BBC Panorama – The Truth about Baby Food Pouches: Response from Ella’s Kitchen.

We know that recent headlines may have left some parents feeling worried. So, we want to be really clear: our food is – and always has been – safe for little ones.

We go above and beyond all legal safety and nutritional standards. Everything we make is carefully developed with expert nutritionists and child development specialists, because nothing matters more to us than supporting little ones as they grow and develop.

To follow you’ll find some answers to the specific topics covered in the programme that we hope will reassure you and ensure you can continue to trust Ella’s Kitchen during this important time in your little one’s development.

On the topic of SUGAR

  • We use the term ‘no added sugar’ to signal exactly that. It is a legally approved claim, meaning we don’t add any extra sugars beyond those naturally present in the ingredients.
  • We never add sugar to any of our weaning products. The only sugar present comes naturally from the fruit and vegetables we use to make them.
  • We think it’s important to signal this to parents + carers on the pack because there are some products in the highly regulated baby aisle that do use added sugars.
  • The process of pureeing releases what is termed ‘free sugars’, but this is a safety necessity to create a suitable texture for little ones just starting on their weaning journey, and the sugar content is the same as if you pureed the same fruit at home and still provide valuable nutrients, including fibre.
  • The WHO’s recommendation for a high sugar warning label applies to products where more than 30% of the energy comes from sugar. However, it is crucial to understand that much of the sugar in our pouches comes from naturally occurring sugars in whole fruit. Many whole fruits and vegetables would also meet this criteria. We are confident that parents understand that fruit contains natural sugars and do not need to be alarmed by it. Our focus is on encouraging children to eat more fruit and vegetables, not less, as they are key to supporting healthy growth and development
  • Some of the comparisons being made – like comparing pureed fruit and veg to fizzy drinks – are themselves misleading. Fizzy drinks often contain added sugars and no nutritional value. Fruit and veg, on the other hand, are naturally nutritious – containing vitamins, fibre, and essential plant goodness. Suggesting that these foods are somehow unsafe risks confusing or alarming parents + carers at a time when little ones should be eating more fruit and veg, not less.
  • We don’t think it’s right that parents are being shamed away from foods that have long been a healthy, trusted part of weaning – whether it’s a convenient pouch of pureed carrot, or a banana mashed with a fork at home.

On the topic of TEXTURE

  • Our pouches are designed to support babies' development, with textures developed in collaboration with Speech and Language Therapists to encourage proper chewing and muscle development. For children beyond 6 months, we offer products with progressively more challenging textures, which are intended to be used alongside whole foods. This approach helps provide a variety of textures and tastes to support healthy development of chewing skills.

On the topic of DENTAL HEALTH

  • Clear instructions not to feed directly from the pouch are prominently displayed on the back of our packs. Additionally, we provide this guidance on our website and in our marketing materials to ensure parents have all the information they need to use our products safely.

On the topic of VITAMIN C

  • While some Vitamin C is lost during processing, this is a natural part of cooking, which would also happen if you pureed fruit at home.
  • Our pouches still provide valuable nutrients, including fibre and it is also important to recognise that the nutritional value of fresh fruit can vary due to factors like varieties, ripeness, storage, and exposure to light or air, which can make test results changeable.
  • We take robust steps to optimise and retain as much of the fruit or vegetable’s natural nutrition as possible. We source our ingredients from carefully selected suppliers – not from the open commodity market – which gives us full visibility over where our ingredients come from and allows us to prioritise quality from the very start. We also control the ripening process ourselves, to ensure the fruit and veg are at their best before pureeing, and we apply a gentle amount of heat to make sure our products are as minimally processed as possible – enough to make the pouch safe for little ones, while limiting damage to heat-sensitive nutrients like vitamin C.

On the topic of IRON

  • It is important to consider the iron levels in our savoury meal products within the context of a broad, varied diet – which is how it is intended to be consumed.
  • The nutritional content in this product meets all legal requirements however we do encourage parents + carers to use these products in the context of a varied, iron-rich diet because we agree that post 6 months iron becomes an important nutrient for growing little ones.
  • Due to our organic status we are not permitted to fortify our products with supplementary iron, so we take steps to maximise the use of iron rich foods in our recipes to deliver as much as possible, naturally.

On the topic of USAGE

  • We have always believed that our pouches should not replace home-cooked meals, or be the only thing little ones eat.
  • Our weaning range is designed to be just one part of a little one’s varied, balanced diet, helping to introduce a rainbow of flavours, textures and nutrients during the early stages of development. And helping to support busy parents + carers by offering a convenient, tasty alternative.
  • We aim to support parents + carers to provide their own healthy foods for little ones from suggesting helpful hints + tips such as how to get their little one loving veg to our 4 cookbooks offering a wealth of inspiration on little one friendly recipes. Our website and social media contents are centred on support and advice for the whole spectrum of feeding little ones.

On the topic of LABELLING

  • We always take care to be transparent and honest with our marketing and labelling and fully comply with all UK regulation when it comes to our communications.
  • We understand how difficult it can be to navigate for parents + carers so we never make misleading or exaggerated claims on any of our products.
  • Our aim is always to provide honest, clear information to support parents in making informed choices – never to overstate health credentials.

On the topic of WEANING FROM 4M

  • Our existing 4+ months labelling follows strict EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) guidance, which states that it is safe to begin weaning from 4 months. This guidance remains scientifically valid.
  • That said, we understand that our consumers turn to NHS guidance for advice on the age of weaning. For that reason, we announced in March that we would begin labelling our products from 6 months +, in line with current NHS and WHO guidance. This move will take place from October 2025, with a view to completing the rollout by the end of 2026.
  • We strongly dispute the allegation made in the programme that our historic labelling of from 4months ignores scientific evidence or is profiteering. Both EFSA and NHS/WHO guidance are scientifically backed but based on different regional contexts, with the EFSA guidance based on EU babies, and NHS/WHO’s based on global studies, including the developing world.