Nutritional Adequacy of Commercial Complementary Cereals in Germany
Commercial cereals are among the first complementary foods fed to infants in Germany and elsewhere. The purpose of this national survey is to describe the nutritional adequacy of commercial complementary cereals. A comprehensive, cross-sectional survey of cereal manufacturer websites (<i>n<...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-05-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/6/1590 |
| _version_ | 1797566766714454016 |
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| author | Melissa A. Theurich Berthold Koletzko Veit Grote |
| author_facet | Melissa A. Theurich Berthold Koletzko Veit Grote |
| author_sort | Melissa A. Theurich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Commercial cereals are among the first complementary foods fed to infants in Germany and elsewhere. The purpose of this national survey is to describe the nutritional adequacy of commercial complementary cereals. A comprehensive, cross-sectional survey of cereal manufacturer websites (<i>n</i> = 15) was conducted from March to April 2019. Food labels were analyzed for iron, zinc, iodine, sodium, and sugar contents in commercial complementary cereals, and ingredient lists were evaluated for whole grains and added sugars. Preparation instructions were evaluated for the type of liquid recommended for reconstitution. Among 164 commercial complementary cereals, few contain iron (<i>n</i> = 43, 26%), zinc (<i>n</i> = 23, 14%) or iodine (<i>n</i> = 43, 26%). Sodium contents fall within EU thresholds. Most cereals were single grain, containing only wheat (<i>n</i> = 54), with half of the products (<i>n</i> = 86, 52%) containing whole grains. The average carbohydrate content of dry cereals is 69 g/100 g ± 9 g of which 14 ± 15 g is sugar. Preparation instructions for breakfast porridges and cereals recommend formula or toddler milk, while few recommend human milk (<i>n</i> = 13, 18%). Few commercial complementary cereals contain appreciable amounts (at least 15% of daily reference values) of zinc, iron, or iodine. A quarter of cereal carbohydrates are sugar and one-third of the products contain added sugars. Future directives should stipulate minimum micronutrient levels, strictly regulate sugar contents, and include human milk among preparation instructions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:31:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e423646a5f09450ea7e6af0ebe713b61 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:31:10Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-e423646a5f09450ea7e6af0ebe713b612023-11-20T02:08:04ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432020-05-01126159010.3390/nu12061590Nutritional Adequacy of Commercial Complementary Cereals in GermanyMelissa A. Theurich0Berthold Koletzko1Veit Grote2Department of Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Lindwurmstraße 4, 80337 München, GermanyDepartment of Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Lindwurmstraße 4, 80337 München, GermanyDepartment of Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Lindwurmstraße 4, 80337 München, GermanyCommercial cereals are among the first complementary foods fed to infants in Germany and elsewhere. The purpose of this national survey is to describe the nutritional adequacy of commercial complementary cereals. A comprehensive, cross-sectional survey of cereal manufacturer websites (<i>n</i> = 15) was conducted from March to April 2019. Food labels were analyzed for iron, zinc, iodine, sodium, and sugar contents in commercial complementary cereals, and ingredient lists were evaluated for whole grains and added sugars. Preparation instructions were evaluated for the type of liquid recommended for reconstitution. Among 164 commercial complementary cereals, few contain iron (<i>n</i> = 43, 26%), zinc (<i>n</i> = 23, 14%) or iodine (<i>n</i> = 43, 26%). Sodium contents fall within EU thresholds. Most cereals were single grain, containing only wheat (<i>n</i> = 54), with half of the products (<i>n</i> = 86, 52%) containing whole grains. The average carbohydrate content of dry cereals is 69 g/100 g ± 9 g of which 14 ± 15 g is sugar. Preparation instructions for breakfast porridges and cereals recommend formula or toddler milk, while few recommend human milk (<i>n</i> = 13, 18%). Few commercial complementary cereals contain appreciable amounts (at least 15% of daily reference values) of zinc, iron, or iodine. A quarter of cereal carbohydrates are sugar and one-third of the products contain added sugars. Future directives should stipulate minimum micronutrient levels, strictly regulate sugar contents, and include human milk among preparation instructions.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/6/1590micronutrientscomplementary feedingcomplementary cerealprocessed cereal based foodbreakfast cerealcarbohydrates |
| spellingShingle | Melissa A. Theurich Berthold Koletzko Veit Grote Nutritional Adequacy of Commercial Complementary Cereals in Germany Nutrients micronutrients complementary feeding complementary cereal processed cereal based food breakfast cereal carbohydrates |
| title | Nutritional Adequacy of Commercial Complementary Cereals in Germany |
| title_full | Nutritional Adequacy of Commercial Complementary Cereals in Germany |
| title_fullStr | Nutritional Adequacy of Commercial Complementary Cereals in Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nutritional Adequacy of Commercial Complementary Cereals in Germany |
| title_short | Nutritional Adequacy of Commercial Complementary Cereals in Germany |
| title_sort | nutritional adequacy of commercial complementary cereals in germany |
| topic | micronutrients complementary feeding complementary cereal processed cereal based food breakfast cereal carbohydrates |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/6/1590 |
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