A pediatricians' study of supposed "baby-safe snacks" has found that many products marketed as "first finger foods" do not meet the recommended standards for size and softness and could be choking hazards.
The American Academy of Pediatrics found that only two of nine foods it tested met all of its criteria for infant safety, while four of the products were found to be choking hazards.
The names of the foods will not be released until Monday.
The tests also included cereals commonly given to children as finger food.
Nicol Awadalla, the study's lead investigator, said a number of the products had to be broken into smaller pieces before they could truly be considered "infant bite-sized."
"Products marketed as first finger foods vary across texture, ease of swallowing and size," she said in a news release on Saturday.
The AAP conducted its study using 11 researchers and a blind sampling of food. The researchers sampled each food four times (immediately after it was prepared and after it had been left out for an hour) and held the samples in their mouths, without using their teeth. The testers recorded how long it took for each food to break down to the point where it was impossible not to swallow.
The AAP is slated to present its findings, including the names of the products it tested, in a research abstract on Monday, at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2016 Meeting.
The companies behind the products have already been notified of the AAP's findings.
