June 1 is the day on which the "Food Safety Law" comes into force. The new law places strict restrictions on various food related processes, including food production, marketing and regulation, providing better assurance of food safety.
Coincidentally, June 1 is also Children's Day. It is hoped that the "Food Safety Law" will take this opportunity to stand guard on its first shift, and protect children's food.

Children foodstuffs constitute a huge market. There are currently quite a few mistaken ideas about children foodstuffs, and parents need to pay attention to the following points when purchasing food for their children:

Pay attention to food additives

Nowadays, much of children's food contains additives, particularly saccharin, essences and food colorings, the "three well-known food additives," most of which comply with national standards.

However, in light of the fact that children are in the body-growing stage, parents are advised to take a closer look at the food label when purchasing children's food. Purchase only small quantities of food with high additive contents or no such foodstuffs so as to avoid side-effects incurred as a result of an excessive intake of such additives.

Pay attention to carbonated beverages

Currently, many children like to quench their thirst by drinking beverages instead of boiled water. In fact, no matter what type of beverage, whether it be a carbonated beverage or a fruit juice, excessive drinking of such beverages will not be conducive to growth and development, as this type of product contains a varied degree of hormones or a large amount of sugar, which will likely lead to diseases like developmental disorder and obesity. It is therefore a factor which parents should pay attention to.

Pay attention to the food's color and fragrance

Any type of beverage with a strawberry or apple flavor contains some kind of chemical flavoring agent, which is not a natural substance. Although consuming an appropriate amount of food coloring is not harmful to the human body, it is true for children that the lighter the food's color, the better the food will be for them. As a result, parents must exercise caution in purchasing foods for children.

Pay attention to the food's ingredients list

Nowadays, many foods do not clearly indicate on the label the age group to which the food is suited, and not all high-quality foods are appropriate for children. For example, many functional drinks popular in today's market are not suitable for young children. Likewise, children should not be allowed to consume foods containing caffeine. In light of this, the ingredients list must be carefully examined when purchasing foods for children.

Pay attention to "rich foods" or "a one-sided diet"

In terms of diet, a balanced combination of different types of food is very important. These days, many children like to eat meat or dairy products, but seldom eat vegetable dishes or fibrous foods, which is very likely to lead to a lack of some nutrients. Severe cases may lead to retarded development of the nervous system and a lack of chromium can lead to decreased insulin activity, which in turn may lead to the child having severely reduced vision and long-term shortsightedness.

Pay attention to fried foods

Fried foods, such as French fries and fried chicken or shrimp cutlets, are typically children's favorites. However, this type of food is rich in sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate, and flavoring agents while containing very low amounts of protein, cellulose and minerals. This type of food has no nutritional effect on children, and moreover frequent consumption may lead to obesity or hypertension. Therefore, it is preferable to consume such foods as little as possible.

By People's Daily Online