Food and nutrition.pdf

184 Young Children and Toddlerscalories from fat. In addition, complementary foods are a good way tointroduce new tastes and textures so your infant can eventually graduatetQ eating the same meals as the rest of your family.In the past, many mothers started feeding solid foods too early, beforetheir baby's digestive organs were sufficiently developed. In addition,semi-solid foods must be fed with a small spoon. Yet, before the age offour to six months, the infant's nervous system is not sufficientlydeveloped to allow use of a spoon. Before starting to eat solid foods, yourinfant should be able to sit easily with support and coordinate chewingand swallowing. Solid foods such as cereal should never be placed in abottle for feeding.When starting the transition to complementary foods, milk or anappropriate formula should continue to be a major part of the infant'sdiet. Whole cow's milk or goat's milk, which are widely used by mothersthroughout the world, are not appropriate as an exclusive source of foodfor infants. For this reason, and at the request of the medical profession,follow-on formulas were developed to meet the nutritional needs of olderinfa"!1ts. They provide the liquid part of a weaning diet and, because theycontain more iron, more vitamin D and less saturated fat, are nutritionallymore appropriate than whole cow's milk or other animal milks.Preventive Measures Taken by Babv Food Companiesto Ensure the Safety of Baby FoodsCommercial baby foods are made according to the highestmicrobiological and nutritional specifications and all ingredients mustmeet strict safety and quality standards. Thorough heat treatment,combined with strict hygiene standards, ensures the sterility of the productthroughout the manufacturing process.In addition, companies operate controlled and dedicated supplychains so that the raw materials can be traced back to their sources.Suppliers are thoroughly screened and audited using such qualifiedinspectors as veterinarians and quality control experts to ensurecompliance with standards. All manufacturing processes are designed toensure the microbiological safety of the product. Production andpackaging processes are carefully chosen for maximum protection and tokeep products in the best possible condition throughout theil shelf life.Amount of Meat Used in Commercial Baby FoodsThe meat content of commercial baby foods varies. Generally, babyfoods contain less meat than adult meat-based products do. Large amountsof meat can be overpowering for babies in terms of taste, smell and texture.Consequently, manufacturers try to balance the ingredients in meat-based