Cold Stone Creamery sells Silk Chocolate Almond Milk frozen dessert. Ingredients include CHOCOLATE FLAVORED SILK [Almond Milk (Water, Almonds), Cane Sugar, Organic Coconut Oil, Chocolate Flavor Base (Cane Sugar, Water, Cocoa processed with alkali), Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Maltodextrin, contains less than 1%of Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Pea
Protein, Salt, Natural Flavor
The company’s website states “There are no animal products, by-products, or derivatives in this product. However, Cold Stone Creamery® is not a vegan environment and cross-contamination with non-vegan products could occur.”
Cold Stone Creamery also has sorbets. For example, their Pineapple Sorbet contains:
SORBET (Water, Sugar, Dextrose, Citric Acid, Mono & Diglycerides, Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Pectin), PINEAPPLE.
The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.
Each issue of Vegan Journal contains a column called Scientific Update where we review recent scientific papers related to vegetarianism. In the latest magazine, Reed Mangels, PhD, RD reviews a paper on Plant Sources of Protein Associated with a Lower Risk of Physical Decline in Older Women and another paper on Ultra-Processed Foods and Mortality.
The recently released dietary recommendations for the Spanish people consider health, sustainability, and the environmental impact of food. These recommendations were developed by the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN). Although the recommendations do not eliminate animal foods, they call for a limited use of meat and greater use of plant foods. The recommendations call for consuming at least 3 servings daily of vegetables, 2-3 servings of fruits, and 3-6 servings of grains. Legumes should be eaten 4-7 times a week and nuts 3-7 times a week. Meat should be eaten no more than 3 times a week with minimal consumption of processed meat. Eggs are limited to 4 per week. Fish can be eaten 3 or more times per week with emphasis on fish with lower environmental impact. The recommendations call for eating 3 servings per day of dairy products but, due to the environmental impact of dairy products, “it is suggested to reduce the number of daily servings of dairy products if other foods of animal origin are consumed.”
The members of the 2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee have been selected. Their task is to review the body of nutrition research and to develop a scientific report that includes the Committee’s advice for HHS and USDA to consider. This advice, along with public comments, will help HHS and USDA as they develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030.
Perhaps the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, HHS, and USDA can learn from Spain’s dietary recommendations and revise the U.S. Dietary Guidelines to include less meat and more legumes.
Reference:
Comité Cientifico AESAN. Informe del Comité Cientifico de la Agencia Española de Seguridad Alimientaria y Nutrición (AESAN) sobre recomendaciones dietéticas sostenibles y recomendaciones de actividad fisica para la población Española.
At the end of June 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a $308 billion state budget for 2022-2023. This budget features a first for any state in the United States – funding for plant-based school meals in public elementary and secondary schools.
According to the Enacted Budget Summary, the budget includes a one-time $100 million allocation “to support local educational agency procurement practices for plant-based or restricted diet meals, to procure California-grown or California-produced, sustainably grown, whole or minimally processed foods including for use in plant-based or restricted diet meals, or to prepare meals fresh onsite.”
The state budget also includes a one-time $600 million apportionment for upgrades to school kitchens and equipment and food service employee training and compensation that will allow the use of more “fresh, minimally processed California-grown foods.”
To read more about vegan and vegetarian meals in schools see:
A friend recently confided that she was trying to reduce her
sodium intake because her blood pressure is elevated and she’s trying, with her
doctor’s approval, to see if she can lower it through diet. As we talked, I realized, that, despite being
open to the idea of reducing sodium, she wasn’t sure what changes to make. She’s already on the right track – she
doesn’t use many processed foods and she eats a lot of fresh fruits and
vegetables and she enjoys cooking. Here are some ideas I shared with her.
1. Read the Nutrition Facts section of the label. Different
companies have products that vary in sodium content. Even if the label doesn’t
say “low sodium,” you may find a product that is lower in sodium than its
competitors. For example, looking at a supermarket shelf of canned beans, I
found a range of 90-450 milligrams of sodium per ½ cup serving. Choose the
lowest sodium product and you’ve saved as much as 360 milligrams of sodium.
