This column has been critical of BBC’s flagship documentary programme Panorama of late. And not unfairly. January’s Should We Still Be Working From Home? was a lopsided presentation, which let former CEO of M&S Stuart Rose’s peeved postulation that hybrid working had created a generation “not doing what I call proper work” go unchallenged. September’s Supermarket deals: How good are they? bordered on misleading and served mainly as an ad for Aldi. Last year’s Teenage Vaping: What’s the Harm? was content to simply fan the flames of moral panic.
Thankfully, the programme is back to its hard-hitting and agenda-setting best with The Truth About Baby Food Pouches (BBC One, 28 April, 8pm), which sent shockwaves across the category and the public consciousness this week.
Having barely existed 20 years ago, the pouches are now the go-to convenient meal option for many parents reassured by on-pack and marketing claims that they are “good for brains” and “as nutritionally good as homemade”. But through lab tests and expert interviews, reporter Catrin Nye quickly discovered many are worryingly low in essential vitamins and minerals, while others contain more sugar than the NHS recommends an infant consumes in an entire day.
In its wake, a coalition of 40 leading health and child organisations have written to the government urging urgent action, challenger brands are emphasising their healthier alternatives, and the British Dental Association published its own sugar content analysis, finding more than a quarter of pouches contained more sugar by volume than Coca-Cola.
Will anything change as a result? Let’s see.
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