Action on Sugar (AoS) has analysed 73 baby sweet snacks including Heinz Farley’s Mini Rusks and Organix Banana Soft Oaty Bars and found they contained as much as two teaspoons of unnecessary sugar, despite “healthy sounding” claims on packaging.

Of the 73 products analysed as part of Sugar Awareness Week, more than a third (37%) could receive a red traffic-light label for sugar content.

Nutritionist Katharine Jenner, campaign director at AoS warns these are still a type of free sugars and should be limited.

She said: “Product packaging is often coupled with health messages that put parents’ minds at rest, distracting them from seeing the high hidden sugars content.

“Baby foods have the potential to make life easier for stressed parents and support the needs of the growing baby.

"But they must do just that: support the growth of the baby, not put their future health at risk, and the parents must have the information to know what they’re buying.”

The NHS warns: “Your baby does not need sugar” and paediatric dietitian Lucy Upton(thechildrensdietician) says consuming sugars means they could miss out on other nutrients.

She warned: “It’s recommended that babies and young children six months to two years of age generally avoid any added or free sugars for multiple reasons, from a health and development perspective.

This article was first published on Chester Standard, see the original here: https://www.chesterstandard.co.uk/news/19708555.heinz-organix-named-health-warning-parents-sugary-baby-snacks/