WeeklySA_AdminREGULATIONS: Foodstuffs for babies sold in SA and neighbouring countries possibly contain flavourings that could harm their health, according to a Stellenbosch University study…
By Monk Nkomo
Many packaged foods for babies sold in South Africa contained flavourings that have been linked to various health concerns including metabolic syndrome.
Potential harmful effects include a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, a study by researchers at Stellenbosch University has revealed.
The study also reveals that flavourings in baby foods could pose dangers by promoting unhealthy eating habits. They could also introduce harmful chemicals and even influence a baby’s taste preferences for overly sweet or processed foods later in life.
‘’Many packaged foods for babies and young children sold in South Africa contain flavourings that could harm their eating habits and health. Flavourings in these foods – also called commercial complementary foods (CCFs) – need to be re-evaluated and labelling regulations must be properly enforced, ‘’ researchers said.
Flavourings are substances added to food to impart or modify its taste and smell and they can be natural, nature-identical or artificial.
Some artificial flavourings have been linked to behavioural issues or potential toxicity while some natural flavourings can be contaminated with toxins like lead.
In a study published recently in the journal Maternal and Child Nutrition, they created a profile of flavourings added to CCFs, focusing on their prevalence and type (taste, flavour and nature).
By photographing product labels and reaching out to manufacturers, the researchers looked at CCFs for babies and young children aged six to 23 months, available in supermarkets, pharmacies and baby stores nationwide. Most of the products included in the study were manufactured in South Africa, while the rest were imported.
The researchers noted that from the age of six months, suitable complementary foods should be introduced alongside breastmilk to meet the growing nutritional and energy needs of babies and young children.
Little was known about flavourings in CCFs and their potential negative impact on children’s taste preferences, eating habits and long-term health. Most CCFs were sweet and high in sugar, with many containing added sugar to appeal to babies’ and young children’s natural preference for sweetness.
“Our study shows that about a third (36,2%) of CCFs contained flavourings, with just over three quarters (75,9%) of these containing one and the remainder up to three flavourings. Almost eighty-five percent (84,2%) of baby cereals and porridges contained flavourings. The flavourings in CCFs were primarily of sweet flavours (more than 80%) with vanilla being the most prevalent flavour. Other flavours include caramel, chocolate, honey, and rooibos.”
The researchers called for the enforcement of the national regulations relating to foodstuffs for infants and young children which explicitly prohibited any health, medical or nutrition claims for these products.
They also sought attention to the issue of misleading marketing of CCFs. “While all flavouring-containing CCFs indicated flavourings correctly in their ingredient lists, a small percentage of CCF names and or descriptors were misleading to parents and caregivers by implying the products contained certain real ingredients, not just flavourings of these ingredients.
“More than half (52,4%) of the flavouring-containing products were marketed as suitable for babies six months and older. Almost half (48,6%) of the baby drinks, all labelled as suitable for babies six months and older, contained flavourings. This kind of marketing may result in children developing a preference for certain flavours over acceptance of the specific foods.”
The study revealed that many CCFs on the market claimed not to contain added flavourings, but these claims went against national regulations.
“Just over half (51%) of CCFs complied with all South African labelling regulations relating to flavourings and more than three quarters (78,3%) violated regulations relating to non-addition claims. Non-addition claims are statements that say a certain ingredient – usually one that is commonly added to similar foods – has not been added to the product.”
Researchers stressed that national regulations played a critical role in safeguarding public health, ensuring that parents and caregivers received accurate information about the products they bought and maintained the integrity of infant and child nutrition.
‘’Strengthening these regulations and their enforcement would help ensure that infants and young children are provided with safe, nutritious and appropriately labelled food options.
The enforcement of these regulations is essential to help parents and caregivers make proper food choices for their infants and young children. We also need stronger national mechanisms to ensure that food manufacturers fully comply with all aspects of food safety regulations.”
Because South Africa was a key trade gateway, the researchers added that their findings also applied to neighbouring African countries.
They noted that their study only considered complementary foods suitable for introduction from ages six to 23 months, whereas complementary foods were formulated for young children up to 36 months old.
Many baby food manufacturers were reluctant or even unwilling to share further information on the flavourings in their products or could simply not be reached at all.
