Public Health England (PHE) has published an evidence review of commercially available baby foods and drinks aimed at children up to 36 months.
The key findings of the report show clear inconsistencies between national infant feeding advice and how some commercial baby food and drink products are presented:
- Some foods marketed as healthy snacks are amongst those with the highest sugar content
- Sweet snacking is being encouraged
- Misleading product labelling and marketing encourages the introduction of solid food before official advice recommends
- Some product names don’t reflect the balance of ingredients
- Products do not always provide clear feeding instructions
The review recommends that the food industry and government:
- Improves the nutrient content of products
- Ensures clear, consistent and honest labelling and marketing of products
- Ensures that products high in sugars are labelled as not being suitable for eating between meals
- Restricts the use of implied health claims on baby food products
In addition, the review recommends putting in place a recurring survey of early years feeding practices to further the evidence base.