Baby-food pouches were a hot trend when they debuted in 2008, yet now some brands are reconsidering the concept after pediatricians and parents have criticized the packaging for potentially hindering child development. Pouches of puréed fruits and vegetables were once seen as convenient and quickly grew in popularity, yet now sales of baby-food pouches have dropped 0.8% this year, according to data from market-research firms Spins and IRI. Meanwhile, baby-food sales in the U.S. have increased 2.4% to $1.64 billion in 2019. Criticism of baby-food pouches has come from doctors, environmentalists and parents. Natalie Pollard said she and her husband used pouches with her first son, but then it became difficult to get him to eat solid foods, so they shunned pouches with their second child. “It made our first son less open-minded to the textures and tastes of actual foods,” she said. “Our second son is a better eater, and I wish I didn’t do pouches with my first one.” Plum Organics, now owned by Campbell Soup Co., launched the pouches in 2008 as a more convenient way for babies to feed themselves. Pouches increased baby-food sales at a time when brands were struggling as a result of lower birthrates and a trend in homemade purées. Baby-food pouches were also significantly more profitable than baby-food jars. Soon, however, pediatric feeding specialists and speech pathologists began criticizing the packaging, saying that sucking food can hinder the oral development and eating habits of babies. “I have seen many babies who have trouble progressing to finger foods because the parents relied on pouches for too long,” said Natalia Stasenko, a pediatric dietitian. “It’s probably fine to use pouches from time to time. But we now see that their use is by far too excessive.” Baby-food pouches are also not exactly eco-friendly, can be twice as expensive as jars, and contain fruit as a primary ingredient, which adds more sugar. In addition, more and more parents are going organic and making their own baby food. Despite slowing sales, baby-food pouches still account for one-quarter of infant and toddler-food sales, according to market-research company Nielsen. As for research, pediatric feeding specialists believe further studies on the developmental risks of feeding on baby-food pouches are needed. A study in New Zealand is currently examining the impact pouches have on children’s teeth and overeating, while a study in Birmingham, England, that was started in the 1990s, revealed that children who were fed only purées until they were 9 months old had lasting feeding problems, such as eating fewer vegetables by age 7. “We want babies to practice chewing and swallowing,” said pediatric feeding specialist Melanie Potock. “But parents love the convenience of pouches.” “We recommend children don’t suck on the pouch,” said Meghan Rowe, who co-founded the White Leaf Provisions baby-food company. “But it’s not that big of a deal to suck on a pouch as long as they aren’t exclusively doing that.” Some companies have started their own informational campaigns. Beech-Nut, owned by Hero Group, advises parents to begin feeding children with its glass jars instead of pouches. It may also post instructions online on how to spoon-feed babies. In Europe, baby-food brands have begun selling disposable spoons with pouches so parents can feed children themselves. Meanwhile, in the U.S., many brands have shifted to organic ingredients and made pouches recyclable. Nestlé said its 2016 study on feeding infants and toddlers revealed that only a “very small percentage” of children consume more than one pouch a day.