Researchers from Bristol have found that 70% of eight-month-old babies consume too much salt through processed foods including yeast extract, baked beans and, surprisingly, even cow’s milk.
High levels of salt can damage developing kidneys, give children a taste for salty foods and establish poor eating practices that continue into adulthood.
The researchers found that the majority of infants were first introduced to solids around 3- 4 months, with the mean salt intake for the highest group at eight months more than double the maximum recommendation of 400mg sodium per day up to 12 months.
Infants in this top group often consumed cows' milk as a main drink, which has a higher sodium content at 55mg per 100g than breast (15mg per 100g) or formula (15-30mg per 100ml) milk.
They also ate three times the amount of bread compared to the lowest group, and were given salty flavourings such as yeast extract and gravy.
In the UK current intakes in both children and adults are far higher than NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidelines.
Dr Pauline Emmett and Vicky Cribb, nutritionists, said: “These findings show that salt intakes need to be substantially reduced in children of this age group. Infants need foods specifically prepared for them without added salt, so it is important to adapt the family diet.”
The team concluded that manufacturers have a responsibility to reduce the salt content of food products.