Special children's milk overpriced and unnecessary

Children's milk holds less than it promises

16/08/2011

The so-called children's milk offers no advantages over low-fat cow's milk and is also usually considerably overpriced. The Consumer Protection Center Baden-Württemberg comes to this conclusion in its investigation of the cow milk substitute, allegedly specially adapted to the needs of children products.

In addition to the Consumer Protection Center, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) does not see any health benefits in the special milk drinks for toddlers. These are „not better than cow's milk“, However, usually much more expensive, so the statement of the BfR. The Consumer Protection Center also criticized that the term „children milk“ It is misleading, since the products are not to be understood as milk but as a powder mixed with skimmed milk and other ingredients such as maltodextrin, vegetable oils and flavorings. The enrichment with vitamins and minerals could possibly even bring about an uncontrolled increase in nutrient intake, which, for example, increases the risk of obesity.

Overpriced baby milk without health benefits
The Baden-Württemberg Consumer Protection Center has taken a closer look at the children's milk advertised as particularly healthy by the manufacturers and has found that it does not provide any significant advantages for young children compared with low-fat cow's milk. While parents are often tempted by the promised increase in calcium and vitamins, children's milk, which is offered to children from the age of twelve, does not offer any health benefits, according to the opinion of the Verbraucherzentrale and the BfR. But the products are up to four times more expensive than low-fat cow's milk from the supermarket, the consumer advocates report. As part of the current investigation, the Consumer Protection Center had examined 21 children's milk products from five different manufacturers, with the average price of the products at € 1.75 per liter. The most expensive children's milk should cost even 2.27 euros. For commercial supermarket prices of 0.54 € per liter of milk or 1.09 € per liter of organic milk, the children's milk therefore appears significantly overpriced - especially as the raw materials in the production cost only a few cents, so the point of view of the consumer center. For parents, the inflated prices mean an additional annual cost compared to low-fat cow's milk of 245 euros, said the consumer center.

Vitamins and minerals as an argument for children's milk
The comparison between cow's milk and the so-called children's milk, according to the consumer advocates, however, only limited possible anyway, since the milk substitute drinks are distributed in powder form. In addition, at this point, the term „children milk“ very questionable, because the skimmed milk powder enriched with maltodextrin, vegetable oils and other additives has little in common with natural milk. In addition, individual products with a particularly high calcium content would be advertised, but in fact contain one third less calcium than cow's milk, said the consumer protection experts. The advertising promise „healthier than cow's milk“ For example, manufacturers argue that this is due to the lower protein content and higher levels of artificially added iron and vitamin D. The children's milk is explicit „tailored to the nutritional needs of toddlers“ so the promise of the manufacturer. In addition to the added vitamins and minerals, which should contribute to the optimal mental development of children, the children's milk also has a reduced protein content compared to cow's milk, which is to prevent overweight, a further argument of the manufacturers for the expensive milk substitute drinks. However, these arguments are by no means shared by the Consumer Protection Center and the BfR.

Children's milk is not required for a balanced diet
The children's milk is „from nutritional physiological Not necessary“, emphasized the president of the BfR, Andreas Hensel. The enrichment of children's milk with vitamins and minerals should also be judged critically, as this could cause, for example, an excessive intake of iron or zinc. Thus, there is a risk of over-supply of certain nutrients, while others are absorbed to a much lesser extent than with cow's milk. With regard to the reduced protein content, the BfR, which has so far not been sufficiently scientifically substantiated, explained whether a reduced intake of protein in childhood is accompanied by a reduced risk of obesity later in life. Overall, children's milk offers no nutritional benefits to low-fat cows' milk, and it does not require a balanced diet, according to the Communication from the Consumer Protection Center. According to the experts, parents can therefore confidently forego the special baby milk products and, as of the tenth month, their children gradually get used to a balanced diet with cow's milk as a key component, according to the recommendations of nutritional physicians. (Fp)

Read about:
Fish oil capsules in pregnancy ineffective?
Most toys loaded with pollutants
Greenpeace may call Müller milk gene milk
Milk fresh milk directly from the farm is healthy?
First milk from cows prevents diarrhea
Cancer therapy: breast milk as a cancer killer
Drink lactose-free milk with lactose intolerance
Active ingredients in the milk protect against diabetes

Picture: Almotti