Baby biscuits containing 'danger' fat to be removed from shelves

Published on Monday 4 May 2009 21:57

BABY-FOOD giant Cow & Gate is to discontinue a baby biscuits range after a major study found it contained hydrogenated fat.

A survey called Junk Food For Babies suggests the problem of obesity starts in the cradle, with some baby foods containing more saturated fat than a cheeseburger.

Cow & Gate said its Bear, Berry Bear, and Animal Friends biscuits would no longer be on sale after June.

It follows a report by the Children's Food Campaign which discovered many foods marketed for babies and toddlers were high in saturated fat, salt and sugar. Critics say this sets children up for a lifetime of demanding food that is unhealthy and laden with calories.

The Children's Food Campaign (CFC) described as "staggering" the results of a survey of more than 100 products aimed at babies and toddlers.

Heinz Toddler's Own Mini Cheese Biscuits contained 7.3g of saturated fat per 100g – more than the 6.7g found in a piece of a McDonald's quarter pounder burger with cheese of the same weight.

The CFC also found Cow & Gate's Baby Balance Bear Biscuits were improperly labelled and did not make it clear to parents that they contained trans fats which have been linked to heart disease.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises reducing hydrogenated fat levels, amid concern they lead to raised cholesterol.

CFC joint co-ordinator Christine Haigh said: "Many foods marketed for babies and young children are advertised as 'healthy'. In reality, in terms of sugar and saturated fat content, some are worse than junk food.

"In particular, failing to correctly label products that contain dangerous trans fats is outrageous."

Cow & Gate said it was discontinuing the biscuits after being made aware of the presence of a "small amount" of trans fats.

A spokesman for the company said it had set nutritional standards for products that were much tighter than legal requirements and more than 90 per cent of its range contained only naturally occurring sugars.

CFC researchers examined the nutritional content of 107 foods which were available in UK supermarkets earlier this year. They found that only half of the products were low in saturated fat, salt and sugar according to FSA classifications.

The CFC also found high levels of sugar in Farley's Rusks, made by Heinz: 100g of Farley's Original Rusks contained more sugar than the same weight of McVitie's Chocolate Digestives.

Heinz said Farley's Rusks were enriched with vitamins and minerals and have been the "ideal weaning food" for babies from around four months. It added that they contained very little fat and, in keeping with nutritional needs of infants, contained no added salt.

Carina Norris, a nutritionist, said she was amazed to find baby food contained hydrogenated fat, especially at a time when many food manufacturers were starting to remove them from their recipes.

"These fats are only in food to give it a longer shelf life.

"Children need a certain amount of fat, but there is nothing good to say about hydrogenated fats, from processed vegetable oils," she said.