As a parent, it can be really difficult to find healthy food that your little one will eat. Sometimes we have to rely on packaged food to get the job done. But if we can’t trust companies to tell the truth about the contents of their products, where does that leave us? It just makes our jobs that much more difficult.
Recently, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), a consumer watchdog group in Australia, found a very good reason to take Heinz to court. The food company’s product Heinz Little Kids has a very misleading package. It claims to have 99% “fruit and veg” and is covered in pictures of fresh fruits and vegetables. But the ACCC found the troubling truth that the product contains 60% sugar.
From The Guardian:
“It’s very difficult for parents to know which foods are healthy and which aren’t, particularly for toddlers. I think parents are really trying to make the right choices and they need good, clear, honest information about the nature of the products,” [Obesity Policy Commission executive director Jane] Martin said.
“Many parents would be shocked to know that just one 18g serve of Shredz contains almost an entire day’s worth of added sugar for a two-year-old.
Paediatric dietitian and nutritionist Hanan Saleh agrees, and says packaged snacks, including Little Kids Shredz, are not a healthy alternative to a piece of fruit.
With any luck, the food giant will be forced to either rethink its product, or at the very least, the packaging for it. Either way, it will most certainly lose the trust of countless parents who are just trying to steer clear of sugar for their kids. Shame on you, Heinz.
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