Healthy, Home Made Baby Food Is ‘Pulp Fiction’? Our Response to Today’s Times Online Article

We couldn’t help but be a little disappointed today by an article that appeared in the UK’s ‘Times Online’, which contained suggestions that store bought food may be BETTER for babies than home-made.

The article was based around information from the Government’s Pesticides Residues Committee, that the levels of pesticides in typical weaning foods like bananas, apples and pears are on the rise. Whilst this is important information which needs to be addressed, we think that it would have been helpful to have brought comments regarding how to minimize pesticide residues in baby food to the forefront of the article. Instead, the report’s author chose to start with comments from Anna Rosier, the managing director of the baby food company Organix, who said…

Cooking at home might control ingredients but it can increase exposure to pesticides… Unlike the raw foods you buy in shops, there are strict limits on the levels of pesticides allowed in manufactured baby foods, so they contain low levels of residues.

Whilst the report accepted that companies like Organix may have a vested interest in promoting store-bought baby food to parents, it went on to say that Ms Rosier’s comments are ‘borne out’ by the fact that pesticide residues have risen.

The report does also go on to state that the policy officer of the Pesticides Action Network,  an independent, non-profit organisation whose aim is to reduce the use of hazardous pesticides and increase awareness of the dangers of pesticide residues, continues to recommend the home-cooking of organic fruits and vegetables as…

the superior option for parents.

Sadly, his remarks are rather diluted by other, less helpful comments such as ‘everyone resorts to store bought meals at some point’ and that the dangers of pesticides to young children …

 …may sound like a good excuse to ditch the blender and go shopping, especially as UK legislation allows baby food manufacturers to use only small amounts of sodium, sugar, glucose or honey.

There are definitely a few points to consider here before you begin to doubt the safety of the food you’ve prepared from scratch for your little one!

The first is the fact that the reported rise in pesticide residues (from residues found in 25% of foods in 2003 to residues found in 46% of foods in 2009) can, to some extent, be attributed to the fact that the Government testing program has been broadened to look for pesticide residues at lower levels, thereby increasing the number of foods found to contain them.

We’re not, however, down-playing the very real risks posed to children from pesticide residues…

… and, as parents who have always prepared home made baby food for our 5 children, the issue of pesticide residues has been very much at the forefront of our minds in our food choices. It’s also something we discuss at length on this page…

Should I Peel Fruits and Vegetables for My Baby?

On this page, we give details of the ‘Dirty Dozen’  – those fruits and vegetables identified as containing the highest levels of pesticide residues.

To summarize the information we provided on our page mentioned above, here are ways in which you can minimize or eliminate the pesticide residues in the foods you serve your baby…

• Buy certified organic (or 100% organic) produce.
• Peel non-organic produce or (at the very least) thoroughly wash it. Please note, though, that this will not remove systemic pesticides which do not reside only in the skin and can only be avoided altogether by buying organic produce.
• Buy seasonal, local produce, which is less likely to have been treated to help it survive long-distance shipping.
• Avoid fruits and vegetables with mouldy or bruised skins – the concentration of pesticide residues they contain is often higher.
• Ensure your baby enjoys a diet containing a variety of fruits and veggies, avoiding repeated exposure to one particular type of pesticide that may be used to treat one particular type of produce.

Although the Times article does include information about some healthier options for ready made baby food, it remains a fact that the vitamin content of many varieties of jarred baby food is compromised by the heat used to process it. So to suggest that parents should see it as a healthier alternative to homemade baby food is – in our opinion – unacceptable!

When the above  precautions are taken – and the food you prepare for your baby is cooked and stored for as short a time as possible – then you can be sure that it’s nutritional quality is very high and its quality is unrivalled!

What did YOU think of the Times Online article? Has it changed the way you feel about preparing homemade food for your baby?