Does your child take a daily multivitamin? If they are picky eaters who consistent avoid certain food groups a daily Flintstone or some other candy-like multivitamin is probably a good idea to fill in nutritional gaps. However, as recently proven by the U.S. Federal Trade Commision, not all children's once a days do what they claim to do and they may be leading you to feel a false sense of security. There are two specific brands to watch out for: Disney and Marvel brand multivitamin chewables and gummies. These brands are sold in Shoppers Drug Marts, Rexalls, and Walmarts throughout Toronto and the rest of Canada.
Both product lines, which are manufactured by NBTY Inc., have misleading claims about the quantity and efficacy of docosahexaenoic acid, an essential omega-3 fatty acid touted for it's role in brain and eye development. Specifically, the products, which include Disney Princess, Winnie the Pooh, Finding Nemo and Spiderman products, claim to contain 100 milligrams of DHA. In actuality, they only contain a measly 0.1 milligrams of this important fatty acid! NBTY Inc. marketers also overstated the benefits of DHA. For these indiscretions, they've been ordered to stop making unscientific claims and refund over $2 million worth in products to disgruntled consumers.
This scandal is another example of why food and nutrition products deliberately marketed to children through the use of cartoon characters should not be trusted. After they've outgrown pureed food, children can eat regular, healthy, whole foods just like adults. They don't require "special" dressed up kids' food that often contains excess sugar, fat, and artificial additives. As with adults, there is a place for supplementation, particularly with nutrients that are difficult to obtain strictly from diet. These hard-to-eat nutrients include the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA found in oily fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, etc. Keep in mind, however, that supplementation does not mean you can stop eating foods that contain omega-3 fats. Natural sources should always take priority over manufactured sources.
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