The Dietary Impact of Food Squeeze Pouches
In recent years, we have witnessed the development of a new and popular type of commercial supplementary food in the infant and child food industry, known as food squeeze pouches, that we know as “Squeeze” or “Smoochie”. These semi-fluid purees are packaged in squeezable plastic pouches with a lip and screw-on cap that can be squeezed directly into the mouth of the baby or can be sucked by the baby directly from the pouch. The American Academy of Pediatrics refers to food squeeze pouches like juice and recommends limiting its harmful intake.
You should know
You should know
The processing of this food damages the quality of the ingredients, and makes natural and nutritious fruits and vegetables into ultra-processed food that is not recommended for consumption. Various studies conducted around the world showed that manufacturers added sugar to about 20% of the products, and fruit juice to approximately 17%.
As parents, we want to give our children healthy, quality food. As the packages of food squeeze pouches are full of marketing messages, including claims of top-quality ingredients and lack of harmful ingredients such as sodium and saturated fat, it is easy to be tempted by fast, convenient and easy to carry food. Despite the limited nutritional value and potential harm, Israel has witnessed a dramatic 600% increase in the sale of food squeeze pouches between 2018-2022.
The World Health Organization demands that commercial food products designed for babies and toddlers under the age of 3 be advertised and marketed only where they comply with governmental regulations in terms of their nutritional composition, safety and quality. So, are these food pouches really nutritious and healthy for our children? In brief, probably not.
It is important to recognize the potential harm to our children’s health, the critical negative impact on their eating habits and damage to their development.
The harmful effects of food squeeze pouches in early childhood
Developmental damage and delays
The period of transition to complementary food is particularly important for children’s development. The supplementary nutrition, which largely begins at the age of six months, provides not only essential dietary components to babies but also enables them to practice important sensory and motor skills. The motion of bringing food to the mouth and the coordination, and later use of a spoon, are particularly important, and these skills that are not practiced when using a food squeeze pouch. Large intakes of these food pouches may result in motor delays as well as delays in independent eating skills. No less important, a connection between biting and chewing skills and the development of language and speech has been proven. Chewing food helps strengthen the muscles of the jaw and allows for speech and chewing. Additionally, introducing babies and children to a range of textures with a spoon or through independent eating facilitates important child-parent interactions, mutual attention and dialog as well as the tracking and learning of the signs indicating hunger or satiety.
Dietary-health damage
Fruit and vegetable-based purees in food squeeze pouches may significantly increase the quantity of sugar and calories in our child’s daily menu. In addition, sucking the pureed food is easy and quick, leading to high consumption of sugar in a short period of time, in contrast with eating slices of fruit or fruit that has been crushed with a spoon.
The processing and manufacturing of fruit and vegetable purees may also affect the nutritional components and the availability of quality nutritional components as well as the level of satisfaction they provide. Eating large quantities increases the risk of overeating, obesity and obesity-related diseases.
More information about dietary recommendations for children and adolescents
Establishing healthy eating habits
Food squeeze pouches that are consumed "on the run" and not as part of a regular schedule may negatively affect the establishment of regular meals. The daily schedule and eating at the table and with family has been proven to be a significant basis for a healthy lifestyle later in life.
Picky eating
Eating from food squeeze pouches may result in picky eating now and later in life, as well as an avoidance of fruit and vegetables. Why? Increased consumption of fruit and vegetable purees replaces the exposure of children to the natural form, texture and aroma of fruit and vegetables. Use of mixed purees such as "fruit salad" or "vegetable soup" makes it difficult for children to identify the flavors and textures of specific fruits and vegetables and makes it less likely that they will consume them later in life.
Damage to teeth
Eating food from food squeeze pouches extends the contact between the food, which is occasionally high in sugar, with the teeth, and increases the risk of developing tooth decay. The high level of acids in the purees may also affect the tooth’s enamel and worsen damage to the teeth, in comparison with food that is chewed.
Harmful environmental effects
Reusable food squeeze pouches have recently been sold to prepare homemade purees. Use of disposable and multiuse pouches has a harmful effect on the environment – the damage to the environment results from the manufacturing, filling of shipping stages and even the recycling processes, which are complex, expensive and ineffective.
Exposure of children to harmful substances: long-term use of multiuse pouches with a screw cap, and to a certain degree, multiple use of disposable food pouches, may expose children to microplastics and nanoplastics that endanger their health. In addition, pathogens (pathogenic organisms) may develop when filling the multiuse food pouches under unsanitary conditions, and since it is difficult to clean them.
Ministry of Health recommendation
Avoid regular serving of food to babies and toddlers in food squeeze pouches to lower the risk of obesity, tooth decay, picky eating, unwanted developmental effects and environmental damage.
If you still want to give them purees of this kind, squeeze the content of the pouch into a dish and feed them with a spoon or allow them to eat unassisted.