Most food aimed at kids not nutritious

CALGARY , Alberta, July 15 (UPI) -- Most food items aimed specifically at children have a poor nutritional content because of high levels of sugar, fat or sodium, Canadian researchers say.

Charlene Elliott of the University of Calgary says that only 11 percent of the products evaluated provided good nutritional value in line with the criteria laid down by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit agency based in Washington.

The CSPI nutritional standards state that healthy food should not derive more than 35 percent of its calories from fat -- excluding nuts and seed and nut butters -- and should have no more than 35 percent added sugar by weight and sodium levels should be limited to 230 mg per portion for snacks and 770 mg per portion for pre-prepared meals.

The 367 products included in the study were bought from a national supermarket chain and each product was subjected to a 36-point analysis.

The study, published in Obesity Reviews, found just under 70 percent of the products studied -- which excluded confectionery, soft drinks and bakery items -- derived a high proportion of calories from sugar, about 23 percent of the products had a high fat content and 17 percent had high sodium levels.