do not have to be bored, as various exciting excursions are organized especially for them, sports and creative activities are held, and the opportunity to stay on the beach is also provided. Thus, both in the classroom and in communication with peers who are representatives of various countries of the world, communication takes place in English on an ongoing basis, including in an informal setting, thereby significantly improving language skills.
To further increase the effectiveness of learning, it is worth opting for the placement of a child for the period of study in a leading language camp living in a British host family. If your child is 16 years old, then it will be more acceptable for him to stay in a comfortable hotel.
For true adventure seekers, summer holidays at the best boarding schools in the UK are ideal. If your child is distinguished by shyness, modesty, and he grows all the time in a very homely environment, then he will not have time for boredom at home, while staying at a prestigious British summer boarding school. The educational programs of the rating children's camps in the UK are distinguished by their extreme saturation and intensity, at the same time, the effectiveness of improving language skills is achieved by constant communication with peers. Upon arrival home, your child will be overwhelmed with the brightest emotions and impressions of being in the UK, and his level of English will increase significantly.
A large number of prestigious summer British language boarding schools successfully operate and have been created in the UK. Some of the elite educational institutions are concentrated in large metropolitan areas of England, in particular in the very heart of the British capital, other children's camps are located in beautiful quiet cities surrounded by forests. It is worth noting that the British educational programs of summer advanced language boarding schools are distinguished by their diversity. Russian teenagers are guaranteed high-quality and rich rest, which harmoniously combines effective English courses and sports, for example, it can be horse riding, tennis, football, rugby, golf, yachting. For creative individuals, art classes are available to visit, namely music, theater, cinematography, dance, photography, fashion. Regardless of the age of the child, they will experience the delight of such activities, because they are extremely exciting and informative. Please note that a careful approach is required when choosing a British Elite Language Summer Camp.
It is necessary to ensure that the educational program meets the preferences, goals and hobbies of a particular child.
The UK summer camp process
Some parents are very worried about the negative impact on the health of their child during the holidays in England. Agree that the main purpose of the holidays is relaxation. Thus, the very essence of the summer holidays is not lost even while studying at the best children's camps in the UK.
Please note that the prestigious language boarding schools in England provide full-fledged English language training for foreign children and adolescents. Despite the fact that classes are held daily apart from weekends, their duration does not exceed a total of three hours, which in total is approximately 15 hours of lessons during the week. Agree that such a load will seem extremely easy and easy for a Russian teenager after studying at a Russian school. In addition, the passage of summer elite English courses in the UK will give your child the brightest emotions and impressions.
So, the format of classes is more like a game, when compared with standard lessons in a Russian school. We guarantee you that your child will not feel that he is being trained.
In addition to English, other academic subjects such as mathematics, computer science, geography, literature, various arts and sports are taught. The number of hours and the list of possible disciplines for study is determined in the vast majority of cases by the individual preferences of the teenager and his age. Thus, the duration of study in the rating British summer boarding schools, focused on high school students aged 16 to 19years, does not exceed 6-7 hours a day. Thus, students are given a lot of time for exciting leisure and just relaxing.
Holidays in the UK!
The highest level of quality for children's holidays is determined by receiving many of the brightest emotions and impressions, so that parents will carefully listen to funny stories about their child's exciting holidays in England.
In order to guarantee a positive experience, the best British language children's camps have a very carefully organized leisure program of activities.
As part of their stay in the children's language summer boarding school in England, foreign and Russian teenagers have an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the famous sights of British cities, in particular London, as well as plunge into the magnificent picturesque landscapes of the counties of Great Britain. In addition, the leisure program includes visits to an amusement park, theater and museums, participation in hikes, which can be in the form of horseback riding or riding on the river. It is also worth noting that within the walls of the top language camps in England, sports competitions, theatrical performances are held on an ongoing basis, students are given the opportunity to have fun barbecues and picnics, discos and, of course, parties. Thus, you can be sure that your child will not have time for boredom.
UK Summer Camp Accommodation Options
To start with, the UK's best summer boarding schools provide 24/7 care and security.
In this connection, at the time of arrival at the airport and before the child leaves the walls of the language camp, constant supervision of the wards is guaranteed.
Foreign and Russian teenagers usually, as practice shows, live in a school residence, accommodated in comfortable rooms designed for 2-4 students. Some of the leading UK camps offer the option of staying with British host families a short distance from the school grounds. At the same time, we draw your attention to the fact that if the goal is to have fun and have an exciting time, then a Russian teenager should live within the walls of a cozy student hostel.
As for food, it is three times a day. In the case of an excursion, the duration of which is half a day or a whole day, then each student receives a package with food, which consists of sandwiches and drinks.
