Rose Prince - The Savvy Shopper

Mail-order asparagus is available from the following suppliers:

C. W. Cave (Terrington) Ltd, Hall Farm, West Rudham,Kings Lynn, Norfolk PE31 8TETel: 01485 528238

Mr and Mrs J. M. Harlow, I Westenhanger Cottage,Maidstone Road, Horsmonden, Tonbridge, Kent TN12 8DDTel: 01892 722533www.easyasparagus.com

A. H. and H. A. Pattullo, Eassie Farm, By Glamis,Angus DD8 ISGTel: 01307 840303

While breast milk is the best possible baby’s tipple, it appears that you are never too young to be green. The buzzword in the baby food and formula market barely needs saying, but organic it is. Ten years ago organic baby food and formula companies could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Now there are at least a dozen. Once weaned, you can be a green gourmet, too. Forget slimy purée—baby gets a menu worthy of an entry in the Michelin Guide. But just before you dash off to buy these Lilliputian ready meals, remember that is exactly what they are and, just like milk from the breast, freshly cooked food from fresh ingredients is always best.

Yes, and interestingly under UK law conventional baby food is free of pesticides, too. The maximum limit for pesticides in milk formula and baby food is set at 0.01mg per kilo, a level so low it effectively means no residues are present. This is not to say there is not a problem. In 2002, when cereal-based baby foods were tested for the organophosphate, pirimiphos methyl, two out of 71 samples had detectable levels. Later that year three out of 73 samples were found to contain the same pesticide – they were withdrawn, but inexplicably cereal-based baby food was not tested the following year.

In terms of pesticide residues, it could provide a guarantee of safety from them, but the benefits of cooking fresh food for a baby or child are greater. It should be said that pesticide manufacturers and conventional farmers continue to argue that agricultural chemicals are safe, but there is still much debate about the so-called cocktail effect of more than one residue on one vegetable. You can always buy organic produce and make baby food with that. Organic growers and producers are permitted to use very few agricultural chemicals, whereas hundreds can be used in conventional farming.

Unless the label has Soil Association organic certification, or carries a statement on animal welfare and feed, the meat, dairy or egg content could derive from intensively reared livestock. Other organic marks are a good sign but Soil Association animal welfare standards are the most stringent.

Non-organic formula will have come from conventional farms, though not all conventional farms are intensive. Again, a reputable organic certificate is a sign of good husbandry. Be aware that conventional, large-scale milk production is bad for the environment (see page 247) and that animal welfare can be compromised. It is not, however, an unsafe food.

The basis of formula milk is protein, whey and casein in a ratio as close as the manufacturer can get to that in breast milk. Fat is added, usually a mix of animal and vegetable fat, but increasingly long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPs) are added too. These include fish-oil-based omega-3 and plant-based omega-6, which are known to benefit the heart and stimulate brain function. Vitamins and minerals are also added, along with amino acids and sometimes proteins called nucleotides, which occur naturally in breast milk and can boost immunity.

There are formulas based on goat’s milk and soy for babies with a family history of allergy-based illnesses. They also contain added nutrients. If you think your child is intolerant or allergic to dairy milk, it is important to seek the advice of a paediatrician or nutrition expert before choosing any alternative.

There is little difference in the basic ingredients, but with each formula the proportions of each may vary. In organic formula, the food-based ingredients must be organically sourced.

Formulation of infant milks is under the control of UK and EU legislation. The law is designed to stop the use of untested novel substances in the manufacture of infant formulas and changes cannot be made to formula milks without proper trials.

For loyalty and profit – the manufacturers want their business. It is very tempting for mothers who are struggling in the early breastfeeding days to top up with formula or even switch over to it. The same practice takes on a more sinister role in developing countries with water cleanliness problems. In 2002 Unicef estimated that 1.5 million babies would die a year from unsafe bottlefeeding. The food corporation, Nestlé, was singled out for aggressively marketing formula milk in developing countries and a worldwide boycott of their products began in 1978. In May 1999 a ruling was published against Nestlé by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). In an anti-boycott advert, Nestlé had claimed that it marketed infant formula ‘ethically and responsibly’. The ASA found that the corporation could not support this or other claims in the face of evidence provided by the campaigning group, Baby Milk Action.

Livestock that produce milk, meat or eggs for the baby food and formula market may be given GM feed, unless they are only grass fed. The authorities say that since the feed passes through the gut, there will be no contamination. GM watchdogs argue that there is some evidence that DNA from GM material remains in and passes through the gut of animals. They also insist that testing and labelling of GM foods is not adequate. Organic baby food producers police for GM contamination very effectively, and the smaller producers provide exceptionally clear traceability.

Yes. The only colours permitted are riboflavin and beta-carotene, which are vitamins with a natural colour. The government complies with EU law and ‘restricts’ the use of other non-natural additives. Keep an eye out for starch-based ‘fillers’, such as modified maize starch (corn starch) and maltodextrin, which are added to bulk out food, thus reducing the ingredient cost (water can be added for the same reason). They make food tasteless, necessitating the use of flavourings. Maltodextrin has no nutritional use. Read the labels, choosing only foods that are 100 per cent natural.

Yes. A survey by the Food Commission found 50 per cent sugar in Nestlé Fruit Stick and 37 per cent in Boots Teddy Bear biscuits, compared with 36 per cent in a jam tart. Traditional Farley’s Rusks (29 per cent) have more sugar than a chocolate digestive (27 per cent). And so-called ‘reduced-sugar’ products from Farley’s (21 per cent) and Hipp (21 per cent) had more sugar than a jam doughnut (19 per cent sugar). These are biscuits for children who are just getting their first teeth! Check the ingredients list for added sugar, including any mention of dextrose, glucose, corn syrup and other types of sugar.