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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

okay, no dairy, no meat until 6 months - so why is there meat in ready-made baby food?? Confused

40 replies

swizzles · 06/10/2005 21:27

My husband bought a range of baby foods today, he thought we could try them ourselves to see what we will be feeding our baby when we eventually wean her (I thought this was very sweet )

The jars were meant from 4 months onwards, but they all contain chicken or beef. So now I'm confused - I thought they couldn't have meat until 6 months??

OP posts:
moondog · 06/10/2005 21:30

Hmmm,even more reason to steer clear. It will actually be MRM,which stands for 'mechanically recovered meat'.
They put carcasses in a big drum,spin it around until the meat residue comes away as sludge and can be scraped off the sides of the drum then shape it.

Lovely

Golden rule is...would you like it for your dinner?????

Thought not.....

WigWamBam · 06/10/2005 21:31

They're not really meant to have anything other than milk until 6 months - doesn't stop the manufacturers making the products, though, and claiming that they're suitable from 4 months. It's more about there being no legislation to stop it than it is about it being the "right" thing to give to a baby.

startingtobehalloweenylover · 06/10/2005 21:36

i don't think that the meat in baby food is actually MRM.
I am pretty sure there are quite stringent rules about what can go in it... although would be interested to read if you have found something to the contrary moondog

it is ADVISED not to give meat til 6 months. That doesn't mean you have to do it.

moondog · 06/10/2005 21:49

stbhl (who are you??!) whatever it is,I certainly wouldn't eat it.

Bleeurgghhhh!!

startingtobehalloweenylover · 06/10/2005 21:50

i wouldn't either! but then i am vegetarian (and ds) so don't have to worry.
actually, i think even the veggie baby foods taste pretty gross tbh

Mojomummy · 06/10/2005 22:51

Yes definetely steer clear of the meat (yuk) & they taste foul

I'd stick to pureeing carrots, courgettes, pears etc - REAL food ! ()

FrightfullyPoshFloss · 06/10/2005 22:54

I avoided all meat till 7 months actually. Dairy about the same. Just to be sure, as I was a bit of a slave to what I thought to be right. No sugar in anything at all untill 9 months. Just following my instincts though really IMO. Do what feels right.

sweetkitty · 06/10/2005 23:05

Have you actually tasted some of the jars? They are disgusting and all taste the same IMO. All I could taste was carrots and cornflour. If you look at the ingredient list only about 5% is meat, used to work in the food industry and although standards are high they bulk the jars out with the cheapest ingredients first.

alux · 07/10/2005 11:04

an idiot's guide to reading ingredients of anything commercially made: they are listed from highest to lowest percentage.

TheRtHonBaronessEnidOBE · 07/10/2005 11:05

make your own!

you already know what apples and carrots taste like, so why not start with those?

nailpolish · 07/10/2005 11:07

i think 6 mths is still too young for meat (apart from fish) just my personal opinion though, have no reason or nothing to back it up!)

and youre not supposed to wean before 6 mths anyway

i have looked at jars in the past and everything that they make in jar form is pretty easy to make for yourself (and the rest of the family can have some too)

gigglinggoblin · 07/10/2005 11:09

you often find wheat in them aswell saying they are ok from 4 months. am fairly sure thats not the advice the hv give

we are veggie and ds rarely got jarred baby food cos it was so boring, there was a choice of pasta and cheese sauce or cheese sauce and pasta. ok for emergencies but much better to just blend a bit of whatever you are having

Original poster
swizzles · 07/10/2005 16:00

I fully intend to make my own, it was my husband who bought the jars

the thing I'm confused about is, if I shouldn't include meat and dairy until 6 months in the stuff I make myself, how come it's in the jars??

And can I make cauliflower cheese with formula? It's sweet isn't it?

OP posts:
nailpolish · 07/10/2005 16:03

its because its only recommended

aloha · 07/10/2005 16:03

It's best not to wean at all before six months and then you don't have to faff about what you can and can't give.

nailpolish · 07/10/2005 16:04

im pretty sure its ok to cook with cows milk from 6 mths (therefore you could make it like you would for yourself and blend)

startingtobehalloweenylover · 07/10/2005 19:38

because it's only advice swizzles! it isn't against the law to give babies meat.

Mirage · 07/10/2005 20:32

The same thought passed through my mind too.I gave dd1 meat before 6 months,but she never had much in the way of jars-They tend to be mostly filler.I just cooked our meals without salt & put them in the blender.

I'm puzzled by the dairy thing too.When dd1 went off milk at 5 months,I was advised to feed her lots of food with milk in to make up the calcium & was told it was ok to use cows milk before 6 months,but only in cooking.I made cheese sauce as normal & she ate it.

I have an NHS Dietetic services booklet for dd2 & that says that products with cows milk are ok.I hope so,because she has been guzzling down greek yogurt like you wouldn't believe.

It is confusing & I only weaned dd1 about 20 months ago,so should know what I'm doing by now!

Another thing-you are advised not to give citrus & strawberries until after 6 months too.So why aim 'Sunshine Orange' &' Summer fruits'cereal at 4 month old babies?

startingtobehalloweenylover · 07/10/2005 20:33

because it's all ADVICE! it isn't set in stone!!!!

arrrgggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh

CarolinaFullMoon · 07/10/2005 20:54

think this calls for a

it's like - just as an example - Tesco's Healthy Living breakfast cereals: low in fat (and thusly "healthy"), but also surprisingly high in sugar (they don't boast about that on the packet).

baby food manufacturers aren't your mate - they are out to make money from you.

moondog · 07/10/2005 21:00

Well said Carolina!

fuzzy · 08/10/2005 00:08

Precisely Carolina!!
'The rot begins with those little jars' -Joanna Blythman.
I never gave either of my kids jars ever !! (it took a lot of effort and time in the kitchen but was worth it)

Food manufacturers prey on first time parents, assuming we have not got the confidence to know what is good for our children to eat.

I had no idea either to begin with but found some excellent cookbooks for babies and children. These are a much better guide than food manufacturers. There are an abundance cookbooks and the advice is generally pretty good.

If you have to, jars should really be emergencies only.
Sorry, but I absolutely loathe the little beasties!!!

trinityrocks · 12/10/2005 18:34

I feel shame and regret that my dd1 my fed on jars throughout her 1st year Why?????.............. becasue it was due to my depression not to a choice of whether I thought it was a good idea.
DD2 has had the occasional jar, out of convenience rather than anything else.

About the MRM in baby foods comment, I would like to think that the world has not turned THAT bad, I have been led to beleive that if MRM is used in a product then it HAS to be stated on the label. I would be shocked to find that that was not the case. I am going to look into it.
I agree though that they are shit and taste like crap.

weesaidie · 12/10/2005 18:40

No rot here thank you very much. I gave my dd jars at times but now she eats whatever I have and I cook every single night for just the two of us.

aloha · 12/10/2005 18:40

Babyfoods do not contain MRM. They never have. YOu can relax about that.
I don't think they taste very nice either, but they certainly won't harm your baby.
I don't think anyone should feel guilty about using them.

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