Compotes in a gourd: this product for children contains more sugar than Coke

Some canteen compotes are said to contain more sugar than Coca-Cola. This is revealed by the Association of British Dentists, in a press release published on July 8, 2022. “Obscene levels of sugar” which present real dangers for children’s teeth, but also for their health, have been observed.

The association analyzed 109 water bottles, of different brands, intended for children under 12 months. And it turns out that some “have up to two-thirds of the UK recommended daily allowance for an adult in sugar”. Mixes offered to four-month-old babies even contain “up to 150% of the sugar levels in Coca-Cola”.

The BDA therefore warns of the risks caused by the consumption of these compotes in gourds. Indeed, in addition to cavities, an excess of sugar can be the cause of overweight problems, but also of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases or even certain cancers. She also denounces that these products are presented as good for health on the pretext that they are “without added sugars” or contain only “natural sugars”.

Indeed, according to dentists, whether the sugar is natural or added, it would make little or no difference. As a professional explained to the microphone of our BFMTV, “we may have the impression that a glass of orange juice in the morning for a baby or a toddler is good for your health. But no, it’s too much. We’re not made to swallow the equivalent of six oranges in twenty seconds”.

Moreover, the BDA also warns against the mode of absorption of these products. “The contents are often sucked directly from the pocket, which ensures that the food spends more time in contact with the baby teeth, just as they grow, and puts the teeth at risk of erosion and decay” , she says.

In addition, caries being the first cause of hospitalization in young children, the English health authorities recommend that from six months, children are encouraged to feed themselves with a cup or a free-flowing cup, and stop drinking completely from the bottle from 12 months.

The BDA also hopes that the British government reacts quickly and ensures that “sugar becomes the new tobacco, especially when it comes to our youngest patients”, she wrote in her press release.