Golden Windbag: Brazen advertising lies that already harm babies
Golden Windbag 2017 for Alete: In an online vote by the consumer organization foodwatch, a large majority of the more than 70,000 participants chose a sugary baby cookie from the manufacturer as the most brazen advertising lie of the year.
Every year, the consumer organization foodwatch awards the "Goldene Windbeutel" (Golden Cream Puff) as a shaking-up prize for brazen advertising lies in the area of food & nutrition. Alete now received 1st place because, contrary to the recommendations of medical experts, it markets its "baby cookie" for babies from the age of eight months "for learning to nibble" - although the baby cookies contain 25 percent Sugar content even more sugary than Leibniz butter cookies and promote tooth decay. foodwatch wanted to present the negative award at Alete's administrative headquarters in Bad Homburg, but the company refused to comment.
Sugar is added to 30 percent of its baby products
"Alete is exploiting its positive image among parents to cash in at the expense of the youngest children - this borders on bodily harm by misleading them," said Sophie Unger of foodwatch, "election leader" at the Golden Windbag. The consumer organization called on the baby food manufacturer to take the product off the market and revise its product range. Because although doctors and nutrition experts advise against added sugar for babies, Alete has added sugar to about 30 percent of its baby products, including yogurts, semolina porridge, puddings and even cookies. Consumers can send the appeal to Alete at. www.alete-aktion.foodwatch.de support.
WHO unambiguous, EU regulation contradictory
The World Health Organization (WHO) explicitly advises for the nutrition of infants and young children: "Salt and sugar should not be added to complementary foods". The German government also launched the Healthy into life" network recommends "products without added sugar" as complementary foods for infants. Alete nevertheless markets its sugary cookie from the eighth month of life - and quite legally. Because the EU regulation on baby food leaves gaps: For example, there are specifications for exposure to pesticides, but even cookies with a sugar content of up to 34 percent may still be advertised as recommended products for babies. After the start of the cream puff election, Alete had reacted and announced at the beginning of November that it would no longer label its cookies as "suitable for babies" on the packaging. Sophie Unger from foodwatch: "The baby food manufacturer Alete no longer wants to call its baby cookies 'baby-friendly', but continues to recommend the sugar cookies for babies - how absurd is that! Alete is taking particularly brazen advantage of the legal loopholes. The case makes it clear: We urgently need better legal requirements for baby food."
Prof. Dr. Wieland Kiess, Director of the Clinic for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University of Leipzig, told foodwatch: "Infants should not eat products with added sugar, for example, to prevent the development of caries and early sweetness habituation. Nutrition in the first months of life is formative and influences a person's later eating behavior. Recommending a cookie with 25 percent sugar for babies is simply irresponsible."
Background
foodwatch is awarding the Golden Windbag this year for the seventh time. The first election took place in 2009. Previous winners have included Danone's Actimel drinking yogurt (2009), Ferrero's Milk Slice (2011) and an instant tea for children from Hipp (2012). The aim of the negative award is to draw attention to the systematic, entirely legal misleading of food products and to bring about better laws.
Candidate profiles for the Golden Windbag 2017
Alete: No sugar for babies" online protest action
TV statements on all candidates
