A new study released by Monash University has found that less than one-quarter of food products promoted as suitable for toddlers and infants met the nutritional standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Of concern was that 43 per cent of products exceeded the recommended sugar limits.
In 2023, commercial baby food sales in Australia generated over $370 million in revenue. According to lead author, Dr Alexandra Chung from the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food at Monash University, one in two Australian children aged up to five years consume commercial infant and toddler foods one or more days per week.
“At the same time, commercial infant and toddler foods represent a growing segment of the grocery market, with increasing numbers of new products launched onto the market,” said Dr Chung.
In Australia, compositional and labelling requirements of foods are regulated by The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. The standard for foods for infants outlines limits on sugar and sodium, and minimum iron content in cereal-based foods, as well as labelling requirements, including age recommendations and vitamin and mineral content claims.
However, many of the claims commonly made on infant and toddler foods are not regulated under the Food Standards Code, according to Dr Chung.
“This includes claims that make appeals to health and promote the product as ideal for young child feeding such as ‘natural’, ‘organic’, ‘no nasties’, ‘no preservatives’ and ‘for tiny hands’,” she said.
“There is a distinct gap in the current regulation of commercial foods for infants and toddlers that allows manufacturers to influence children’s diets through the promotion of these products.”
This study is timely given the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care recently held a public consultation on improving commercial foods for infants and young children. According to Dr Chung, this consultation “presents an important opportunity for the Government to implement comprehensive, mandatory regulation that improves the composition, and ensures accurate labelling and honest promotion of commercial foods to protect the health of Australia’s youngest children.”
