We have greeted reports that sales of branded baby food have crashed by nearly 15% year on year, following the damning BBC Panorama investigation into the high sugar content and poor nutritional value of pouches.
Latest figures indicate baby food brands sold 26.1 million fewer units in the year to 28 February 2026 and lost £33m in value sales.
Last year we undertook the most wide-ranging analysis of the UK baby food pouch market ever for Panorama. Market analysis of 209 products aimed at children aged under 12 months found that top brands were actively undermining Government guidance on weaning from around six months.
Over a quarter contained more sugar by volume than Coca-Cola, with parents of infants as young as four months marketed pouches that contain the equivalent of up to 184% of the sugar levels of the soft drink. Those pouches were without exception fruit-based mixes.
Market leader Ella's Kitchen - whose banana puree came in as worst offender with 19.5g of sugar per 100g - experienced the greatest volume and value losses. It sold 12.7 million fewer units and shed £17.7m of its value.
“A year ago, we helped lift the lid on the sugar-laden pouches being pushed to parents of toddlers as 'healthy options',” says BDA Chair Eddie Crouch.
“Sales have crashed. It's progress, but it's not our job to warn parents. It's for Government to ensure that honest marketing is in place.”