Complementary foods in baby food pouches: position statement from the Nutrition Commission of the German Society for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (DGKJ, e.V.)

Abstract

Pureed complementary feeding products packed in squeezable plastic pouches, usually with a spout and a screw cap, have been increasingly marketed. The Committee on Nutrition recommends that infants and young children should not suck pureed or liquid complementary foods from baby food pouches. Complementary foods should be offered with a spoon or should be fed as finger foods. Infants and young children should be given the opportunity to get to know a variety of foods and food textures including pieces of foods, supported by responsive feeding between the child and their parents or caregivers. Complementary foods marketed in baby food pouches often have a high energy density and are predominantly extremely high in sugar content, with up to almost 90% of the total energy content. Regular consumption bears the risks of imbalanced nutrient provision and increased risks for dental caries and overweight. Complementary foods for infants and young children should have a balanced composition following the recommendations of the German Society of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (DGKJ) and should contain only limited amounts of sugar. We discourage the feeding of pureed complementary foods from baby food pouches. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40348-019-0089-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Are the nutrient and textural properties of Australian commercial infant and toddler foods consistent with infant feeding advice?

“…This is inconsistent with guidelines that infants should be exposed to a variety of foods of increasingly challenging textures moving from smooth purées, to mashed and soft lumpy foods and finally to solid foods (6) . Recent surveys echoed similar findings (14)(15)(16) . The concern is that squeeze packs may lead to poor feeding skills acquisition and oro-motor development, delaying self-feeding skills (6) .…”

“…The concern is that squeeze packs may lead to poor feeding skills acquisition and oro-motor development, delaying self-feeding skills (6) . Feeding directly from a squeeze pouch discourages active exploration and handling of food that facilitates independent feeding skills such as picking up food, finger and spoon feeding and drinking from a cup (14,15,32) .…”

“…Taken together, the packaging and serve size of extruded snack foods and puréed squeeze pack foods may promote snacking behaviour and excess energy intakes, respectively. The textural properties of these products may also be disruptive to normal physiological responses to food intake and satiation (14)(15)(16)35) . The present study has several strengths, specifically, the thorough identification of foods for sale specifically targeted at children <24 months.…”

“…Discretionary foods high in saturated fat, added sugars and/or added salt are not recommended for young children (6) . The few available studies assessing the nutritional quality of these products indicate that readyto-feed puréed baby foods are high in total sugars increasing the risk for overweight and obesity (14) . Others have also reported that a substantial proportion of these products contain free sugars (15,16) .…”

“…However, since the last iteration of the Australian NHMRC feeding guidelines in 2013, many puréed baby foods sold in pouches have entered the marketplace. The nozzle featured on these pouches allows food to be squeezed directly into children's mouths which may lead to poorer acceptance of foods with lumpy textures and delay acquisition of independent feeding skills if frequently used as a mode of feeding (14)(15)(16) . In addition to baby food purées, there Abbreviation: NHMRC, National Health and Medical Research Council.…”