Whole grain products in children nutrition

Abstract

The article discusses the problems of using products containing whole grains in the nutrition of young children. Among the most controversial are the issues of the optimal quantity and timing of inclusion of the whole grain component in baby food. The results of studies are presented confirming the effectiveness of including whole grains in children’s diets, as well as the level of their consumption in the world, demonstrating significant national differences (from 2 to 58 g per day). In general, despite the obvious benefits of whole grains, actual consumption of whole grains by children is not enough to realize their health potential. As one of the ways to solve the problem, the early inclusion of whole grains in the diet, starting from the first year of life, is considered. Aspects that limit the use of whole grains in nutrition are noted inconsistency in the identification of whole grain products and their sanitary and hygienic safety. Currently, both 30 and 50% have been proposed as the level of whole grain content in a product that allows it to be classified as whole grain. The issue of safety is especially relevant for baby food, since the outer layers of grains can concentrate contaminants (heavy metals, mycotoxins, arsenic, pesticides). It has been established that the arsenic content in whole rice products is higher than in refined analogues. In this regard, specialized baby food products have advantages for organizing nutrition for young children, the production of which involves special approaches to the selection of whole grain raw materials and technological processing modes to ensure the requirements for its quality and safety. Domestic and foreign documents regulating the requirements for safety indicators for specialized grain-based products for baby food are presented.