Is “children’s food” more suitable for children? Don’t rush to buy it!

A few days ago, I went shopping with a friend who is a mother and I haven’t seen her for a long time. As soon as we entered the supermarket food area, she picked up "children's food". My friend also emphasized to me that we must pay attention to children's diet and buy special "children's food" which is healthy and safe!

So, are foods labeled "children's food" really safe? If you don't ask, you won't know. Many parents with children around me will buy foods labeled "children's food" specifically.

A quick search on the Internet shows that there are many foods named "children", and they are more expensive than ordinary foods. Many parents tend to choose children's food in order to "eat with peace of mind". But in fact, according to CCTV.com, China does not have a special "children's food" category. Many foods with the word "children" in the name are often spontaneous publicity gimmicks by businesses and are not necessarily healthier!

Source: Weibo screenshot

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Children's food health standards

At present, my country has clearly issued national safety standards for infant formula, which mainly target complementary foods, milk powder and other supplementary nutrients for infants and young children. However, there are no clear national standards for children's food of other categories and age groups.

Many children's foods on the market, in addition to the word "children", are also printed with words such as "no additives" and "pure natural". However, for children, truly high-quality children's food is not just about no additives. It needs to meet the nutritional needs of children's growth , including DHA, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamins, etc. Only then can it be called qualified "children's food". Otherwise, what is the difference between this and other foods?

Source: pixabay

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Inventory of foods harmful to children's health

"Children's food" is actually just a concept introduced by businesses for marketing purposes. If some products are not chosen correctly, they may even do more harm than good. If children eat too much, it will affect their eating habits and their health in the long run. The most common ones are as follows:

1. Children's soy sauce

Many children's soy sauces are advertised as "low in salt" and "low in sodium", and are more suitable for children. However, according to national standards, the sodium content in every 100 ml of soy sauce must be less than 120 mg to be called "low in salt and low in sodium" . Many "children's soy sauces" exceed this standard.

Source: A shopping website

In addition, it is not recommended for children under 1 year old to consume additional salt. Some parents think that adding soy sauce can make food more delicious, but unknowingly, salt is also ingested by children along with the soy sauce. If you think that children's soy sauce is safe to eat, adding excessive salt will affect the baby's health.

2. Children's milk and children's yogurt

Dairy products produced by regular manufacturers generally meet production safety standards, but some children's milk will add more syrup, white sugar, etc. to cater to children's sweet taste.

Source: A shopping website

If children eat too much of this type of children's milk, their daily meals will seem "bland" and "not sweet", which is not conducive to the formation of normal eating habits. Excessive sugar intake increases the risk of obesity and tooth decay. However, there are also some children's milks that do not have added sugar, flavors, etc., so parents need to carefully check the ingredient list to screen them.

3. Children's cheese

Most of the children's cheese on the market is "processed cheese". A large amount of salt is added during the production and fermentation process, and the sodium content is very high. Some also contain additives such as carrageenan, edible flavors, and sorbic acid.

Source: pexels

Eating this kind of children's cheese frequently will cause children to consume too much sodium, which will not only easily lead to high blood pressure, but additives such as sorbic acid will also inhibit children's calcium absorption, which is not conducive to children's growth and development.

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How to choose healthy food ? In fact, if you want your children to eat healthily, you don’t have to buy children’s food. Ordinary ingredients can be reasonably matched and safely produced, and are guaranteed to be low in fat, sugar, and salt, and can meet the nutritional needs of children’s growth.

If you still need to buy children's food, parents need to learn more about children's dietary health and learn how to read the ingredient list. Many products advertised as "children's milk" actually have "milk-containing beverages" or "modified milk" written on the ingredient list. Therefore, if you want to know the true "identity" of the food, you can find out by looking at the ingredient list.

Source: A shopping website

Generally speaking, the closer the ingredient or raw material is to the front of the list, the higher the content. Therefore, parents can choose children's food with natural ingredients (such as milk, eggs, etc.) at the front. In addition, the fewer additives in the ingredient list, the better, and priority should be given to foods without additives except for nutritional supplements.

Source: pexels

In 2020, the China Non-staple Food Circulation Association officially released a group standard called "General Requirements for Children's Snacks", which to a certain extent demonstrated and set requirements for the existing children's snack market, but this is only a recommended standard and is not mandatory.

The children's food market is not strictly regulated, so parents need to keep their eyes open. When choosing products, remember to "buy the right ones, not the expensive ones!"