ParentingHub

As parents, we mistakenly rely on government regulation or the credibility of a company’s ethics to protect us against products that are unhealthy or possibly harmful to our children. That said, one has to question if the responsibility should rest with parents to monitor what is in their children’s food, given that in most cases the ingredients can both be confusing and, to the majority of us, unrecognisable.

The modern day lifestyle makes the on-the go parent more susceptible to surrendering to the convenience and allure of the vast junk food options targeted towards children. In most instances it is not that we are unaware of the dangers that chemical food additives and pesticides pose in children’s food; it is the fact that healthier options have not been readily available. Even in instances where we as parents choose to make a conscious effort to restrict our children’s diets, many snacks such as sweets, cakes and ice cream are sold as loose items and do not contain any labels, nutritional content or RDA* values, making it impossible to know their content.

Parents need to be aware that choosing to buy baby products labeled “natural” or “pure” does not necessarily validate the product to be any safer or nutritious than their more potentially harmful counterparts. In many cases these products still contain additives, salt; preservatives hydrogenated fats and GMO ingredients. In instances where such additives have been indicated on the label, the vague descriptions for additives allow manufactures to disguise sugar as carbohydrates and E-numbers as additives.

It is these sugars, hydrogenated, fatty and flavour- enhanced foods associated with junk food that are responsible for the alarming rise in toddler and childhood obesity, hyperactivity, inattention and disruptive behavior.

Research indicates that pesticides, retained in non-organic foods, can negatively affect health, increasing the risk of cancer, lung disease, immune system disorders and reproductive difficulties.

Babies have a higher risk of developmental harm than do adults, as their undeveloped organs are more prone to damage from food pollutants. The blood brain defense of a baby is not fully formed until six months old, thus a baby has no protection from any pesticides or poisons transmitted in the blood.

So what is the solution for concerned parents?

Due to the growing global awareness of the health benefits surrounding organic and GM free foods, certain companies in SA, are now offering fully organic food and snack options for both babies and toddlers. When buying a certified organic product, parents can rest assured that these products contain no additives, flavorings, flavour enhancers, colouring or preservatives, thus eliminating all the guess work. When buying organic, parents can be certain that all processed sugar, hydrogenated fat, fillers and other ‘empty’ ingredients are excluded. Any risk of genetically modified food and unhelpful or misleading labels is negated, allowing parents to make healthier choices for their children.

As most parents know only too well, young children do not instinctively choose healthy food options or make responsible lifestyle choices, thus, the onus falls on parents to make these choices for them and to condition their diets to include healthy food alternatives. With the new convenient organic snack options available from Organix, even parents on-the-go can live guilt-free and make the switch to organic and GM free products.

For more information visit www.organix.com or www.soilassociation.com

Written by: Kurt Liebetrau