Ranking English language camps for children - a little about the main
Staying at a British summer language boarding school will give a Russian teenager an exciting journey, combined with effective learning of the English language, as mentioned above.
The best season to take a language course is, as you might guess, this summer. Regardless of age and nationality, they can enter seasonal prestigious centers and specialized schools located in the UK, at the same time, there is no opportunity for boredom in the UK language schools for children due to the harmonious combination of education, a program of entertainment and sports events, as well as educational excursions . Regardless of the chosen British leading camp, it can be an elite or inexpensive educational institution, an exciting and rich entertainment and educational program is guaranteed to incoming foreign teenagers, in addition, the widest choice is provided for creative and sports activities. Within the framework of classes, whether academic or creative, sports, communication skills are developed, in addition, all the necessary conditions have been created for finding new friends, for successful adaptation to the language and academic environment, as well as close acquaintance with British traditions and its culture.
Russian children and teenagers can choose from a wide range of children's summer language boarding schools, some of which organize virtual 3D tours. In addition, in the context of the time of year and additional lessons, British language courses for children are divided into the following categories:
- Summer - you can have an exciting vacation in the summer, namely in June, July or August.
- Winter - training is possible in December, January, February
- Autumn - training is possible in September, October, November
Based on the individual preferences of the child, it is possible to choose sports language camps that focus on sports, in particular tennis, football, golf, horse riding, rugby, or In the case of creative abilities, it is worth choosing creative summer boarding schools for children, in which classes are held relating to fine arts, music, design, photography, cinematography and involving a visit to the theater. Agree that each teenager, based on their own preferences, goals, will be able to choose the appropriate prestigious school - UK boarding and educational program.
The optimal age to attend the top British language children's camp
The following are the age categories for admission to British summer boarding schools in the UK: , that is, at the end of classes, the parent or guardian takes the child from the leading English school. In the case of a young child, teaching is carried out as part of an educational program that provides for the presence of a parent. That is, parents can be trained together with the child on the territory of the same school only in different English courses. In particular, some elite British boarding schools provide for the possibility of parents with a child living on the school campus.
It is at this age that Russian and foreign children and adolescents acquire the first experience of an independent trip abroad. 
The cost of studying at the best summer camps for children in the UK
To a greater extent, the price of studying at the prestigious British summer language boarding schools includes not only the study of the chosen educational program, but educational materials, accommodation, meals, as well as a leisure program that includes includes excursions, sports games and various events, insurance. In addition, some English camps for foreign students organize transfers at certain times. Once again, we note that the cost of education is determined by the degree of prestige of the educational institution, its territorial location, popularity, the chosen format of accommodation, thus, approximately the price varies from 400 to 1700 pounds per week of stay.
It is worth noting that the excursions, which are included in the final cost of summer courses in the UK, provide an excellent opportunity to get to know the main and world-famous British attractions, in particular Stonehenge, with beautiful university cities like Cambridge and Oxford, medieval majestic castles, as well as for exciting horseback riding.
Brief summary of summer education in the UK
Every rational parent cannot but agree with us that the greatest effectiveness of learning English is achieved in the UK. So, within the walls of the best language summer boarding schools in the UK, there is an opportunity to master the classic British pronunciation.
For several centuries now, British education has received extremely high praise everywhere, and now the level of quality of educational services is at its best. In this connection, regardless of age, there is a huge demand on the part of foreign and Russian children and adolescents for admission to the best language boarding schools for children in the UK. It should be noted that not only in the classroom, but also within the framework of sports games, entertainment events, the level of foreign language proficiency is significantly improved. This situation is associated with a full immersion in the British language environment, thereby improving communication skills and making new friends, as well as getting bright and positive emotions.
| 1 | Abbey DLD College London |
| 2 | Cambridge University Summer |
| 3 | Oxford University Summer School |
| 4 | Tottenham Football Camp |
| 5 | Chelsea Independent College |
| 6 | York Queen Ethelburga's Summer School |
| 7 | Brighton College Summer |
| 8 | Cambridge University IT Camp |
| 9 | Eton College Summer |
| 10 | Regent Stowe School |
| 11 | Rugby School Summer Camp |
| 12 | Royal Holloway Summer |
| 13 | Oxford Royal Academy St. Peter's College |
| 14 | Charterhouse School Summer |
| 15 | Harrow Summer School |
| 16 | Royal Hospital School |
| 17 | Pilgrims Harrow School Summer |
| 18 | Oundle School Summer Camp |
| 19 | Nike Football Camp |
| 20 | Rossall School |
| 21 | York Queen Ethelburga's Summer School |
| 22 | Stonyhurst College Summer |
| 23 | d'Overbroeck's College |
| 24 | OIS Newbury Hall |
| 25 | Bradfield College Summer Camp Pilgrims |
| 26 | Imperial College London Summer |
| 27 | Downside School |
| 28 | Caterham School Our World English Schools |
| 29 | Wycombe Abbey School Our World English Schools |
| 30 | Dulwich College Summer School |
| 31 | Bell Wellington College Summer |
| 32 | Imperial College Summer |
| 33 | ACS Cobham Summer |
| 34 | EC Cambridge |
| 35 | Brunel University Summer |
Why isn't Nestlé baby food in demand?
According to Euromonitor, in 2018, the largest growth in sales in the infant formula segment came from specially formulated foods for babies who have just transitioned from breastfeeding to formula.
123rf.com Swiss food giant Nestlé is trying to diversify its baby food range and bring innovative products to market. The prospects here are promising. However, many critics are skeptical. And they have a reason to.
This content was published on January 10, 2020 - 11:00Jessica Davis Pluss (Jessica Davis Pluss)
In the first weeks of life, Lindsay Beeson's baby developed a rash, traces of blood on diapers, diarrhea and vomiting. Doctors diagnosed an allergy to cow's milk. Like many other mothers in her situation, Lindsey eliminated milk from her baby's diet and, in addition to breastfeeding, began to gradually introduce complementary foods with hypoallergenic milk formula for babies. In the second year of her life, her son was switched to milk formulas specially designed for babies with allergies. “I knew that they contained a balance of proteins, fats and vitamins similar to the composition of cow's milk.
And my son liked the taste,” she said in an interview with swissinfo.ch.
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For global food concerns such as Nestlé, the development and launch of new formulas for infants up to one year of age, including those suffering from allergic reactions, requiring special dietary nutrition or simply picky eaters, is another and very important abroad in expanding the range of baby food.
Speaking to a group of journalists in Lausanne, Thierry Philardeau, Nestlé's Senior Vice President of Strategic Dairy Business Development, recently stated: all babies and their mothers." From a practical point of view, the concern's strategy is to fill the gaps that arise in the nutrition of mothers and their children, regardless of whether the children receive artificial feeding, natural breastfeeding or combination.
The Swiss concern continues to focus on the nutrition of premature babies and children with special medical conditions.
And yet, in recent years, he has consistently increased investment in research and development in order to obtain new products for the nutrition of children after the age of six months of life, that is, for a particularly difficult period when breast milk alone is no longer enough to meet the nutritional needs of a child. , and a complete transition to artificial food has not yet taken place.
Artificial demand or valuable nutritional supplement?
Nestlé baby food has a direct impact on the health of millions of children around the world. More than 150 years have passed since Henri Nestlé (1814-1890) invented Farine Lactée, a baby porridge to support malnourished children. Today, Nestlé is the world's largest infant formula company. It has a fifth market share, followed by Danone in second place.
In recent years there has been a real boom in breastfeeding around the world. The profits of infant formula companies have fallen. Therefore, today these companies rely on "older babies" and on related products.
According to EuromonitorExternal link , the largest sales growth in the infant formula segment in 2018 came from specially formulated foods for babies who have just transitioned from breastfeeding to formula.
Today in supermarkets in almost every country in the world you can find the widest range of types of milk powder, dairy product concentrates and breast milk substitutes for children under one year old. It would seem great, but not everyone is satisfied with these products. Activists such as Patti Rundall are sounding the alarm. Since the 1980s, she has served as Director of Strategic Policy for Baby Milk ActionExternal link , an international network of baby food organizations. Since her filing, the world has experienced a number of very large litigations in connection with the production and sale of artificial nutrition from Nestlé Corporation.
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What's the problem? It turns out that, according to her, the Nestlé and Danone concerns are the main initiators of the promotion of baby food for babies and milk formulas for children aged from 6 months to 3 years and further up to the age of nine.
They use the same or very similar symbols (logos) as on infant formula, so parents, when they see the brand name, believe that they have a whole product line in front of them. However, new formulas for infant formula are just a marketing ploy.
“There is nothing new in them, so all milk formulas, starting with formulas “6 months+”, as well as formulas for children from 1 year to 3 years and older, are simply not needed, they are just a way to get more money out of parents’ pockets ”, P. Randall told swissinfo.ch. “This product should be removed from the market. But the market has become so huge that no one wants to do it, although everyone knows that they are dealing with violations of the provisions of the WHO Guidelines to stop inappropriate forms of promotion of foods for infants and young children.
More precisely, we are talking about the International Code on the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, adopted by WHO in 1981. This document sets standards for ethically responsible marketing, including restrictions on advertising, sponsorship, and giving away free samples of infant formula.
