(Sugar) Devil in the detail

CHENNAI: Ever wondered what is the long-term effect of added sugar in baby food? Quite harmful, say experts in Chennai. It is only after a report by a Swiss NGO about the presence of added sugar in infant food that parents here began taking a serious note about it.

According to the report by Public Eye and International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) on the presence of added sugar in Cerelac, an internationally popular infant food from Nestle, 15 products from India that it analysed contained 2.7 grams of added sugar per serving on an average. What triggered anger was the fact that the products sold in the UK and Germany did not have any added sugar.

According to doctors and dieticians, baby food with added sugar can lead to long-term, non-communicable health complications such as obesity, diabetes, and hyperactivity among others.

Dr Bhuvaneshwari Shankar, senior consultant dietitian at Apollo Hospitals, noted that the World Health Organisation advises not to add sugar for children up to two years, as it can cause several health problems.

“Packaged or processed foods are high in sugar and salt, which encourage cravings. New mothers should try to prepare infant food on their own or ensure that there is no added sugar. There are products made with good manufacturing practices,” she advised.

Echoing her, Dr Pushkala Lakshmi, consultant paediatrician at Kauvery Hospital, said home-based food should be the first choice as they are safe and fresh. If young mothers or parents lack that option, they should check the labels to find out the ingredients and nutritional value of any packaged food that they feed their kids, she added.

“It is important to check if the food is organic or genetically modified. Children should be given 100 per cent natural food items, without added sugar, salt, additional flavours or preservatives. The presence of fats also needs to be checked, as only healthy fats are recommended for kids. Another factor to ensure is the fibre content."

Such attention to detail should not be exercised only at the time of purchase, but also when it comes to proper storage of food. Instead of plastic boxes or pouches, it is advisable to store them in glass containers, she added.

Going a step ahead, dieticians said they do not recommend any form of food except breast milk until six months. In case of unavoidable reasons, home food can be fed but not packaged food, they said.

"As the weaning period starts, the child should be given food that is easy to digest, and then gradually move on to other food. Earlier, home food like ragi malt, porridge, cereals and pulses were given to children mainly as supplements. It is not essential to give commercially available food, especially when you are unaware of the nutritional content they have. Excess sugar makes the child addicted to it, but parents think because the children like it, they should feed more of that," said N Vijayshree, head and chief dietician at MGM Healthcare.

A key factor that influences parents is advertisements, she noted. “It is better to consult a dietician or doctor to understand what is right for your child instead of opting for packaged infant food products."

Talking about the practice of choosing ready-to-eat food, and imported or exotic food over local products, experts pointed out that imported food items are processed in such a manner to increase their shelf life.

"The trend of using easy-to-prepare and ready-to-eat food is what has encouraged the baby food sector. Such food items are loaded with preservatives, colouring agents, transfats and added sugar. The regulations are more stringent in the US and European countries so the food manufacturers are careful. But the Indian markets have these products with high sugar content. The effect of food with high sugar content may not be evident immediately but after a few years," said Dr Saranya Manicakaraj, consultant neonatologist and paediatrician at Womens Centre by Motherhood Hospital, Coimbatore.

Even those who feed their kids non-processed food prefer ‘fancy’ items like avocado, blueberry, strawberry, etc. but not nuts and dates, lentils, and local fruits. “Fruits, vegetables and cereal-based mixes should be given to the child only when permitted by the doctor. We advise not taking formula, unless advised medically," added Saranya.

Won’t compromise on nutritional quality, says Nestle

Responding to the NGO’s report that has caused a row in developing nations, a Nestle India spokesperson said Cereal products are meant to ensure the appropriate delivery of nutritional requirements such as protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, iron, etc. for early childhood. “We… will never compromise on the nutritional quality of our products.”

About food safety standards, the spokesperson added, "We also ensure that our products manufactured in India are in full and strict compliance with CODEX standards (a commission established by WHO and FAO) and local specifications, pertaining to the requirements of all nutrients, including added sugars."

Explaining the criticism over added sugar in its products, the spokesperson said reducing added sugars was a priority for Nestlé India. “Over the past 5 years, we have already reduced added sugars by up to 30 per cent, depending on the variant. We regularly review our portfolio and continue to innovate and reformulate our products to further reduce the level of added sugars, without compromising on nutrition, quality, safety, and taste."