Colorful figures on food packs are intended to attract children in particular. But in the fight against obesity and unbalanced nutrition, such products are also criticized. There is now a ban on sugar.
Berlin (dpa) - Herbal and fruit teas for babies and toddlers must be sugar-free in the future. There should also be new information on the packaging for the parents, not to sweeten them themselves. This is laid down in a decree by the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Julia Klöckner (CDU), which the Federal Council has now approved.
Accordingly, added sugar and other sweetening ingredients such as honey, malt extract, syrups or thick juices are prohibited in the teas. Consumer advocates demanded far more stringent requirements for children's products.
Klöckner spoke of an important step for a healthy diet for small children. "Sugar has no place in baby teas." The course for nutritional behavior was set early, the first 1000 days of children's lives were crucial. "Consuming sweetened drinks from the start increases the risk of tooth decay, later overweight or even obesity." The sugar ban should now be passed immediately.
There should also be a notice on the packaging or on a label to refrain from adding sugar and other sweetening ingredients when preparing. There should also be a label indicating the age from which the teas can be used - in general, this should not be less than four months. As stated in the regulation, the sugar ban affects 37 products currently available. According to a market overview, the new information requirements on the packaging affect 85 products.
The consumer advice centers welcomed the ban, but this is far from sufficient. "The supermarkets are full of unhealthy foods that are specifically marketed to children," said the head of the federal association, Klaus Müller. Parents are suggested that certain products are particularly suitable for the little ones, even though they are completely sugar-coated. "Without strict legal rules for all products with a children's look, the range will not be more balanced." The federal government had to set maximum levels for sugar, salt and fat for all products aimed at children.
The consumer organization Foodwatch criticized the new regulations as a "diversion". Sweetened children's teas are a niche product that hardly plays a role in retail anyway, said expert Oliver Huizinga. Klöckner had to take "serious measures", as the World Health Organization (WHO) and doctors have been calling for for years. "The promotion of unbalanced food to children must be prohibited by law." Among other things, a "limo tax" based on the British model is needed.
The sugar stop for baby teas is part of a program that the federal government wants to use to promote healthier nutrition. The focus is also on fat and salt in finished products. A "reduction strategy" adopted by the cabinet at the end of 2018 stipulates that manufacturers will commit to ingredient changes by 2025. Doctors and consumer advocates criticize the procedure on a voluntary basis.
Another tool is the new Nutri-Score nutritional logo. The system, which comes from France, includes not only the content of sugar, fat and salt, but also recommendable ingredients such as fiber in an overall rating and then gives a single value - on a scale from "A" on a dark green field for the most favorable balance to a red " E "for the worst.
Regulation on sugar ban in children's teas