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Tonight, BBC Panorama will expose a reality many parents will find difficult to stomach: the baby food pouches and snacks lining our supermarket shelves are failing our youngest children.
The Truth about Baby Food Pouches reveals some of these products are dangerously high in sugar and low in vital nutrients – in some cases exceeding the daily sugar recommendation for an infant in just one pouch.
I used these pouches, too. Ten years ago, as a tired, time-pressed mum, I trusted these products. The packaging was friendly; the labels promised “organic” and “no nasties”. It sounded like a healthy shortcut.
Now, after years working in food policy, I can see how misplaced that trust was. These weren’t simply convenient options – they were sugar-laden products shaping my children’s diets at a crucial stage, sold as if they were the healthy choice.
Part of the evidence behind the BBC Panorama investigation comes from a major new study by researchers at the University of Leeds, which analysed over 600 baby and toddler foods sold across the UK’s biggest supermarkets.
A quarter of all products were so high in sugar they would trigger a front-of-pack warning label under World Health Organisation guidelines. More than 40 per cent of main meals had high sugar levels, and over half of snacks contained added sugars. In fruit pouches – now a common part of many young children's diets – 71 per cent of the calories came from sugar.
These products were also consistently cheaper, making the sweetest options even more likely to end up in shopping baskets. Nearly half of parents say they use these products most of the time, and four in 10 parents with babies under six months use them every day.
The consequences are real – and already visible. Babies are being fed foods that are too sweet, too smooth, and introduced too early. Experts, including the British Dental Association, have warned that baby foods high in sugar can lead to poor dental health. Nursery managers and dietitians have raised the alarm that toddlers are arriving at nursery unable to handle textured meals. Research indicates that frequent use of these products can also contribute to preferences for sweet food and obesity.
Baby food marketing feels reassuring. Brands present themselves as trusted partners – promoting health, care, and sustainability – in an attempt to build brand loyalty under the guise of helpfulness. The same brands line the streets and shelves as children grow. Products flaunting “30 per cent less sugar” with an asterisk, hiding a list of over 35 ingredients, five types of sugar, and multiple kinds of chocolate.
This isn’t about supporting parents; it’s about selling sugary snacks under a veneer of health. These products escape high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) rules, yet are marketed heavily to families. Parents deserve better than sinister marketing disguised as care.
The rules on baby food are being broken – and the government knows it.
There are no limits on how much sugar can be added to baby foods. Our baby food regulations are out of date.
Six years ago, the 2019 review by Public Health England found many baby foods were too high in sugar and salt. Since then, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has failed to deliver promised voluntary guidelines – and even if they do, they won’t be legally binding.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation’s model sets clear limits, bans misleading claims and protects against the early introduction of solids – but the UK has not adopted it.
The House of Lords has called for urgent action. Its 2025 report on food and obesity recommended banning marketing of follow-on and toddler milks, and introducing mandatory standards for all baby and toddler foods by the end of 2025.
The government responded by claiming we already have “comprehensive regulations” – despite baby foods being marketed for babies as young as four months, in clear conflict with NHS official weaning advice. Since the Panorama investigation was launched, brands have confirmed they are set to change this – though for many parents, it’s far too late.
No parent should feel guilty for needing convenience – but aggressive marketing has made it harder to know what’s truly good for babies. Babies under one don’t need snacks, no matter what the packaging says. Once babies can chew, they’re ready for real food – purees aren’t a must. For practical support, First Steps Nutrition Trust and NHS Start for Life are excellent resources.
And if you’re as angry as I am, take action. It’s easy to email your MP – the Children’s Food Campaign has a ready-to-go message you can send today.
When brands put profit over babies’ health, it’s the government’s job to step in – not look away.
Dayna Brackley is a partner at food policy consultancy Bremner & Co, and specialises in child health, nutrition, and infant feeding
Panorama: The Truth about Baby Food Pouches is on BBC One at 8.00pm
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