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I recently wrote a piece about breastfeeding (Breast is best but not for Irish babies, August 25th, 2015). Several women wrote for advice about whether they should wean their babies on to "follow-on" and "growing-up" milks before they returned to work. The marketing techniques used to promote these processed liquids had undermined the women's confidence to such an extent that they were unable to make the healthy choice, which is to never, ever, use these products. No child needs them.
In 2013, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued unambiguous guidelines about follow-on and growing-up milks. After six months, children should be weaned on to food, including milk, "acceptable milk sources are full cream [cows', goats'] milk, fermented milk and yogurt. Follow-up formulas are therefore unnecessary." The WHO warned that marketing strategies such as packaging, branding, and labelling "may induce women to use [these formula foods]".
The WHO, INDI and FSAI guidelines state that breastfed babies should continue to receive breastmilk as their main drink (women returning to work can express if necessary) until they are a year or more. Babies can be given cow’s milk and dairy products as part of the weaning process.
Conflicting evidence
Conflicting scientific advice makes choosing healthy foods a complicated business. Current evidence does not support guidelines that encourage high consumption of polyunsaturated fats and low consumption of saturated fats.
There is no proof that low-fat foods have any positive effect on health. New research from the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition found that “the hypothesis that diets high in carbohydrates (rice, potatoes, pasta) cause weight gain is not supported by the evidence”.
Even the food pyramid, used throughout the world, including Ireland, cannot be relied on for accurate information. The Irish Health Research Board recently compared the Irish version with the Canadian, American and Australian pyramids and found several important differences. For example, the Irish version allows high-fat foods for people with sedentary lifestyles, whereas the Australian and Canadian pyramids do not.
Food manufacturers aggressively market hyperprocessed foods laden with saturated fats, salt, sugar and refined carbohydrates.
Consumers must understand about different kinds of fats, and whether these are intrinsic (occurring naturally, such as in fresh meat) or extrinsic (added by food producers).
Labels must be examined for information about high or low protein, sugar content (free/added or naturally present) numbers of calories, and so on.
Even well-informed consumers can get confused by misleading labelling. For example, low-fat products usually contain high amounts of sugar, and low-sugar products are often full of fats and calories.
Every day, we are bombarded with messages from food and drink manufacturers and persuaded to buy products we do not need, such as vitamins. Supplementing the diets of well-nourished adults and children with mineral and/or vitamin pills has no clear benefit and may be harmful.
Tricking people
Terms such as “natural” are used by food producers to trick people into buying stuff. One new product I spotted in the local supermarket is “scientifically proven” to “reduce hunger” and “slow down digestion”. Why would anyone want to do that? Hunger is good, speedy digestion is even better.
How can consumers ensure they are not fooled and manipulated by food producers? The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has produced several excellent booklets on labelling and the use of food marketing terms.
New rules are coming in next year about the use of language such as artisan, farmhouse, traditional and natural. Guidance Note 29: The Use of Food Marketing Terms says that “artisan” can be applied only when a food is made in limited quantities (less than 1,000kg/litres a week), by skilled craftspeople (10 workers or fewer), using ingredients that are grown or produced locally.
Safefood is another source of reliable information and it has researched the quality of takeaway foods. The most recent reports include What's in Your Indian Takeaway? and What's in Your Favourite Wrap? Findings show that wrap portion sizes vary considerably and Indian main course sizes contain enough for two people.
Incredibly difficult
Pursuing a healthy lifestyle is incredibly difficult in a food environment designed to incentivise the opposite set of behaviours.
A comprehensive review of the evidence by Public Health England shows that “marketing in all its many forms consistently influences food preference, choice and purchasing in children and adults”.
The organisation has called for more control over the number of price promotions in shops and restaurants and the marketing of high-sugar products. Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has just established a working group to develop a code of practice for food marketing, promotion and sponsorship, which will report within one year.
In the meantime, remember that food producers are not remotely interested in either our own or our children’s health. They just want to sell us as much food as possible, whether we need it or not.
* This article was amended on Nov 5th to add a clarification around WHO, INDI and FSAI guidelines
Dr Jacky Jones is a former HSE regional manager of health promotion and a member of the Healthy Ireland council.