Front-of-pack warnings for commercial complementary foods available online in Chile, Brazil, Mexico, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom

Background and objectives: Commercially produced complementary foods (CPCFs) can provide energy and nutrients for infants and young children during a critical period of development. However, some CPCFs contain inappropriate levels of concerning nutrients, such as sugar and sodium. Front-of-pack nutr...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Annals of nutrition and metabolism 2023-08, Vol.79, p.791
Hauptverfasser: Pries, Alissa Madeline, Khosravi, Asha, Bassetti, Eleonora
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:Volltext
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Background and objectives: Commercially produced complementary foods (CPCFs) can provide energy and nutrients for infants and young children during a critical period of development. However, some CPCFs contain inappropriate levels of concerning nutrients, such as sugar and sodium. Front-of-pack nutrition labelling (FOPNL) provides a mechanism for communicating the nutritional quality of food and beverage products to consumers. It is critical that the nutritional quality of these products be communicated clearly to caregivers to ensure informed decision-making for child feeding and to protect young children's diets. This study evaluated CPCFs against national FOPNL regulations. Methods: Secondary datasets of CPCF label information for products sold online were purchased from Euromonitor International, including instant cereals, purees, and snacks/finger foods. Datasets included 41 products from Brazil, 73 from Chile, 170 from Mexico, 135 from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and 643 from the United Kingdom (UK). Nutrient content information was evaluated against FOPNL thresholds for each country. Reconstituted nutrient content for instant cereals was calculated as per manufacturers' instructions. Results: In the UK and UAE, 7.5% and 13.3% of CPCFs, respectively, warranted a warning sign for high levels of sugar/salt/saturated fat/fat, and 59.1% and 56.3% for moderate levels. In Chile, 45.2% of CPCFs warranted a warning sign for high levels of sugar/saturated fat/energy/sodium. In Mexico, 45.3% of CPCFs warranted a warning sign for high levels of added sugar/saturated fat/trans fat/energy/sodium. In Brazil, no CPCFs were found to contain high levels of saturated fat or sodium; however, added sugar content was not declared on any Brazilian labels and could therefore not be evaluated. Across all countries, excessive sugar content was the most prevalent reason for a warning sign, and snacks/finger foods were the most common products to warrant warning signs. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of CPCFs evaluated in this study contained excessive levels of nutrients of public health concern that would warrant a warning label. Use of FOPNL among CPCFs would allow for clear and easy interpretation of the nutritional suitability of products for infants and young children and encourage reformulation of CPCFs to reduce concerning levels of nutrients like sugar and sodium.
ISSN:0250-6807
1421-9697
DOI:10.1159/000530786