In another first for South Africa, Woolworths has introduced a range of freshly made baby food which have been carefully prepared from only the freshest, specially selected ingredients. Designed to meet baby’s needs during weaning, Woolworths ‘really good food for babies’ contains no added sugar, starch or salt and is free from colourants, flavourants, and added preservatives as well as known allergens including dairy, egg, soya, wheat and gluten. Many of the vegetables and fruits – like carrots, butternut, sweet potato and bananas – have been organically grown. “We know that most mothers would like to prepare fresh food for their babies at home in order to ensure that their little ones get all the benefit of fresh, nutritious foods without any additives, but they frequently don’t have the time or energy to do it,” says Sandy Corbett a member of the Food’s team behind Woolworths’ latest innovation. “Our new range is designed to make it easy for them to do just that.” Developed by a team of experts – including dieticians and mothers – the new range of fresh, chilled baby food encompasses both introductory single-component fruit and vegetable purées for infants from 6 months of age as well as complete meals for older infants. Introductory foods include apple, pear, pear & banana, butternut and sweet potato purées; secondary foods for babies from 8 months and up include puréed combinations of free range chicken, organic vegetables and sweet potato; beef, organic vegetables and sweet potato; and lamb, organic vegetables and sweet potato. As appetites may still be quite small at this age, the aim has been to ensure that Woolworths’ new fresh baby foods are nutritionally dense, which means they offer more goodness per spoonful – no water or starch or other ingredients have been added to bulk up the product. Each pack contains two single-serving containers with resealable caps. They are microwaveable and can be frozen. Like all fresh Woolworths foods, each pack is sell-by dated as a guarantee of freshness. As you would expect, Woolworths ‘really good food for babies’ is prepared under the strictest hygiene conditions to guarantee absolute safety. Only the freshest, most carefully selected ingredients are used to ensure both quality and flavour. “Any mother will tell you that taste is important to babies,” says Sandy. “We’ve gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure that our baby foods are not only nutritionally good, they’re full of natural flavour, too.” You’ll find Woolworths’ fresh ‘really good food for babies’ on the refrigerated shelves at selected Woolworths stores and stand-alone foodmarkets nationwide from the 14th August 2006. ENDS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Why has Woolworths launched fresh baby food? Woolworths is always looking for ways to simplify customer’s lives and provide convenient lifestyle solutions. Most mothers would prefer to freshly prepare their baby’s food every day, but due to the pressures of modern life often don’t have the time. Our ‘really good food for babies’ range is made just the way mothers would do it at home, using only the freshest ingredients and containing no added sugar, starch or salt; they are also free from colourants, flavourants, and added preservatives as well as known allergens including dairy, egg, soya, wheat and gluten. What do you mean when you say that your fresh baby food is ‘nutritionally dense’? Babies eat only in very small amounts, making it very difficult for mothers to feed their infants tasty, nutritious and interesting meals. Woolworths has carefully formulated the ‘really good food for babies’ range to ensure that they meet the nutritional requirements of babies, as well as retain their flavour. What is the reasoning behind introducing single-ingredient and combination foods? Research has shown that it is best to introduce one food at a time when weaning infants. This not only gives them the chance to get used to new flavours, it also allows mothers to more easily determine their child’s likes and dislikes, as well as to identify any food allergies. Combinations or secondary foods are usually introduced when infants reach about 8 months of age. Are there any additives in Woolworths ‘really good food for babies’? No. All variants contain only the freshest ingredients and contain no added sugar, starch or salt; they are also free from added MSG, tartrazine, colourants, flavourants, and added preservatives as well as known allergens including dairy, egg, wheat and gluten. Where there are sufficient quantities available, Woolworths also prefers to use certified organic fruit and vegetables, which means they have been grown without the use of any chemical fertilisers or pesticides on farms which have been certified as organic by independent certifying organisations. How has Woolworths determined portion size? While infants, just like adults, don’t all eat the same quantities, Woolworths’ research has shown that these portion sizes will suit most appetites. In order to minimise waste, they can be resealed and refrigerated once opened. A team of dieticians compiled the macro nutrient compositions (protein, carbohydrates and fat) to ensure that for instance the ratio of beef to vegetables is correct. What is Woolworths’ approach to food safety? Woolworths takes food safety extremely seriously in everything they do. The ‘really good food for babies’ range is prepared under the strictest conditions of cleanliness and hygiene imaginable, providing mothers with peace of mind with regards to their baby’s food.

In another first for South Africa, Woolworths has introduced a range of freshly made baby food which have been carefully prepared from only the freshest, specially selected ingredients. Designed to meet baby’s needs during weaning, Woolworths ‘really good food for babies’ contains no added sugar, starch or salt and is free from colourants, flavourants, and added preservatives as well as known allergens including dairy, egg, soya, wheat and gluten. Many of the vegetables and fruits – like carrots, butternut, sweet potato and bananas – have been organically grown.