Australia - Parents warned over lunch treats

Karen Collier
July 27, 2009 12:00am
POPULAR snack bars designed for kids' lunch boxes have been labelled as bad as sweet biscuits and chocolate.
Junk food critics claim food companies are conning parents over treats loaded with sugar that risk rotting teeth.
A Parents Jury review of 21 snack bars has declared none suitable for everyday lunch boxes.
Versions of Kellogg's LCMs, Nature's Way Kids Smart bars and Nestle Milo bars were named the worst offenders in the study of marketing claims versus nutritional value.
Key school canteen organisations also came under fire for approving at least one shamed product.
Prominent nutritionist Dr Rosemary Stanton said snack bars were often "glorified confectionery" that should only be occasionally eaten when children had access to a toothbrush.
Many mothers had been fooled into thinking they had to prove their love by supplying treats daily instead of once or twice a week.
Dr Stanton said dental decay was on the rise among children, despite water fluoridation, because of constant snacking and sugary drinks......