In April, BBC Panorama appeared on the child meals pouches of six main corporations. The merchandise have turn into a staple for a lot of households with infants and youngsters as much as the age of two or three. They’re handy and have lengthy shelf lives.
However specialists consider the merchandise ought to solely be used sparingly, usually are not replacements for home made meals, and might trigger kids well being issues if used as their important supply of vitamin.
When this was put to a number of the main manufacturers, the market chief Ella’s Kitchen advised the BBC it agreed with all three factors.
The opposite manufacturers featured within the investigation – Heinz, Piccolo, Little Freddie, Aldi and Lidl – mentioned their merchandise had been meant as a complementary half of a kid’s different weaning weight-reduction plan.
The NHS Begin For Life web site additionally now states that folks ought to wait till their child is round six months previous earlier than feeding them stable meals, even when labels say the merchandise are appropriate from 4 months.
Presently, among the many manufacturers investigated by Panorama, the businesses Piccolo, Ella’s Kitchen and Aldi promote their fruit-based pouches to infants as younger as 4 months, regardless of the NHS and World Well being Group saying infants shouldn’t be given stable meals till in regards to the age of six months.
Since Panorama started its investigation, all three corporations mentioned they’re rebranding their merchandise as appropriate from six months.
