A study found that top brands such as Ella Kitchen and Heinz are making saccharin, malnourished baby food that cannot meet the needs of babies.

The finding prompted groups to call on ministers to strengthen market regulation, saying the current situation will have a negative impact on children's growth and development.

Researchers from the University of Leeds School of Food Science and Nutrition found that some brands have also made misleading marketing claims, leading them to urge the government to "take action immediately" to impose the same traffic light system found on chocolate bars and ice cream.

Ella's kitchen pear and peach baby rice is only 3%. And sugar accounts for 60% of its calories.

Heinz Fruit Banana Egg UST gets 71% of its total calories from sugar, and its ingredients contain only 4% milk powder; although its oatmeal is 29% sugar.

Which funded this study? Fund looked at 632 foods sold for less than three babies and toddlers.

The study found that 41% of the main meals sold for children had too high sugar levels, while 21% of ready-to-eat fruit products, cereals and meals had too high sugar levels to provide adequate nutrition.

It also found that many early weaning foods were sold for four months of age, which violated the guidance of the NHS and the World Health Organization.

The study also found that according to WHO guidelines, one-quarter of the products analyzed were high in sugar and needed to use sugar warning labels in front of the package. According to NHS guidelines, babies aged should not have more than 10 grams of sugar per day, while children aged two and three years old should not have more than 14 grams per day.

Sugar recommendations apply to naturally occurring free sugars and added sugars.

The report also surveyed more than 1,000 parents. 70% of parents found that high-sugar baby foods should have pre-package warning labels. Although 59% of people are concerned about the high levels of natural sugar in food.

"Voluntary guidelines are often ineffective and therefore need to be regulated to ensure changes are made.

“In the UK, with about 1.7 million children between 6 and 36 months, ‘baby food’ is a huge market. The widespread availability of inappropriate products with poor nutritional quality will negatively affect the growth and development of children.”

"Due to widespread misleading marketing, parents are unconsciously buying products that are not nutritious at all. More powerful, mandatory baby food regulations have been overdue," said Dr. Vicky Sibson, director of the Nutrition Foundation's First Step.

"The government urgently needs to update the laws on outdated commercial baby foods to ensure tighter control over the composition of its ingredients - including restrictions on its sugar and salt content, making it clear, pre-labeled and weaken any misleading marketing claims that the product is healthier than they do," said Sue Davies, head of food policy.

A spokesperson for Ella Kitchen said: "The name of the product is not misunderstood. It follows strict legislation regarding the food must be named and clearly reflects what is in the pouch - pears, peaches and baby rice - in order of quantity.

"Our's claim to not added sugar is legally approved and absolutely accurate. We will never add sugar to weaning products; all sweetness comes naturally from the fruits and vegetables we use to make them."

A spokesman for Kraft Heinz said: “We are proud of the role we play in our family life and continue to work on the health and well-being of babies and young children. We provide quality products based on nutritional science that meet nutritional needs specific to this stage of life and comply with strict UK/EU regulations.

“Our convenient, resealable pouches, made from natural ingredients without added sugar, are used as complementary parts of a variety of weaning diets (over six months) and are designed to be squeezed into a bowl or inserted directly into a spoon – by packaging to communicate.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Social Care said: “Existing laws have set nutritional needs for baby food and we support enforcement of any product that does not meet these expectations.”