How Do Commercial Children’s Foods Influence Their Growth and Development? A Map of Commercially Available Children’s Foods in Honduras

Adriana Santana Hernández,Sofía Raquel Mejía Motiño,Cindy Mérida,Adriana Beatriz Di Iorio

doi:10.4236/fns.2019.102013

Abstract

Background: The premature consumption of processed foods with high sugar and sodium content over the course of life has been associated with an increased risk of suffering from chronic diseases starting in adolescence or early adulthood. Methods: There was an examination of the nutritional labelling of processed products for young children (n = 140) available in the Honduran market to evaluate their nutritional quality with regard to sodium and sugar content, pursuant to various international recommendations. Results: 54% of the products evaluated derive more than 20% of their calories from sugar. The categories that to a large degree exceed the recommended sugar content range are fruit drinks (80%) and dessert purees (65%). The average price per product serving is lower than one US dollar ($0.81). 46% and 6% of the products place sugar and salt, respectively, among the first five positions in their ingredient lists. Conclusions: Processed foods for infants and young children generally exceed the recommended sugar content, but due to their low cost and easy access, they are displacing traditional food consumption, contributing to increasing childhood obesity and chronic disease in the early stages of life.

Highlights

Complementary feeding includes the transition period in which an infant transits from exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) to share the family diet [1], and its initiation is recommended starting at six months, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) [2]
Some of these products are intended for infants under six months old, and as a result it is unsurprising to see very young children inclined to this type of food [5] [6] with clear consequences for their health; this is in spite of WHO recommendation that EBF continue until six months, when complementary feeding should be introduced [2]
Due to lack of knowledge of the parents or caregivers, probably guided by the brand and advertising, they provide this type of product to infants and young children, considering that they are safe for their health

Summary

Introduction

As a result of globalization and technological progress, there has been a nutritional transition on an international level characterized by lower dietary fiber consumption and an increase in the intake of salt, fats and simple sugars from processed and ultra-processed food [1] [4] promoted to the population at large with highly aggressive marketing tactics Some of these products are intended for infants under six months old, and as a result it is unsurprising to see very young children inclined to this type of food [5] [6] with clear consequences for their health; this is in spite of WHO recommendation that EBF continue until six months, when complementary feeding should be introduced [2]. Conclusions: Processed foods for infants and young children generally exceed the recommended sugar content, but due to their low cost and easy access, they are displacing traditional food consumption, contributing to increasing childhood obesity and chronic disease in the early stages of life

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion