Around 800,000 babies are born in Britain each year, and this means a lot of little jars. But how good is the food they contain? The 300 million pound baby food industry has come under pressure recently, with reports which slate its quality and are critical of the use of bulking agents and the prevalence of water and other liquids as a first ingredient. Britain has no specific nutritional regulations for the contents of baby food, and minimum pesticide residue levels are not covered by any statutoryregulations. Recommendations such as those issued by the World Health Organisation are currently the same for adults and children alike But there is increasing evidence that babies and young children could be affected later in life by residues they consume as infants. A study by the US Academy of Sciences points out that infants are likely to be at risk both because they consume more fresh produce than adults, and because their detoxification organs-the kidney and liver-may not deal with pesticide residues as effectively. The report suggests that the permitted residue level for children should be 10% of that for adults.
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