2. Drain and rinse canned beans. You may have noticed that many recipes in Vegan Journal call for canned beans,
drained and rinsed. The reason we suggest this is that up to 40% of the sodium
in a canned product can be rinsed away. So, if you choose a can of beans with a
label value of 200 milligrams of sodium, you can reduce the sodium by as much
as 80 milligrams by draining and rinsing the beans.
3. Add no salt added tomato sauce to jarred pasta
sauce. Jarred vegan pasta sauce can be a
convenience whether you’re using it to top a pizza crust, in vegan lasagna, or
tossed with pasta. You can reduce its
sodium content by mixing it with purchased no salt added tomato sauce in the
ratio of your choice – 1 cup tomato sauce to 1 cup pasta sauce, 2 cups tomato
sauce to 1 cup pasta sauce, etc. Add a little oregano and basil, if you like. If
you decide to use the 1:1 ratio of pasta sauce to tomato sauce, you’ve reduced
the sodium in a ½ cup serving of pasta sauce from, say, 470 milligrams to 255
milligrams.
4. Mix salty snacks with unsalted snacks. If you like to snack on salted nuts or salted
pretzels, buy a bag of unsalted nuts or unsalted pretzels and make your own
reduced sodium mix. You can adjust the ratio of salted product to unsalted
product and as you get used to eating food with less salt, you may find that
you’re using much more of the unsalted product and less of the salted one. If
you start with a 1:1 ratio, you might save 75 milligrams of sodium in a ¼ cup
serving of nuts or as much as 250 milligrams of sodium in a 1 ounce serving of
pretzels.
5. Toss the flavoring packet. Products like ramen noodles are convenient
but they are super salty. Much of their salt comes from the flavoring packet.
You can discard it and flavor the noodles with a low sodium spice blend. If
that’s not an option, start by using just a small bit of the seasoning packet
and taste before adding more. If you’re eating a package of ramen noodles, you
could reduce their sodium from 730 milligrams to 25 milligrams just by
discarding the unopened flavoring packet.
6. Make your own condiments. Salad dressings, barbecue
sauce, salsa, even catsup can be sources of lots of sodium. While you may not
want to make all of these products, choosing a couple that you use frequently
and finding recipes for them where you control the added salt (and use reduced
sodium ingredients where possible) can cut sodium markedly. For instance, a
commercial barbecue sauce might have 300-400 milligrams of sodium per 2 Tablespoons.
Making your own with tomato paste could give you a product with 20 milligrams
of sodium per 2 Tablespoons. There are some commercial reduced sodium barbecue sauces,
but I could only find one kind in area stores.
7. Find or make a low-sodium vegetable broth. Many vegan
recipes call for vegetable broth.
Aseptically packaged vegan broths could have 600 milligrams or more of
sodium per cup. Vegan broth base or
bouillon could result in broth with as much as 800 milligrams of sodium per cup
of broth. You could make your own broth
using fresh vegetables and adding little or no salt, use a commercial low-sodium
vegan broth, or you could replace the broth called for in a recipe with 1 part
of regular commercial broth and 1 part of water (or even more water and less
broth). If you’re working with a well-seasoned recipe, it’s likely that you
won’t even notice that you didn’t use as much broth as was called for.
Replacing a cup of commercial vegan broth with a cup of low-sodium vegan broth
could save as much as 680 milligrams of sodium.
8. Flavor food creatively. Salt is often added to commercial
products as an inexpensive way to flavor food instead of using more expensive
herbs and spices for flavor. If you do your own cooking, you can change that.
Experiment with herbs, spices, vinegars, fruit juices, and other ingredients to
enable you to cut the salt without sacrificing flavor.
