Infant and Toddler Food Companies Use Tactics to Sway Parents

Research finds that the descriptions on the front of infant and toddler food packages may not accurately reflect the actual ingredient amounts.

The research team investigated over 500 infant and toddler foods containing vegetables. They noted each vegetable and fruit's inclusion in the product name, their form (whole, puree, juice, or juice concentrate), and their position in the ingredient list.

They then classified the vegetables into dark green, red/orange, legumes, starchy, and others (based on the Department of Agriculture). Fruits were classified into common fruits (pears, apples, and grapes) and other fruits (like mangos, pineapples, and cherries).

Findings showed that vegetables belonging to the "dark green" category of the US Department of Agriculture were more likely to appear in the product name, even though their average order in the list of ingredients was close to fourth.

However, juice and its concentrates were less likely to appear in the product name even though they came earlier in the ingredient list. Alyssa Bakke, author, explains children's preferences and healthy, or unhealthy, eating habits that last a lifetime are shaped by their early experiences with food.

She adds that previous work has found that combining vegetables with fruits decreased the amount of vegetable flavor adults perceived since fruit flavors are more pronounced.

Other studies also indicate that parents primarily use the information on the front of the package to make decisions about purchasing.

Bakke says, “This means that when children are given commercial foods, they may be receiving less exposure to vegetable flavors than their parents assume based on the way the products are labeled and marketed."

John Hayes, co-author, adds that there was never an instance in which a vegetable or a fruit listed in the product name did not appear in the ingredient list. “However, the front-of-pack labels did not always accurately represent the number of various ingredients in the product, which are listed in descending order. This means parents may not be buying what they are hoping to buy if they only look at the name."

The team also found that common fruits were less likely to be included in the product names if present as juice/juice concentrates but more likely to be included in product names when no form was listed.

Mackenzie Ferrante, lead author, believes this is to avoid drawing attention to the use of juice concentrates as sweeteners.

Results also showed that fruits tended to be positioned close to the beginning of the ingredient list on the package's back or side, indicating that the products were composed more of fruits even though front-of-package labeling suggested vegetables.

“Companies producing infant and toddler foods sometimes use nutrition-related statements that can confuse the consumer and are intended to sway consumers to purchase their product," said Susan Johnson, professor of pediatrics.

"Parents believe vegetables are important for their children's health and that presumably they are purchasing food they believe contain significant amounts of vegetables because of front-of-package labeling.”

Johnson advises communicating the discrepancies between which foods are included in the product name, where these foods fall on the ingredient lists, and whether these products taste like vegetables to parents. Source-Medindia