...and the award goes to: Sainsbury's Blue Parrot Café range and Organix Brands children's foods.

The Children's Food Awards Some parents on The Parents Jury said that there was very little 'honest' food and 'honest' food labeling and that the only way they could rely on what was in food was by making it themselves. However, The Parents Jury did recognise that some retailers and manufacturers are beginning to take steps in the right direction, and wanted to praise them for doing so, while still pressing for more improvements. One parent commented I do like the fact that some foods now leave out additives. But it's all very well what they leave out, ... are they putting quality back in? Both Sainsbury's Blue Parrot Café and the Organix range of children's foods received praise from The Parents Jury, with other supermarkets such as Marks & Spencer and Iceland also getting honorary mentions. See what the parents said below:

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I am concerned about the use of artificial additives in children's food & drinks. Sainsbury's Blue Parrot range is a step in the right direction.
father of three, from Sevenoaks in Kent

Sainsbury's Blue Parrot Café range does try to promote healthier eating but some products are still a bit too 'fast food' for me.
mother of two, from Sutton Coldfield

Sainsbury's Blue Parrot Café simply for getting the ball rolling. BUT the products still don't seem to be very healthy. E.g. Why should fish fingers contain dextrose?
no name given

I like the clear percentage breakdown list of ingredients on Organix and Baby Organix products.
mother of one, from Horsham in West Sussex

It's good that Baby Organix has forced the issue on unnecessary additives in baby and toddler pre-prepared meals.
mother of four, from Harpenden in Hertfordshire

Baby Organix was one of the first companies to acknowledge the need for better quality weaning foods and at least give some choice.
mother of two, from Bury in Lancashire

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M&S and Sainsbury's are both good at food labeling to help folk with allergies.
mother of two, from Warlingham in Surrey

The M&S kids' foods offer a more nutritious range of lunchbox and convenience food - e.g. a pasta sauce packed with vegetables. It's also clearly labelled in store.
mother of two, from London

Iceland seem to be making an effort not to use artificial additives.
no name given

Iceland is making a conscious effort to reduce the use of additives - the first pioneering supermarket to advertise this.
mother of one, from Preston in Lancashire

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Expert opinion

Health campaigners have given a cautious welcome to the Sainsbury's Blue Parrot Café range, which was launched in January 2001. Like many of the members of The Parents Jury, they see it as a step in the right direction. Whilst many of the products in the Blue Parrot Café range are healthier than much of the food that is routinely sold to children, there are still one or two products which drag the standards down, such as Strawberry Fizz Wafers (see below). As with all processed foods and drinks, it's always worth reading the small print on the back of the packet to find out what you're really getting.

Organix Brands is one of the few food companies that seems to put the health of its customers before other interests - and their ever-expanding sales would seem to indicate that consumers like what they're selling. They led the way in promoting organic baby foods which didn't contain the low nutrient, starch-thickened paste that most other manufactuers use..

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Sainsbury's Blue Parrot Café range - What's in it?

Sainsbury's Blue Parrot Café promises to meet the following nutritional criteria -

• restricted colours and/or preservatives
• only natural flavours
• controlled fat, especially saturated fat, and salt
• no added flavour enhancers
• choice of products sweetened with sugar or with artificial sweeteners
• encourage the use of fruit and vegetables

There is a wide range of foods and drinks available in the Blue Parrot range - but the nutritional quality can vary. For instance, a packet of Blue Parrot Café Strawberry Fizz Wafers contains largely natural ingredients - but with 20.8g of saturated fat per 100g and 32.5g sugars per 100g these biscuits are not a 'healthy' snack.

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Organix children's foods - What's in 'em?

Organix Brands children's foods

Organix Brands manufacture a wide range of children's and baby foods. The company website explains that its approach has always been to focus upon the 'Four Fundamentals' of sharing information, being accountable to parents, working with high quality ingredients, and producing foods with good nutritional values. All foods are made with 100 per cent organic ingredients which are sourced from partnership farms. The products contain no additives, flavourings, thickeners, added sugar, processing aids or fillers.

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The Children's Food Awards 2002

The Children's Food Awards 2003

Join The Parents Jury

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