More parents are beginning to scrutinize the foods they give their children early in life, and a new study suggests they're right to do so.
A team of researchers at the University of Texas at Austin surveyed 21 grocery stores across Austin, Texas, and found that more than 80% of available toddler foods were ultra-processed.
Here’s what you should know about the study and what it means for toddler health in the United States.
Survey: 4 out of 5 toddler products are ultra-processed
Two research scientists at the University of Texas at Austin visited 21 grocery stores around Austin, gathering photographs of 2,783 products billed as suitable for children ages 6 to 36 months.
They found that 81% of the products were ultra-processed, according to criteria outlined in the Nova Food Classification System.
right approach: How to shop healthier at the grocery store
The framework splits foods into four groups – unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, processed foods and ultra-processed foods – depending on the "nature, extent and purposes of the industrial processes they undergo" before winding up on someone’s kitchen table.
According to Erin A. Hudson, a UT Austin graduate student and science policy fellow with the American Society for Nutrition, her research underscores an important discrepancy in what parents think they’re feeding their children.
"Many parents may assume that products sold on the baby/toddler food aisles of their grocery stores have to meet certain nutrient standards. Our findings highlight that half of the toddler foods available in local grocery stores do not," Hudson said. "As a result, parents have to be vigilant in checking labels and ingredients to determine the nutrient content and processing level of products for their toddlers."
Falling short of WHO recommendations
The research team also found that foods on U.S. grocery store shelves fell short of a standard established by the World Health Organization.
In 2022, the WHO published a Nutrition and Promotion Profile Model for commercial foods intended for children aged 6-36 months. Of the nearly 2,790 products Hudson and her team surveyed, many failed to meet WHO nutrient standards, including:
- 17% for sugar
- 25% for sodium
- 11% for fat content
- 12% for energy density
Specifically, Hudson pointed to popular products such as fruit pouches (high in sugar), oat bars (high in sugar and calories), mac and cheese (high in sodium and fat), turkey sticks (high in sodium and fat), cheese puffs (high in calories) and peanut butter puffs (high in sodium, fat and calories).
Long-term effects of UPFs
Ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, are factory-made formulations produced largely from refined ingredients, additives (including colorings and preservatives) and little-to-no whole foods. Using artificial flavors and sweeteners, these foods are designed for more palatable tastes and longer shelf life.
While the full extent of ultra-processed foods on the human body is still being researched, ingesting UPFs − including packaged meats like hot dogs and bologna − has been associated with more than 30 health conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, mental health disorders and obesity.
What’s more, the researchers at UT Austin noted that "foods children consume during the toddler years can shape taste preferences and dietary habits that persist throughout childhood, influencing long-term health."
"During these critical early years of development, most parents are trying to feed their children healthfully but may be challenged to do so by the toddler food products available in their grocery stores," Hudson said.
America’s new dietary guidelines
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued new dietary guidelines earlier this year, urging Americans to eat less sugar while consuming more meat, full-fat dairy, and other high-protein foods.
"Today, our government declares war on added sugar," Kennedy said during a White House news briefing in January. "My message is clear: eat real food."
But Hudson wants to see the government go further than mere guidelines.
“Warning labels on products exceeding nutrient thresholds could help parents navigate the toddler food environment and might encourage manufacturers to reformulate these products,” Hudson said.
Contributing: Sara Moniuszko, USA TODAY
Drew Pittock covers national trending news for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What parents should know about ultra-processed toddler foods
