New Survey: Moms Need More Help on Nutrition Information

LATHAM, N.Y., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Many moms' New Year Resolutions may include "watch baby's nutrition" this year. According to the new Beech-Nut Advancing Nutrition Survey of more than 400 American moms with infants or toddlers across the country, nearly a third (29 percent) of moms give themselves a C or lower when it comes to making sure their baby gets the right amount of vitamins and minerals. Hoping baby grows up strong and healthy, 60 percent said their top worries about baby food nutrition include too much refined sugar, with fears of too much salt or sodium not far behind.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090126/AQM522LOGO)

With this in mind, Beech-Nut has outlined its commitment to deliver leading-edge products, including all natural foods that are free of added refined sugars, fillers and other undesired ingredients that are often added to infant and toddler foods. The "Beech-Nut Advancing Nutrition" initiative involves new product innovations and nutrition education, including a unique labeling initiative to help parents easily identify nutrition information in each product and link to the food groups in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid.

"Today's progressive moms have the highest expectations for the food they serve their children and their baby's diet is most certainly on the forefront of their minds," said Christoph Rudolf, president and CEO of Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation. "But with mom's busy schedule, Beech-Nut products are specifically made to include the right nutrition combination for babies and toddlers -- an easy choice."

Recently launched, the "Beech-Nut(R) Advancing Nutrition" initiative involves new product innovations and nutrition education as well as strict standards for infant and toddler food, including the following three pillars:

-- All natural: all natural ingredients, no added refined sugar, no artificial colors or flavors, no artificial preservatives, no trans fats, no modified starches, and no harsh spices.

-- Essential nutrition: A balanced ratio of protein, carbohydrates and fats for optimum nutrition, along with the enrichment of vitamins and minerals as needed for healthy development.

-- Proactive nutrition: Enhanced benefits to support brain and eye development and digestive health, including nutrients such as DHA omega-3 and prebiotics.

The Beech-Nut Institute for Infant Nutrition has a mission of researching science and educating on Nutrition. It is supported by an Advisory Board composed of leaders in the fields of pediatric nutrition research, food science, infant and toddler dietetics, and pediatrics. They advise Beech-Nut on new developments in nutrition and the best practices for feeding infants and toddlers.

About The Beech-Nut Advancing Nutrition Survey

A new study, sponsored by Beech-Nut and conducted by Wakefield surveyed 400 American mothers with infants or toddlers. The Beech Nut Nutrition survey was conducted among 402 nationally representative American moms with infants or toddlers by Wakefield between December 5th and December 10th, 2008 using an e-mail invitation and an online survey. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 4.9 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

About Beech-Nut

Since 1931, Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation has been built on a history of innovation and dedication to infant nutrition. Headquartered in Latham, New York, Beech-Nut is the number two leading baby food brand in the United States and is committed to deliver more nutritious choices for parents and babies. As a subsidiary of Hero Group of Lenzburg, Switzerland, a global leader in consumer goods and infant feeding, Beech-Nut is able to combine resources to continuously improve food and nutrition for infants.

Beech-Nut Advancing Nutrition Survey

In a recent survey, Beech-Nut found that a majority of moms (70 percent) are worried that their little ones aren't getting the right nourishment, yet many admit that economic factors and even family tradition can sometimes lead them to buy baby food options that are less nutritious than they could be.

Top Findings from the Beech-Nut Advancing Nutrition Survey include:

-- Moms Worry About Making the Grade. While a majority (71 percent) of moms gave themselves either As or Bs on making sure their baby gets the right amount of vitamins and minerals, most (70%) still admit that they worry their baby isn't getting the right nourishment, even though they know that she is well-fed.

-- Keeping Grocery Bills Low. More than a quarter of moms (26 percent) say that economic criteria trump nutritional value when choosing which baby food to buy.

-- Nutrition Takes a Backseat to Tradition. They're likely not reading labels, or not reading them carefully, because they're buying baby food based on tradition rather than on nutrition. Nearly half (46 percent) of moms say that they "buy the brand I know" -- meaning that they're relying more on habit than on an examination of which food has the most nutritional value for their baby.

-- Need More Info. Nutritional information and ingredients can be so confusing that half of moms (50 percent) say that when it comes to buying baby food, they sometimes feel that they aren't getting the information they need to make smart choices.

-- No Junk, Please. Hoping baby grows up strong and healthy, 60 percent said their top worries about baby food nutrition include too much refined sugar, with fears of too much salt or sodium not far behind.

-- Losing Sleep. Nearly two in five moms surveyed said understanding the nutritional information and ingredients in baby food was more difficult than getting a full night's sleep.

For information contact: Niky Roberts, 314.552.6721 nrroberts@webershandwick.com Lorie Eigenrauch, 314.552.6783 leigenrauch@webershandwick.com

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090126/AQM522LOGO
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation

CONTACT: Niky Roberts, +1-314-552-6721, nrroberts@webershandwick.com , or
Lorie Eigenrauch, +1-314-552-6783, leigenrauch@webershandwick.com , both for
Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation