Japanese Baby Food

There are many types of foods in Japan to feed your baby. A plethora of options await once baby starts eating solids. In fact, the Japanese baby may start of different fluids much earlier than the American baby. Americans are advised to do strictly breast milk or formula for the first few months. While the Japanese mother may be advised to supplement a bottle a little water after a bath. Japanese Mothers may also bottle feed miso soup or other fluids much earlier. While there is no "right" way, I leaned more to the American way early on. Only mama's milk for the first few months. For me though, Samuel got teeth by his 5th month (Joshua was 4 months when his first popped). He wasn't taking a bottle either. When Joshua was born and he was bottle fed, I remember listening to breastfeeding moms venting about their babies who wouldn't take a bottle and thinking 'Yeah right, if their hungry enough, they'll take it!' Well Samuel changed my thinking about that in about 2 seconds. I started realizing as well how irritating it was to hear people say that same statement to me. Anyway, again I am getting off subject.

Needless to say, I've been slowly muddling through the baby aisle at the local AVE or drug store. Most of the time, I stick with what I can get at the commissary which isn't too much. Because I am illiterate when it comes to reading Japanese, I don't know exactly what I am feeding Samuel when I feed him Japanese baby food. I mean, I can see from the picture and the English wording on the front that I'm feeding "Pumpkin Pudding" but, how much sugar, salt, additives, etc. are in it? I know from reading other blogs that there are organic options out there but where?! He absolutely loves some of the Japanese baby jar food that I've fed him. I tried it myself and it is very good. At the commissary on base there is organic baby food with just water and pureed fruit/vegetables. I used to make Joshua's baby food but really, I am a little burnt out on that. I suppose this post is partly question blog and partly report on what I've been experimenting on. There are some really neat little options in the baby food isle of the store but, what is it all? It looks like there is a rice cereal looking thing that I can plop in the rice cooker? Samuel also loves the Danon vegetable yogurt that I get for him out in town. I tried it myself and am not really a fan. It's like a veggie puree with gelatin atop yogurt but the yogurt tastes more like sour cream to me. I usually open it up and then mix it together (sort of like fruit on the bottom American yogurts) It's not super sweet, I'm pretty sure there isn't much sugar in it (Many Japanese mothers don't even feed their babies fruit the first year. Too sweet. They just stick to veggies). Like I stated earlier Samuel loves it and I'm not a fan but I don't really like gelatin type things. He likes it better than the organic fruit baby yogurt that I get on base and I love that stuff! He also really enjoys the baby rice crackers. There are several different types. He likes these better than the small Gerber Puffs and wagon wheels. They are also much cleaner than the tradition zwieback toast.

So here are the questions again. What are the general rules/standards in Japan that manufacturers have to adhere to for baby food? Are there organic options and where can I find them? Any mama's out there help! Thanks.