Too much salt in children's snacks pose health risks

Nearly 75 per cent of commercial pre-packaged meals and savoury snacks for toddlers in the US are high in sodium which may pose long-term health risks, new research has warned.

In the first study to look at the sodium content in US baby and toddler foods, researchers compared the sodium content per serving of 1,115 products for babies and toddlers using data on major and private label brands compiled by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Baby food was categorised as intended for children less than one year old, and toddler food was categorised as intended for children between the ages of one and three.
 

A product was defined as high in sodium if it had more than 210 mg of sodium per serving.

The study found that toddler meals had significantly higher amounts of sodium than baby meals, and the amount of sodium in some of the toddler meals was as high as 630 mg per serving - about 40 per cent of the 1,500 mg daily limit recommended by the American Heart Association.

The foods with the most sodium were savoury snacks and meals for toddlers.

"Our concern is the possible long-term health risks of introducing high levels of sodium in a child's diet, because high blood pressure, as well as a preference for salty foods may develop early in life," said Joyce Maalouf, lead author of the study.

"The less sodium in an infant's or toddler's diet, the less he or she may want it when older," Maalouf said.

Consuming excessive amounts of sodium has been linked to the development of high blood pressure in scientific studies.

"Parents and other caregivers can read the nutrition facts labels on baby and toddler foods, to choose the healthiest options for their child," Maalouf said.

Sodium is in regular table salt and many foods, including most prepared meals and snacks for toddlers.

The research was presented at the American Heart Association's meeting in New Orleans.