9. When using a recipe, don’t feel bound to use the amount
of salt called for. I’ve found that in many recipes I can use half or even less
of the salt in the recipe without noticing it. You can always add salt but it’s
hard to take it out once it’s been added to a dish. Many of our recipes in Vegan Journal call for salt to taste,
encouraging the person preparing the recipe to use their own judgement rather
than relying on someone else’s idea of how salty a dish needs to be. If you
don’t add a lot of salt to a recipe, people can add the amount of salt that
they like at the table.
10. Be aware of salty ingredients like miso, soy sauce,
tamari, and liquid aminos. If the recipe has these ingredients, it probably
doesn’t need additional salt added. And, just as you might do with table salt,
taste the dish before adding salty ingredients – it’s likely that you won’t
need as much as the recipe calls for.
Posted on
November 15, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is a professional
association for dietitians. At their recent virtual meeting (Food and Nutrition
Conference and Expo), one presentation’s focus was on plant-based alternative
“meats.”
I found the remarks of one speaker, Christopher Gardner, PhD
of Stanford University, especially interesting. He suggested that instead of
asking if plant-based “meats” are good (or bad) we should consider if the
question of goodness or badness is being asked in terms of personal health,
environmental sustainability, and/or personal beliefs and values related to
animal rights. In addition, instead of trying to assess goodness or badness, we
should consider what these plant-based “meats” are replacing. Are they being
used instead of animal products or plant-based whole foods?
This way of framing the question is helpful when, for
example, a reporter asks, “Are you concerned about children eating faux meats?”
it’s impossible to make a simple “yes” or “no” response. Am I concerned if a
child eats an occasional veggie burger or unchicken nuggets? No, not at all. Am
I concerned if that’s pretty much all they eat for long periods of time? Yes,
but my concern is with what’s missing and the lack of variety, just as I’d be
concerned if a child only ate bread or eggs or hamburgers. If the veggie burgers and unchicken nuggets
are being used to replace hamburgers and chicken nuggets, I’d consider that to
be a positive switch for health, environmental, and ethical reasons as well as
from a food safety standpoint. If the veggie burgers and unchicken nuggets are
replacing bean burritos or tofu and vegetable stir-fries most days, that would
not be a positive move, in my opinion.
The next time someone asks if plant-based “meats” are good
or bad, think about the many ways that this question can be answered.
Posted on
November 08, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
The Vegetarian Resource Group sent in the
following testimony to USDA in October, 2021. We
did not address every question they asked in the request for comments since
whether or not a product is labeled pork loin containing cultured animal cells
as opposed to pork containing cultured animal cells did not seem like
“our” issue.
We welcome the opportunity
to comment on Labeling of Meat or Poultry Products Comprised of or Containing
Cultured Animal Cells. As a consumer organization, we prioritize providing
clear, helpful label information that consumers can use to make an informed
choice.
Response to question
1:
We believe that the
name or statement of identity of meat or poultry products comprised of or
containing cultured animal cells should inform consumers about how the animal
cells were produced. Vegetarians do not eat meat or poultry and would want to
be aware that a product contains cultured animal cells. We assume that this
would also be the case for those with an allergy to meat or poultry products
and for those who avoid these products due to religious beliefs. In addition,
consumers may not want to purchase products comprised of or containing cultured
animal cells due to concerns about the negative environmental impact of
producing these products.1
In 2020, a survey was
conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of The
Vegetarian Resource Group from June 22-24, 2020 among 2,074 U.S. adults ages 18
and older. We found that more than half of the U.S. adult population (54%)
always or sometimes eats vegetarian (including vegan) meals when eating out. We
asked if survey respondents would purchase a meat alternative grown from animal
cell DNA obtained ten years ago, which does not currently involve the raising
of animals. Only 12% of respondents said they would purchase such a product;
19% of vegetarians including vegans would purchase a meat alternative grown
from animal cell DNA; 19% of those that sometimes or always eat vegan meals
when eating out and 18% of those that sometimes or always eat vegetarian,
including vegan, meals when eating out would purchase this type of meat
alternative.2 Similarly a 2021 national survey was commissioned by
The Vegetarian Resource Group and conducted online by YouGov, of 8 -17
year-olds. This survey found that more than half (53%) of 8-17 year-olds
sometimes or always eat vegetarian meals when eating out. As was done in the
adult poll, we asked if survey respondents would purchase a meat alternative
grown from cells (DNA) from an animal, which was collected years ago which does
not currently involve the raising of animals. Only 9% of respondents said they
would purchase a meat alternative grown from animal cell DNA.3
Since so many
consumers would choose not to purchase a product produced using animal cell
DNA, it is important that consumers be informed about the presence of cultured
animal cells in products in clear, easily understood language. This should be
indicated in the product name and in the ingredient list on the product label
so that consumers can be aware of the product’s composition.
