Shawdesh Desk: The amount of sugar in baby food should be restricted and parents should give their young children more vegetables to stop them developing a sweet tooth, a report from child health experts says, reports BBC. It warns that even baby food marked “no added sugar” often contains sugars from honey or fruit juice. Parents should offer bitter flavors too, the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health recommends. This will guard against tooth decay, poor diet and obesity. Reducing child obesity is a key priority in all parts of the UK, with England and Scotland committing to halving rates by 2030.Targeting food high in sugar and fat is an important part of that aim, following the introduction of a tax on sugary drinks in England in 2018. The report says the government should introduce mandatory limits on the amount of free sugar in baby foods. Many can contain high levels of sugar added by the manufacturer or present in syrups and fruit juices, it says, despite labels suggesting otherwise. The report says infants should not be given sugary drinks. Instead, they should have sugar in a natural form, such as whole fresh fruit, milk or unsweetened dairy products. Prof Mary Fewtrell, nutrition lead for the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, said “Pureed or liquid baby foods packaged in pouches also often have a high energy density and a high proportion of sugar,” she said.”If sucked from the pouch, the baby also misses out on the opportunity to learn about eating from a spoon or feeding himself. “Baby foods can be labeled ‘no added sugar’ if the sugar comes from fruit – but all sugars have the same effects on the teeth and on metabolism.”