Avoid giving starchy food to babies to prevent salt preference

Avoid giving starchy food to babies to prevent salt preference

Parents should take care not to introduce salty foods to a child's diet too early, as this could set them up for a long-term preference for salty flavours.

New research from the US found that six month olds who had been introduced to starchy foods, which often contain added salt, consumed 55 per cent more salt and expressed more of a preference for a taste than those who had not yet been introduced to starchy products.

By the time children reach pre-school age, they were more likely to eat plain salt.

Lead author Leslie J. Stein, Ph.D., a physiological psychologist at Monell Chemical Sciences Centre, said: "More and more evidence is showing us that the first months of life constitute a sensitive period for shaping flavour preferences. In light of the health consequences of excess sodium intake, we asked if the effect of early experience extended to salt."

To come to this conclusion, the team carried out preference tests, starting offering infants two salty solutions or water. A preference was determined by how much of the liquid the infants consumed.

At the age of two months, the babies were either indifferent or rejected the salt solutions. However, by the age of six months the 26 infants who had started to eat starchy foods preferred both salty solutions, while the 35 who had not continued to reject them.

The one per cent solution was around the saltiness of a commercial chicken noodle soup, while the two per cent solution is much stronger and would taste extremely salty to adults.

To determine if these trends continued into pre-school age, mothers of the 26 children were asked to complete a food questionnaire. Twelve of the children were more likely to lick the salt off foods or eat plain salt.

Gary Beauchamp, Ph.D., a behavioural biologist at Monell, said: "Salty taste tells us about the presence of sodium, a critical nutrient needed for survival.

"However, many authorities say that most people eat too much salt."

Salt intake in Ireland has been falling in recent years, however, it is still above the recommended amount. Among the worst culprits for high salt content are meats, in particular those which have been processed or cured, and bread and rolls, all of which account for half of salt intake.