In addition to label
information, it is important for companies to have specific information about
the source of these cells in their products on their websites since many people
look on product websites for information. This information should also be
presented in clear, easily understood language.
Response to question
2a:
Use of a term such as
“engineered using cultured animal cells” would help consumers understand that
the product is based on animal products and that animal cells are used in
production. An educational program would need to be developed to inform
consumers about the meaning of “cultured” in this context. This terminology
should be prominently delayed on the product’s label so that consumers are
aware of the product’s composition.
Response to question
3:
Meat and poultry products
that are comprised of both slaughtered meat and cultured animal cells should be
required to be labeled in a way that clearly informs consumers that the product
contains both slaughtered meat and cultured animal cells. It is important to
specify that the cultured cells are animal cells so that consumers can decide
whether or not they want to purchase a product containing animal cells. As
discussed in our response to question 1 above, consumers are reluctant to
purchase a product derived from animal cell DNA. Information about product
composition should appear on the label.
Response to question
4:
The terms
“vegetarian,” “vegan,” and “plant-based” should never now or in the future be
used in the product name or on the product label of a food comprised of or
containing cultured animal cells. This terminology would be a misrepresentation
of the food product. Although the FDA does not currently define “vegetarian,”
“vegan,” or “plant-based,” these terms are commonly used to imply that products
do not contain ingredients from meat/fish/poultry (vegetarian) or from all
animal products and by-products (vegan). “Plant-based” has a variety of
meanings but it is commonly used to indicate that a product is vegetarian or
vegan.4 Having “vegetarian,” “vegan,” or “plant-based” on a label of
a product containing cultured animal cells would be misleading to consumers.
A survey of vegetarian
and vegan groups conducted in 2013 found that the majority did not believe that
a meat alternative grown from animal cell DNA, obtained ten years ago, which
does not currently involve the raising of animals should be labeled as “vegan.”5
This survey, although informal in nature, suggests that advocacy groups would
not support having terms such as “vegan” used on the label of foods comprised
of or containing cultured animal cells.
Additionally, terms
such as “non-animal” or “animal-free” should never now or in the future be used
in the product name or on the product label of a food comprised of or
containing cultured animal cells. Use of these terms would be misleading for
consumers who, for religious, ethical, philosophical, environmental, or other
reasons do not want to purchase products in which animal products were used at
some point in production.
Response to question
8:
FSIS should not
establish a regulatory standard of identity for foods comprised of or
containing cultured animal cells unless this standard of identity clearly
states that the food is comprised of or contains animal cells and that this
information is required to be included on the product label in both the name of
the product and in the ingredient list.
Response to question
12:
FSIS-regulated broths,
bases, and reaction flavors produced from animal cells should be required to
declare the source material in the product name and in the ingredient listing.
This information will allow consumers to choose whether they want to purchase
these products. Additionally, the terms “vegetarian,” “vegan,” and
“plant-based” should never now or in the future be used in the product name or
on the product label of broths, bases, and reaction flavors comprised of or
containing cultured animal cells for the reasons discussed in the response to
question 4.
Response to question
13:
The presence of
cultured animal cells in further processed products regulated by FSIS should be
identified on the product label, both in the product name and in the ingredient
listing. This information will allow consumers to choose whether they want to
purchase these products. Additionally, the terms “vegetarian,” “vegan,” and
“plant-based” should never now or in the future be used in the product name or
on the product label of further processed products comprised of or containing
cultured animal cells for the reasons discussed in the response to question 4.
