Ultra processed toddler foods dominate Texas grocery audit
A 21-store Austin audit found 81% of packaged toddler foods were ultra-processed and nearly half missed at least one WHO nutrient standard.
By Tom Brennan · Health & Medicine Correspondent
3 min read
Ultra processed toddler foods accounted for 81% of packaged products in a Texas grocery-store audit, according to findings presented by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin. The review also found that 49% of the products failed at least one nutrient standard set by the World Health Organization for commercial foods marketed to children ages 6 to 36 months.
The findings arrive as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration weighs new guidance on front-of-package nutrition labels, health claims and food marketing aimed at children, according to the American Society for Nutrition. The United States does not currently require warning labels on foods high in sugar, sodium or calories.
Erin A. Hudson, an ASN Science Policy Fellow and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Texas at Austin, presented the work at NUTRITION 2026, held July 25-28 in National Harbor, Maryland. Hudson conducted the study with Marissa Burgermaster, an assistant professor at the university.
How many toddler foods are ultra processed?
The researchers photographed baby and toddler food aisles at 21 grocery stores in Austin, Texas, then analyzed 2,783 packaged products marketed for children ages 6 to 36 months, according to the American Society for Nutrition. Infant formula, beverages and purees commonly used as first foods were not included.
Using the Nova classification system, the researchers classified 81% of the products as ultra-processed. Nova groups foods by the degree and type of processing, and the ultra-processed category generally covers industrially made products that contain ingredients or formulations not typically used in home cooking.
The audit also compared products with the WHO Nutrition and Promotion Profile Model for commercial foods for young children. According to the findings, 17% of products exceeded the recommended level for sugar, 25% exceeded the sodium standard, 11% failed on fat content and 12% failed on energy density.
Which products exceeded nutrient standards?
The researchers cited fruit pouches as examples of products high in sugar, while oat bars exceeded recommendations for sugar and calories, according to the American Society for Nutrition. Mac and cheese and turkey sticks were listed as high in sodium and fat.
Cheese puffs exceeded calorie recommendations, and peanut butter puffs exceeded standards for sodium, fat and calories, according to the findings. The researchers also reported that ultra-processed products were significantly more likely to be high in sugar than less-processed products.
Hudson said parents may believe products placed in baby and toddler aisles already meet nutrition standards, but the audit showed that many do not, according to the American Society for Nutrition. She said parents must check ingredient lists and nutrition labels to understand both nutrient content and processing level.
The researchers noted that some less-processed products were higher in fat or calories because they contained whole-food ingredients such as peanuts or beef, which can also provide nutrients. By contrast, they reported, ultra-processed toddler foods were more often high in sugar without added nutritional advantages.
Hudson said warning labels on products that exceed nutrient thresholds could help parents assess packaged toddler foods and could also encourage manufacturers to change product formulations, according to the American Society for Nutrition. The researchers cautioned that their audit covered packaged grocery-shelf products and does not describe the full range of foods parents feed toddlers.
This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.