A study of commercially available complementary foods for infants and young children under 36 months

Abstract

Abstract Background Commercially available complementary foods (CACFs) have been assuming an important proportion of infants and toddlers' diets in high-income countries, despite the concerns regarding their nutritional content and potential problematic marketing strategies used to promote these products. In 2016, the WHO guidance on ending the inappropriate promotion of foods for infants and young children (IYC) was approved (1) to support countries to take action on this issue. To implement this Guidance, a draft Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) (2) was developed to drive decisions regarding the identification of foods which are inappropriate for promotion. Aim To support the implementation of the NPM at National Level, studying the availability, composition, and marketing of CACFs for IYC in Portugal. Methods Three phases were considered: 1) collect data on CACFs products targeted at IYC (0-36 months); 2) compare composition of these products with WHO guidance; 3) compare methods used to promote these products with WHO Guidance. Results A total of 209 products were sampled. The most common products were soft-wet spoonable, ready-to-eat foods (n = 129), dry, powdered and instant cereal/starchy foods (n = 61) and dry finger foods and snacks (n = 16). Twenty-five products (11%) were marketed as being suitable for infants under the age of 6 months. For infants between 6-8 months 78% of the products were marketed as being suitable. For the age group 12 months and over, 11% of the products were marketed as being suitable. Conclusions This study provides valuable insights into the CACFs at the national level and reinforces that action is needed to improve the implementation and operationalization of WHO guidance on ending the inappropriate promotion of foods for IYC. Key messages NPM can support countries identifying products that can/cannot be promoted for IYC. It is a key opportunity to build policy measures, ensuring children healthy growth and development.