August 20, 2024

Infant squeeze pouches used beyond the baby years

Researchers find these foods are a surprising staple in diets from toddlers to teens

They’re often marketed as a healthy and convenient alternative to home-made food, but public health experts have found infant squeeze pouches don’t quite live up to the claims on their packaging. They’re now on a mission to find out how many children and young people across Australia use them.

Public health nutritionist Dr Katherine Kent, from the Health Innovations Research Centre at the University of Wollongong (UOW), said infant squeeze pouches are marketed as a healthy product for babies, but the reality is very different. Dr Kent has joined forces with Dr Catharine Fleming from Western Sydney University and Dr Ami Seivwright from the University of Tasmania and surveyed 250 parents in Tasmania.

Previous research from Dr Fleming analysed 276 infant squeeze pouches from 15 manufacturers and found only two products were nutritionally adequate. Many of the products had added sugars, fruit juice and fruit puree and were not fortified with iron.

“These products are readily available in supermarkets and marketed to parents as convenient and healthy foods, but our analysis found that infant squeeze pouches do not provide adequate nutrition for growth or align to the suggested front of packet claims,” Dr Fleming said.

The research is timely, with the Australian Government last week approving a public consultation for improving commercial foods for infants and young children. The researchers hope to submit their data as evidence.

Dr Kent said the team were astounded to discover that foods in squeeze pouches were being consumed in high numbers by older children and, indeed, just over a third of teenagers. 

“We know these are popular products and based on the nutritional analysis we decided to gather more information about who uses them, why and how they affect the diets of young people. We’re not here to make parents feel guilty about how they’re feeding their children. What we want to know is how these products fit into Australian children’s diets.

“This information will be vital as we submit our findings to the Australian Government’s public consultation on commercial foods for infants and young children, contributing to the broader conversation about improving the nutritional quality of these products.

“We have been surprised by our early results show that a lot of older children, not just infants, use squeeze pouches,” Dr Kent said. “This has prompted the need for broader national data.”

The researchers’ preliminary report revealed in the last year:

• Squeeze pouches were used across various age groups, with the highest usage among children aged 1 to 2 years old (94 per cent) and 2 to 5 years old (81 per cent).
• Usage rates decreased with age, however squeeze pouches are still popular for 6 to 12 year olds (69 per cent have used them in the last 12 months) and 13 to 17 year olds (33 per cent).

The types of products that are popular varies across age groups:

• More than half of parents (57 per cent) of children aged 0 to 2 said they’d regularly use fruit and dairy-based pouches.
• Nearly 75 per cent of children aged 2 to 5 years old consumed dairy-based pouches and this trend persisted among 6 to 12 year olds, with up to 66 per cent revealing they used them.
• Fruit-based pouches were used by 1 in 5 children (20 per cent) aged 2 to 5 years old and 6 to 12 years old.
• Adolescents aged 13 to 17 also reported consuming dairy-based pouches (26 per cent)

The research revealed parents use the squeeze pouches for convenience and because children enjoy them. Other parents had concerns about cost and environmental impact.

Dr Kent said the findings challenge assumptions about squeeze pouches being an infant food.

“We were surprised to find that older children consume these products too, revealing a broader impact on children’s diets than first thought,” Dr Kent said.

“We need to do further research nationwide to fully understand these trends and to inform future public health policy.”

The researchers are seeking more parents from across Australia to participate in a survey on squeeze pouches.

“We want to hear from parents to learn more about how these products fit into their child's diet and daily routine,” Dr Kent said.

“These valuable insights will contribute to vital research aimed at understanding the role of squeeze pouches in children's diets in infancy and beyond.”

Parents are encouraged to participate in the survey at this link: https://utas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0vSoU4mFGKHjBXM

Or by visiting infanttoddlerfoods.com