MINNEAPOLIS — A popular snack for young kids is drawing some concerns from health experts.

Fruit and vegetable pouches are go-to picks for parents because they’re easy, quick and mess-free.

Dr. Gigi Chawla from Children’s Minnesota sees their efficiency and notes they have some nutritional value. 

The concern rises when they’re overused and replace whole foods. “It’s so efficient that it can become problematic as well,” Chawla said.

Chawla pinpoints cavities as a possible unwanted effect. Dental decay can occur from the added sugars that are generally in the pouches. Chawla says the puree form can coat kids’ teeth in a way that a piece of fruit does not.

Excessive calories or overeating is another top concern because pouches can be consumed so quickly. 

“Instead of just taking one pouch, which could be the equivalent in volume of one apple, to suddenly having two, three, five pouches a day, now you’re getting maybe a lot of extra food or calories,” she said.

Developmental concerns also arise. An article by the St. Louis Children’s Hospital warns that babies miss out on learning hand-eye coordination when they don’t touch or hold food in their whole form.

“When you don’t have plates of food where they’re having to pick things up and use their fork and spoon and know how to balance peas, for example, that is potentially problematic,” Chawla said. “It’s the socialization piece that you can be missing but also the physical act of chewing, of learning different textures.”

She wants parents to know pouches should not substitute an all-inclusive meal.

MINNEAPOLIS — An outdoorsman, former conservation and police officer, realtor and a missionary; 44-year-old Beau Shroyer of Detroit Lakes wore many hats. But no matter what he was doing, his cousin Bret Shroyer said Beau always put others first.

“Beau was a shining light,” Shroyer said. “He was the kind of man that you hope your son grows up to be. He’s the kind of person you hope you have in your family, and he’s gone.”

The father of five was killed in a violent alleged “murder-for-hire” attack on Oct. 25 while serving as a missionary in Angola, according to the Angola Press Agency.

In its reporting, the Angolan news outlet also said two men and Beau’s wife Jackie were arrested in connection to his death.

“That’s shocking,” Shroyer said. “Jackie is a part of the family, and you don’t know what to believe. We’re waiting for answers. That’s all I can say. We’re waiting for answers.”

Bret said answers have been slow-coming, as Beau’s family in Minnesota seeks justice from thousands of miles away. He said family members are in contact with the Embassy of Angola, SIM USA, the North Carolina-based missionary organization Beau was affiliated with and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“Nothing has really sat right along the way. It feels like there’s something deeper that’s going on here,” Shroyer added. “Information isn’t being shared. It’s been very frustrating for us. On the one hand, we desperately want answers and we want justice, but we understand that takes time. In the meantime, we’re also in shock and I don’t think we’ve taken time to grieve.”

The family’s grief is accompanied by their pursuit of justice, as they remember Beau’s life and look ahead to what comes next.

“We’ll focus on learning the rest of the story, learning what really happened, finding justice, finding answers,” Shroyer said.

Beau’s family is planning a memorial service for him at the end of this month. An online fundraiser was created to help with funeral arrangements and navigating legal fees.

MINNEAPOLIS — Members of service workers unions celebrated Thursday afternoon after the Minneapolis City Council voted to create a new Labor Standards Board.

Supporters say it’s about giving workers more of a voice in crafting policies that affect them in the workplace, while business groups warned the new panel would drive companies away from Minneapolis at a time the city’s economy is still in recovery mode.

Council Member Aisha Chughtai, the lead author of the resolution creating the panel, said Thursday’s vote came after two years of discussions with constituents and stakeholders.

“I have always trusted the voice of workers, from living with my family, to working for a union, to being an elected official,” Chughtai, who was surrounded by members of the CTUL and SIEU unions, told reporters after the meeting. “That’s what this board is about, it’s about working-class people having a seat at the table. It’s about workers who are the experts in their own working conditions having a seat at the table.”

The council passed the proposal on a 9 to 3 vote, with one member absent. That is considered a veto-proof majority if all nine members stick to their current stances after Mayor Jacob Frey vetoes the resolution.

“I’m extremely proud that we not only believe in economic justice in theory, but we also fight for it in practice, and that’s what we’re doing here today,” Council Member Katie Cashman remarked.

The new board will include members of labor unions, businesses, and consumer groups. It will craft policy proposals that would need to be approved by the city council before becoming law. Business groups, especially in the local restaurant industry, say they’re already operating on thin margins even without the new advisory panel.

“We’re not feeling very comfortable that this is truly going to be a balanced board, to pass it without so much of hearing from the businesses this will impact, does not give us a lot of hope that we’re going to have a fair seat at that table,” Angie Whitcomb of Hospitality Minnesota told reporters.

The Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce and Minneapolis Downtown Council joined Hospitality Minnesota in opposition, branding the council’s vote as “reckless” and rushed. Opponents were particularly upset that the final details of the plan were published only 11 days before the final vote, and there wasn’t a formal public hearing on it.

“They’ve been having conversations, yes, stakeholder meetings, but the feedback has not been implemented,” Whitcomb explained. “It feels performative. They checked the box so they can say. ‘We’ve met with small business; we’ve met with the restaurant community.’ They have. They didn’t listen to us.”

The council deadlocked 6 to 6 on a proposal to delay the final vote until after a public hearing could be held. Supporters said there will be plenty of opportunities in the future to amend the structure of the new board if problems arise.

“If we want people to be engaged around this issue, what is wrong with hearing from them?” Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw asked her colleagues.

Council Member Emily Koski supported the idea of holding off until after a public hearing but did eventually support forming the new board. She said the City Council needs to do all it can to shield working people from the impact of a second Donald Trump term.

“This attack on workers’ rights on the highest level of government will have far reaching consequences, consequences that will reach us here in Minneapolis,” Koski told her colleagues.

Council Member Michael Rainville warned that just the prospect of more business regulations will drive investment away from Minneapolis at a time the city is trying to recover from the pandemic, civil unrest around George Floyd’s murder, and a surge in crime.

“This is so wrong to sit up here and demonize the business community, the corporations. They create the jobs. They pay the taxes. They give to charity.”

Council Member Jason Chavez recalled his family’s struggles as he spoke in support of moving ahead with the labor board now, rather than waiting to act.

“My mother had to work three frickin’ jobs — three frickin’ jobs — to barely afford rent, to barely be able to put food on the table, to barely be able to live her life and support us as children,” Chavez recalled. “I don’t understand why it is controversial to have an advisory board that says people in the City of Minneapolis, workers in our city matter!”

Mayor Jacob Frey has shown support for establishing a labor standards board in the past, but his office issued a statement Thursday saying he’s opposed this version.

“Mayor Frey has been clear and consistent in his support for a Labor Standards Board that is balanced and fair, but the Council’s proposal was never that. He will be meeting with stakeholders from both the business and labor communities over the coming days to determine next steps.”