Parents concerned about sweetness of organic milk formula

The majority of parents want to give their child the healthiest possible start in life by giving them the most nutritional and safe foods available.

As such, a number of moms and dads have begun buying organic baby foods and formulas, which claim to be free from harmful chemicals and additives.

However, the New York Times has found that all may not be as it seems. It has done some research on Similac Organic formula, which is one of the most popular products of its kind on the market.

Although most parents are buying it because they believe it is healthier, the newspaper has found that babies may prefer Similac because it is significantly sweeter than other organic formulas as it uses cane sugar, or sucrose.

Speaking to the newspaper about this issue, Dr. Benjamin Caballero, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said: "I would be very concerned about this as a pediatrician … the issue is that sweet tastes tend to encourage consumption of excessive amounts."

For parents worried about childhood obesity this may be a cause for concern, although the Department of Health and Human Services notes that factors such as physical exercise, lifestyle and genetics should also be taken into account to ensure a child is fit and healthy.