... court hears

A food for toddlers marketed as being made almost entirely from fruit and vegetables contains so much sugar it should be deemed confectionery by experts, the Federal Court has heard.

Legal action against food giant Heinz has started in Adelaide, with the consumer watchdog alleging the "Little Kids Shredz" range misleads the public about the nutritional content of the product.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched the legal action in June last year, after a complaint by the Obesity Policy Coalition about food products for toddlers.

The packaging of the Shredz products features images of fruit and vegetables and states it is "99 per cent fruit and veg".

But in his opening address, counsel representing the ACCC, Tom Duggan, told the court the "berries, apple and veg" variety contains 68.7 grams of sugar per 100 grams.

"This product has added sugar, as a consequence it is not a nutritious alternative to the fruit and vegetables depicted on the packaging," he said.

Mr Duggan said the court would hear evidence about the use of apple juice concentrate in the product which is an added sugar.

"There are two important differences between the Shredz product and dried fruit, one is the addition of the apple juice concentrate," he said.

"Accepting that it is a naturally occurring sugar, it is still an added sugar."

The court heard the sugar content of the product defies Heinz's own health guidelines.

"Heinz's internal guide specifies that the less than 30 per cent [sugar] guide includes the use of fruit juice and fruit paste," Mr Duggan said.