A comparison of the cariogenicity of two infant snack foods

Two snack foods marketed specifically for infants were compared in caries prediction tests. A milk powder-supplemented fruit and cereal snack bar produced more titratable acid but did not reach as low a terminal pH as a sweet biscuit on in vitro fermentation by salivary organisms. In an intra-oral caries test the fruit/cereal bar caused significantly less enamel softening than the biscuit. While this latter test does not assess food retention in the mouth and other factors important in caries, the results suggest that, under similar usage by children, the fruit bar will be less cariogenic. Because it was not absolutely safe with respect to caries, frequency of eating cannot be disregarded. Availability of the fruit snack bar is an important development, allowing an additional choice for parents who wish to select low-cariogenicity foods for their children.