The default document proceeds from the fact that, anyway, only breastfeeding is the ideal nutrition for a healthy baby up to six months, which, in fact, Danone, Nestlé and their opponents agree with.
Pressure from the baby food industry
Controversy arises at the gray zone stage, when complementary foods with other foods and beverages can be introduced at about six months of age and older. You can enter, but is it necessary? And this is where the problem lies. Don't concerns create artificial demand, beneficial primarily to themselves? It is really difficult to understand this, the information received by parents from baby food manufacturers, doctors and staunch opponents of factory baby food is often contradictory.
Some scientific studies state that so-called “Third level milk formulas” for children aged one to three years are not needed, but they can help compensate for nutritional deficiencies, especially in cases of malnutrition or lack of certain nutrients substances in local foods”.
So what's wrong with giving kids a better chance at delicious and most importantly healthy food?
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Criticism of Nestlé has a long history. About forty years ago, breastfeeding activists first vociferously accused Nestlé of using an aggressive marketing strategy that resulted in mothers declining to breastfeed in favor of infant formula. The ensuing widespread boycott of Nestlé products led to major changes in the formation of marketing strategies.
However, Catherine Watt of the Geneva group La Leche LeagueExternal link , an international public private secular organization to support breastfeeding mothers, says that many women today stop breastfeeding earlier than they should. Why? “This is happening as a result of veiled pressure from the baby food industry, which has an arsenal of advertising in favor of various types of complementary foods and infant formula,” she said. “If there are doubts about whether the baby has enough breast milk, and there is some kind of milk formula in the closet, you just try to use it.
And now you are already “under the hood” of the industry.”
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In developing countries, the consequences of such a move can be most dramatic. CTO of the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India BPNIExternal link JP Dadhich is particularly concerned about the high cost of these products, their negative environmental impact and potential risks of infection.
“We can't be sure about the quality of the water that these formulas are based on, which increases the risk of diarrhea. And this is in conditions when there is now enough milk of animal origin in India. After boiling, it is completely safe, in addition, it is quite acceptable here, taking into account the cultural traditions of the country. For children, it is better to use complementary foods from quality local products, continuing to breastfeed the child after 6 months.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) is also concerned that infant formula designed specifically for babies after one year of age can shorten the duration of breastfeeding by depriving the baby of important nutrients, especially if the products are labeled similarly and are promoted as more healthy alternative to breastfeeding due to the increased content of vitamins and minerals.
The devil is in the details
All this has caused and continues to cause heated discussions between governments and food company lobbyists. “One of the challenges with 'level 2' formula (after 6 months) is to understand whether foods for children aged 1 to 3 years should be considered specifically as 'substitutes' for breast milk, and if not, what should they be called.” Tom Heilandt of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, an international food standards group, tells us this.
Some governments would like to ban these formulas so as not to completely "kill" the motivation to breastfeed, while other countries want to leave the choice to consumers. India is a country with some of the most stringent regulations. Here, any products intended specifically for children under the age of two years are categorized as breast milk substitutes and thus fall under the international “Code of Regulations” of WHO. Group NestléExternal link says it has gone further than many other players in the industry by operating under European Union rules coming into effect in 2020.
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At the same time, Nestlé opposes any additional regulation, arguing, based on studies already conducted in many countries, that any artificial nutrition alternative will still be less healthy than any mixture. “There is no point in restricting nutrition advertising for children under the age of one, especially when there are almost no restrictions on advertising Coca-Cola and other fast food anywhere,” says T. Filardo.
Always guilty?
Nestlé recognizes that it needs to proceed with caution given its history of high-profile scandals. “It’s not for you to sell chocolate, we have a huge responsibility. Every year we produce formula for 15 million children, which is equal to the population of the Netherlands,” says T. Filardo. At the same time, the company has already updated its marketing policy several times by creating a system for reporting violations and annually providing reports on compliance with its obligations.
Unlike the pre-1980s era, the company is very clear that "breastfeeding is the best feeding option." At the same time, she wants her food products for children to be almost in no way inferior in quality to breast milk. Critics say it's not enough to be "the lesser of the evils." However, Nestlé argues that if the company is forced out of the baby food market, companies with more than a dubious reputation will take its place. This is especially true in countries with weak regulatory environments such as China, Russia, and the United States.
According to WHO, 58 countries around the world still do not have laws restricting the marketing of infant formula for children under one year of age. “I want to complete the story of Nestlé as a company that allegedly kills children,” says T. Filardo. “Let's move on without forgetting the past. We have drawn conclusions, we have changed. I want to look to the future, I don’t want to bear the stigma of the eternal guilty anymore, especially since someone, and our company, has done more in this area than many other companies.