Thank
you for the opportunity to comment on this issue.
The
VRG has recently noticed several startup companies in the food ingredient space
marketing their products with an obvious appeal to vegans and vegetarians, as
well as to other consumers with certain dietary restrictions, such as the
lactose intolerant.
Here
in Part 1 of a series, we look at the whey protein isolate manufactured by
Perfect Day.
On
their website, Perfect Day is clear about how they manufacture their whey. They
start with a piece of a genetic code for beta-lactoglobulin (the scientific name for one form of whey). They
found this genetic information available for free on a website.
The actual
genetic material on which the virtual genetic code is based was
initially taken from the blood of 8-year-old L1 Dominette 01449, a cow living in Montana, in 2009. Her blood was used
in the Bovine Genome Project which mapped all 22,000 genes that make up the
entire cow genetic signature.
Perfect
Day acquired the bovine code
from a free online database called UniProt (abbreviation of universal
protein resource).
Then
Perfect Day inserted the genetic code for beta-lactoglobulin into Trichoderma,
a type of fungus. In a large fermentation tank growing on corn sugar, the
microbes followed the genetic directions given to it. As a result, Trichoderma
produced large amounts of whey that were later separated and purified from the
fermentation broth.
The
VRG wanted to know if cane sugar was ever used as the growth medium. This could
be an additional concern for some vegans and vegetarians if the cane sugar had
been processed through a cow bone char filter.
Through
email communication in July 2021, Kathleen Nay, Public Affairs and Content
Specialist at Perfect Day, informed The VRG:
“At
present we use sugar derived from corn. However, our process is feedstock
agnostic and can be adapted to local sugar production depending on where the
fermentation takes place, to tap into or expand sugar markets. We certainly
could use cane sugar if the opportunity were there.”
So
far in 2021, this whey protein isolate is an ingredient in the “vegan,”
“plant-based,” or “animal-free” ice cream products as marketed by these three
brands:
Graeter’s
indicated on their website that their products contained animal-free whey and
casein (another milk protein). We checked into this with Perfect Day and
learned:
“At
present we only supply animal-free whey protein to Graeter’s, and their on-pack
ingredient labels reflect as much (the ingredient is listed as “non-animal whey
protein.”)
That said,
animal-free casein/caseinates are actively in development. I suspect Graeter’s
team developed their FAQs based on our own, which is why theirs mentions casein
as well. It’s certainly worth flagging to them – I will pass your note on to
our relevant team members here who can touch base with Graeter’s to clarify
their website.”
According
to Perfect Day’s website, their whey is functionally, genetically, and
nutritionally equivalent to the whey in cow’s milk. Consequently, it provides
the same texture and taste in foods and beverages as cow’s milk whey. Perfect
Day hopes to sell its product to other food companies that will use it in their
whey-containing items including soups, sauces, shakes, and snacks.
Since
whey is a dairy allergen, federal law requires that it be flagged as such on food labels.
The words “Contains milk or milk ingredients” are commonly seen on labels if
dairy whey is present.
In
the case of Perfect Day’s whey, its presence is indicated on labels by the
words “Contains milk protein” or “Contains milk allergen.” It has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Is whey from Perfect Day “animal-free”?
The
VRG recognizes Perfect Day’s good intentions to move away from a reliance on
conventional dairy cows as the source of its whey. We acknowledge the results
of a recent lifecycle assessment that quantified how many fewer greenhouse gas
emissions are created from its whey production versus those released from
raising live cows for milk.
However,
on the question of whether their whey is “animal-free,” my personal view is
that it wouldn’t be.
The
genetic blueprint for the whey is first and foremost bovine. This means
there is an animal product (an animal gene) directing the entire process. This
is so even if a copy of the bovine gene was used rather than the actual
gene isolated from Dominette’s blood. In other words, an animal product is
involved in the whey’s manufacture as its initiator.
