Food Composition Table for Retort-packaged Baby Foods

Abstract

A food composition table was prepared for estimating the dietary composition of retort-packaged baby food to use in surveys on the dietary intake of infants. The food composition table was based on estimates by several registered dietitians of the ingredients and weight of food in retort-packaged baby food according to product photographs and the nutritional facts label on the packages. The data were prepared from 124 baby food products with high market share according to a point of sale database. The estimated weights of ingredients per 100 g of baby food were 16-26 g rice or noodles, 6-9 g of meat, fish, or hen's egg, and 19-32 g of vegetables. These weights were less than those empirically recognized by the dietitians. Thus suggests that dietitians tend to overestimate the weights of protein foods and vegetables which are the main ingredients in baby food. The estimated food composition of retort-packaged baby food was statistically classified into six types to provide a standardized tool for surveying the energy and 42 nutrients in infant food.