Heinz - Tinytums

Preparing baby food

My baby won’t eat a whole jar of baby food. Can I keep the leftovers and use them later?
Uneaten baby food can be kept in the fridge for up to 48 hours as long as it hasn’t been in contact with the spoon you used to feed your baby. Alternatively, try putting small portions of baby food into an ice cube tray and freezing until you want to use them. Your freezer should have storage times either on the inside of the door, or in the manual. 

When you are ready to use the uneaten portion, make sure you heat it until it is piping hot, then cool it naturally until it is a safe temperature before feeding your baby. You should only reheat baby food once – if they don’t eat it all, you should make sure that you throw any leftover food away.

Can I use a microwave to warm baby food?
Microwaves heat unevenly, creating hot spots within the food  which could burn your baby’s mouth. Avoid using microwaves if possible but if you use one, always stir the heated baby food or shake the milk thoroughly so the heat is evenly distributed. And always make sure you check the temperature of the food before you feed your baby.

How can I be sure that the baby food I buy hasn’t been tampered with?
Every jar of Heinz baby food has two safety checks; a safety button on the top of the lid and a tamper band around the neck. Always check that the vacuum seal button on the lid of the jar is flat and that the plastic ring around the neck of the jar is unbroken. Packets of food should be unopened when you buy them. If in doubt, don’t use it and take it back to the shop where you bought it.   

Why does leftover baby food go watery if I leave it in the jar?
If you have touched the leftover food with the spoon that you used to feed your baby, then the saliva on the spoon will have been in contact with the food. Saliva contains enzymes  which break down food, and this will make the leftovers change consistency. If you think your baby won’t finish a whole jar, put the amount they will eat into a separate dish before feeding. If they are still hungry, remember to use a clean spoon to take more from the jar.  Make sure you throw away any leftovers that have been in contact with the spoon you used to feed your baby.

Should I choose organic foods for my baby?
All baby food has to comply with very strict safety and nutritional requirements, and in this sense organic baby food is no different from any other baby food.

Nutritionally there is no proven difference between organic and non-organic food. The farming process is what makes organic food different. Organic farmers blend old and new farming technologies, and avoid using artificial pesticides or fertilisers in their farming.

All Heinz baby food whether organic or standard, is produced to strict guidelines using only the highest quality ingredients. Where animal ingredients are involved, Heinz demand high animal welfare standards from their farmers. Any ingredient used has to comply with stringent controls of pesticide levels, and no GM ingredients are used. Heinz and Farley’s savoury non-organic baby foods contain a little added iron. This is a very useful contribution to babies needs but iron is not one of the permitted nutrients for organic foods. So Heinz organic baby food gives you a choice depending on how the ingredients were farmed, but whether organic or not, there are plenty of tasty and nutritious recipes to choose from.

What is gluten?
Gluten is the protein found in wheat and in smaller amounts in rye, barley and oats. So gluten occurs in many foods such as bread, cereals and pasta. Some babies will need to avoid gluten due to a condition called Coeliac Disease or an intolerance or allergy to wheat. For the vast majority of babies, wheat-based cereal foods are not a problem, although it is advisable that gluten-free foods should be the first weaning foods.