It
is true that the copy of the bovine gene that orchestrated the
manufacture does not become incorporated into the whey. Nor is it
consumed by the process since the gene is still an integral part of the genetic
makeup of Trichoderma fungiwhich are later separated from the
whey product. And obviously since genes are so tiny (but are so powerful in
their action), only a small amount was needed.
In
all these ways, the copy of the bovine gene loosely sounds like a processing
aid. From an FDA document
on exemptions to labeling, processing aids are thus partly defined:
“…Substances
that are added to a food during the processing of such food but are removed in
some manner from the food before it is packaged in its finished form.”
Viewing
the genetic code as a processing aid in this way, Perfect Day would be exempt
from having to label their whey as animal gene-derived.
While
it’s true that on its website the company describes its process as starting
from animal genes, the phrase animal gene-derived is not specifically
used there nor on the ice cream labels of brands (noted above) using its whey.
This term is needed so consumers will know beyond a doubt what they are
purchasing.
Many
vegetarians and vegans do not buy or consume products manufactured with any
animal-derived processing aids or carriers even if the food or beverage is
otherwise vegan or vegetarian. Animal rennet in cheese making is the prime example. Another is
gelatin in fruit drinks
or butter/margarine.
They
may not want to use Perfect Day’s whey based on similar reasoning. These
individuals may not see this whey as “non-animal” or “animal-free.”
If
this whey were added to “plant-based” products or items labeled as “vegan” or
“vegetarian,” as it already is (see Nick’s ice cream brand above), it could
lead to confusion and discontent. It would make some people feel misled, as if
products intended for vegetarians and vegans were now covertly tainted with an
animal ingredient. In this case, it’s a microscopic gene inserted into fungi responsible
for the very existence of the ingredient.
With more animal gene-derived ingredients under development, such as casein (milk protein) and milk fat in the case of Perfect Day, and other animal gene-derived ingredients from other startups that The Vegetarian Resource Group will feature in upcoming blog posts, vegans and vegetarians are advised to seek more information from companies claiming their ingredients or products are “animal-free” or “non-animal.” Find out if the genes are animal-derived or not.
(Under
current circumstances) I predict that companies will eventually drop these
terms entirely and just call their originally animal- or dairy-derived product
“vegan.” If they do, they’ve supplanted the term vegan and redefined it.
“Animal
gene-derived” recommendation for labeling
The
VRG recommends that all food and beverage companies be clear about the
source(s) of all their ingredients on their product labels, websites,
and promotional materials. This recommendation applies also in cases where the
only animal ingredient was an animal’s gene used to direct its manufacture.
It
is only when companies are totally informative about how their ingredients were
made will vegetarians and vegans, as well as others with special dietary
preferences, be able to purchase and consume foods and beverages with total
confidence about what they’re getting.
Stay
tuned to this blog for more posts on other startups producing
“animal-free” or “non-animal” ingredients.
NOTE
FROM THE BLOG EDITOR: Vegetarians and vegans will have different viewpoints on these
issues. The Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of
Agriculture have been asking for testimony for the development of labeling
standards re foods from cultured animal cells. With clear labeling,
consumers will be able to make their own decisions.
To
support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, donate at vrg.org/donate
The
contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including
Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice.
Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We
often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It
is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have
different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether
a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation
on your own.
