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How are Farley's Rusks allowed to be sold as suitable baby food?

153 replies

00100001 · 09/07/2020 18:19

They have 4.9g of sugar in them! Per biscuit...not per 100g!

For reference a McVities milk hocolate digestive has 4.8g of sugar per biscuit

Does anyone know why they're allowed?

OP posts:
Chicchicchicchiclana · 09/07/2020 20:17

Oh, that is shocking!

I didn't give them to my babies as I vaguely knew they had a lot of sugar. But seeing it set out like that Shock

Zoomintheroom · 09/07/2020 20:19

I'd forgotten about risks! Just added two boxes to my Tesco order. The original not reduced sugar version!

BackforGood · 09/07/2020 20:21

They really should be reserved as student food, for pregnancy cravings and a feeling a bit crap snack.

This ^
You should start a new marketing campaign

Interested in this thread?

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Fandanglethat · 09/07/2020 20:23

SandMason there is evidence sugar can affect teeth before they come. Plus a high sugar diet at a young age will likely lead to a high sugar diet going forward.

majesticallyawkward · 09/07/2020 20:26

4 months is still the recommended age in some countries, the packaging says 4+ months because they are sold in those countries and it's easier/cheaper to have one set of label designs for everywhere.

Risks are awful though (for babies, is happily eat them!). A lot stuff marketed for kids is very sugary, i get comments from people (older generally) that I give my kids 'adult food' like the 7mo will happily have natural yoghurt with fruit to sweeten rather than a kids yoghurt, or my 5yo will turn down chocolate/sweets in favour of an apple.

I just don't think babies and children need the sugar, salt and chemicals that are marketed at them. The 'oh it didn't do me/my kids any harm' is infuriating, the amount of adults now with health issues that can be traced to poor diet says otherwise.

00100001 · 09/07/2020 20:35

@AlternativePerspective

Meh. All about moderation isn’t it.

Besides which what’s this notion of making it law etc etc when we have presumably been blessed with common sense.

As for four/six months old. There is a lot of evidence now that increasing the weaning age to six months actually increases the risk of allergies. Many parents are actively advised by paediatricians to wean from four months. When mine was a baby four months was still the recommended weaning age.

But the way people obsess over not weaning a day before six months is peculiar. And yet people will merrily advise others to co-sleep even though that is also not advised.

I'm fairly certain the advice is around 6 months to stop people weaning dangerously early.

There's people that would be told the 4 months and wean their babies on sugar biscuits at 3 months, because "they're hungry babies and they're almost 4m anyway!"

Considering antenatal classes round our way tell you not to bath your baby in bleach, I'm guessing the advice on 6 months is targeted towards those people...

OP posts:
ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal · 09/07/2020 20:39

Heres an idea, how about you look after your children and everyone else will look after theirs however they see fit. If you don't want to give yours rusks, then don't.

ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal · 09/07/2020 20:40

The advice i was given when mine were weaning 3 years ago, was 4-6 months.

00100001 · 09/07/2020 20:43

@ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal

Heres an idea, how about you look after your children and everyone else will look after theirs however they see fit. If you don't want to give yours rusks, then don't.
...are you okay???
OP posts:
00100001 · 09/07/2020 20:45

@ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal

The advice i was given when mine were weaning 3 years ago, was 4-6 months.
Advice changes... You're not advised to leave them to cry anymore... Or feed them on a rigid 3-4 he schedule... Etc
OP posts:
ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal · 09/07/2020 20:47

Yeah I'm good thanks. I'm just stick to the back teeth of idiots like you judging other mothers for how they raise their children. And suggesting that those who started weaning before 6 months are at risk of bathing their children in bleach. You obviously think you're a much better mother than they are.

Bupkis · 09/07/2020 20:48

BackforGood
You should start a new marketing campaign

Thanks. It will go along with other slogans like ..."Boxed wine - good for Lockdown and looks better in your recycling"

ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal · 09/07/2020 20:48

I doubt the advice has changed that much from three (3) years ago, when i was told by my dc's consultant paediatrician to wean from 4 months onwards. But hey, maybe she liked to bath babies in bleach too.

quodvox · 09/07/2020 20:49

I love 'em. Dc never had them but I used to dip them in my tea!

00100001 · 09/07/2020 20:49

I'm perfectly entitled to judge an adult that feed a 4m old nearly 5g of sugar because they think it's fine... Just as you're entitled to feed your 18w old baby 5g of sugar against advice of health professionals 🤷‍♀️

OP posts:
00100001 · 09/07/2020 20:50

@ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal

I doubt the advice has changed that much from three (3) years ago, when i was told by my dc's consultant paediatrician to wean from 4 months onwards. But hey, maybe she liked to bath babies in bleach too.
The advice has changed... It's from around 6m now...
OP posts:
TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 09/07/2020 20:51

I used to buy them when they were on offer. A box of reduced sugar ones for the baby, and a box of original ones for me Grin
When they were toddlers their favourite treat from the co-op was an apple (apples weren't a treat, we had them at home anyway but they nearly always asked for one) or a bread roll from the bakery section. Grin
They are teens now and would live on pasta and noodles if I didnt cook for them.

dementedpixie · 09/07/2020 20:56

The advice has been from 6 months since 2003 when dd was a baby. I found rusks incredibly sweet so never actually used them

pinkmummy1 · 09/07/2020 20:57

I put my hands up. I've fed my 4 month old babies the sugary rusks and they both loved them and I even weaned them on baby porridge every morning.

I may make all my own meals from scratch but that doesn't matter because according to some people a small biscuit now and again is enough to make you a bad parent.

If the amount of sugar in foods offends you then jest dont buy it. It is that simple.

GrumpyHoonMain · 09/07/2020 21:00

Petite filous and similar have far more sugar. Even the Ella’s savoury pouches have more sugar in the form of fruit juice to make them palatable for babies. If you don’t want sugar then best not to give your kid anything you haven’t made yourself as baby food is definitely a con.

ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal · 09/07/2020 21:00

I didn't say i weaned mine onto rusks. I said i can't stand it when women judge other women for the way they raise their babies. It makes you a twat.

00100001 · 09/07/2020 21:06

@ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal

I didn't say i weaned mine onto rusks. I said i can't stand it when women judge other women for the way they raise their babies. It makes you a twat.
Well, I'm sure lots.od people don't realise how much sugar there is.

I'm allowed to judge, just as you're allowed to judge me...

And the thread is actually asking how they're allowed to be described as suitable for babies, when they're clearly not.

OP posts:
00100001 · 09/07/2020 21:08

@pinkmummy1

I put my hands up. I've fed my 4 month old babies the sugary rusks and they both loved them and I even weaned them on baby porridge every morning.

I may make all my own meals from scratch but that doesn't matter because according to some people a small biscuit now and again is enough to make you a bad parent.

If the amount of sugar in foods offends you then jest dont buy it. It is that simple.

No one is saying babies having a biscuit at 5 months makes you a bad parent.

The question asked was why are they being labelled/promoted a suitable for babies...when they're not, just as I'm presuming most people wouldn't feed their lo a chocolate digestive...

OP posts:
SleepingStandingUp · 09/07/2020 21:23

I need to fatten ds5 up, maybe I'll feed him rusks...

Brought dtwins the low sugar ones but they're not keen. Now banana baby porridge made with formula not water... 🍌😋👶🏻😙

TheMurk · 09/07/2020 21:25

FGS I grew up on rusks and full fat Ribena. Not a single filling in my 44 year old mouth and I I only got fat when I started drinking .