Saudi Gazette Report

RIYADH —The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) confirmed that breast-milk substitute (BMS) products are sugar-free complying with the Saudi specifications applied to infant formula products in the Kingdom. The authority stressed that it is mandatory for all manufacturers and importers of BMS products to apply these standards. The SFDA is strictly following up on these companies whether they are adhering to these standards through continuous monitoring and inspections.

The authority stated this in response to a new report about one of the world’s major consumer food companies adding sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold in many poorer countries. This is in contrary to international guidelines aimed at preventing obesity and chronic diseases.

Referring to this matter, noted pediatrician Dr. Azzam Khaled Belskar said that infant formula in Saudi Arabia does not contain added sugar, and it is not recommended to add any sugar or honey to children under the age of two years to avoid health problems, including brucellosis due to honey. “We may sometimes overlook the natural sugars in milk, which is the natural sugar lactose that provides the child’s body with energy and is found in fruits, which is one of the things that the child needs for his nutrition,” Al-Arabiya reported quoting him as saying. “ Breast milk remains the best because of the properties it contains that are compatible with the child’s needs at every stage, in addition to the presence of immune bodies. It is also important to monitor the child’s nutrition so that it does not affect his natural growth,” he said.

Dr. Belskar warned of the effect of sugars on children, which leads to distraction and hyperactivity due to added sugars, as well as tooth decay, and an indirect impact on the intellectual and mental development of children, the acquisition of cognitive behavior in children who suffer from hyperactivity, and language acquisition and other basic skills. He said that sugar is one of the basic supplies of food and nourishment to the brain. “The brain depends on sugar in particular, but its presence in great abundance gives the brain a feeling of joy and euphoria simply by its presence, and when it disappears, the child becomes distracted and begins searching for it, which leads to something similar to sugar addiction.”

Dr. Belskar stressed that it is not a requirement for a child to have diabetes, but it is an essential precursor to childhood obesity, which has a major impact on the stages of growth, and may affect the child’s growth and healthy bone growth, which may lead to bowed feet and difficulty in moving in the long term. It may lead to the child complaining of cholesterol, high blood pressure, or type 2 diabetes.

The pediatrician explained that the World Health Organization warned against children consuming sugars up to the age of 4 years, and they can be replaced with fruits, and the percentage of sugar added to the child’s meal does not exceed 20 grams per day distributed among the meals, and from 7 to 10 years, the sugar added to the meals is 25 to 30 grams.

He noted that infant formula has certain standards, as the percentage of calories in infant formula ranges from 75 to 120 calories per kilogram, which is one of the basic conditions for infant formula so that it does not lead to low blood sugar.