As most of you know, the restaurant industry is struggling during the Pandemic. If you’re able to, now is a good time to pick-up or have delivered food from a local vegan restaurant. See The Vegetarian Resource Group online Guide to Veggie Restaurants in the USA and Canada: www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php
Photo from One World Cafe
For those living in Baltimore City, many of us in The VRG office especially enjoy delicious food from One World Café. In addition to their usual menu, they also offer vegan specials each weekend that are outstanding! For example, some of their previous specials include: Tofu fajita with grilled peppers, onions and quinoa bowl with seasoned black beans, cabbage salad and slice avocado; Middle Eastern salad and falafel platter; Grilled polenta with tofu triangles in an onion gravy and served with sautéed navy beans with spinach and mushrooms; and Curry chickpea and veggies over organic quinoa with roasted sweet potatoes served with a mango chutney. Their food features whole foods and not just processed foods. Presently they are open Wednesday through Sunday for pick-up, delivery, and limited outdoor and indoor dining. They are located near JHU’s Homewood Campus. See: www.facebook.com/One-World-Cafe-191474677552909/
For the first 6 months or so after birth, babies don’t need any food
other than breast milk (ideally) or a commercial infant formula or a
combination of breast milk and infant formula. But, around age 6 months, most
babies are showing the signs of being ready to start eating solid foods. They
can sit independently which gives them the ability to lean forward if they want
food or to move back if they don’t. They are showing an interest in what others
are eating. They can move food from the front to the back of the mouth, where
it can be swallowed more easily.
An often-recommended first
food is a single ingredient baby cereal, meaning it only contains one cereal
grain. Since it has only one ingredient, it’s easy to know what the baby is
reacting to if the baby has a reaction. It can be thinned with breast milk or
formula to a good consistency – first a thin consistency, with a gradual
increase in thickness. If it is made with breast milk or the baby’s formula, it
will have a taste the baby is familiar with. Many baby cereals are fortified
with iron and some also have added zinc and vitamin B12. Once the baby tolerates single ingredient
cereals, cereals with several grains can be introduced.
You may have heard about
concerns about the arsenic levels in baby rice cereal. Arsenic can be harmful
to the baby’s brain (1). Once these elevated levels of arsenic were discovered,
baby food companies worked to reduce the amount of arsenic in their products. The
FDA has recently reported that 76% of samples of baby rice cereals did not
contain excess arsenic, compared to 47% of samples tested in 2014 and 36% of
samples tested between 2011-2013. (2). Other infant cereals, including those
made with oats, barley, and multi-grains, are lower in arsenic; use of a
variety of cereals is recommended.
Some parents and caregivers
may prefer to make baby cereals. Uncooked oats, barley, or rice can be
processed in a blender until finely ground and then cooked until smooth. These
cereals don’t have the iron that is usually added to commercial baby cereals.
If parents or caregivers make their own baby cereals, use of an iron supplement
should be discussed with the baby’s doctor.
Baby cereals can be fed from
a spoon and should not be fed from a bottle. If your little one likes to
self-feed, make the baby cereal fairly thick, chill it, and cut it into small
bites. It can also be spread onto small pieces of toast.
Here’s a nutritional comparison of several brands of organic baby cereals that are fortified with iron.
Product Serving Size
Iron (mg)
Zinc (mg)
Vitamin B12 (mcg)
Comments
Beech-Nut Oatmeal, 1/4 cup dry
6.8
0.8
0.13
Has added B- vitamins and calcium. Contains vitamin D3 apparently from a non-vegan source.
Gerber Rice, 1/4 cup dry
6.75
1
0.125
Has added calcium, vitamin C and B- vitamins
Gerber Oatmeal, 1/4 cup dry
6.75
1
0.125
Has added calcium, vitamin C and B- vitamins
Gerber Oatmeal- Millet- Quinoa, 1/4 cup dry
6.75
1
0.125
Has added calcium, vitamin C and B- vitamins
Earth’s Best Rice, 1/4 cup dry
6.3
—
—
Earth’s Best Oatmeal, 1/4 cup dry
6.3
—
—
Earth’s Best Multi- Grain, 1/4 cup dry
6.3
—
—
Happy Baby Oatmeal, 3 TB dry
5
—
—
Happy Baby Oats & Quinoa, 3 TB dry
5
—
—
Nutritional information from manufacturers’ websites and package labels, October, 2020.
References
1. European Food Safety Authority Panel on Contaminants in
the Food Chain. Scientific opinion on arsenic in food: EFSA panel on
contaminants in the food chain (CONTAM). Eur Food Safe Auth J. 2009;7(10):1-199.
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