Toddler foods and milks don't stack up against regular foods and milks

The marketing of commercial foods for infants and toddlers in Australian supermarket catalogues

Commercial foods for infants and young children are prominent on supermarket shelves in Australia, with parents commonly believing they are a healthy choice, yet evidence shows many commercial foods are nutrient-poor. The aim of this study was to examine the nature and extent of promotions for commercial infant and toddler foods in Australian supermarket catalogues. Digital catalogues from four leading Australian supermarket chains were collected and content analysed over 12 weeks from August to October 2023 (n = 60 catalogues with 2206 pages). Using a coding guide, one researcher coded all advertised products to identify commercial infant and toddler foods and recorded the labelled age range, product category, packaging type, and associated promotions for each product. A total of 121 commercial infant and toddler food products were identified across 49 catalogue pages (3.5% of all pages examined). The most advertised categories of commercial infant and toddler foods were fruit purees (40%), snacks (27%), and confectionary (12%); 74% of advertised commercial foods were labelled for infants under 12 months; 26% were labelled for toddlers 12-36 months of age; and 50% of products were packaged in pouches. Techniques used to promote commercial infant and toddler foods included price (95%) and health-related messaging (20%). Foods promoted for infants and young children in Australian supermarket catalogues are misaligned with the recommendations within Australia's Infant Feeding Guidelines. There is an urgent need to reduce the promotion of packaged commercial infant and toddler foods in supermarket catalogues to better support and promote healthy diets for young children.

Research on commercial milk formulas for young children: A scoping review

A scoping review of publications about commercial milk formulas intended for or consumed by children 12-36 months (CMF 12-36) was conducted. This review aimed to comprehensively map the existing literature, identify key concepts in the field and understand its evolution through time. A total of 3329 articles were screened and 220 were included, published between 1986 and 2024. Most works were published after 2016 (70.0%) and in high-income countries (71.8%). Original studies were the vast majority (81.8%) of publications. Most publications dealt with feeding practices or analysed the composition and/or contamination of specific products (44.1% and 35.9%), but since the late 2000s, publications about marketing, policy, legislation, and consumer perception started to appear. Most published works (65.5%) did not focus exclusively on CMF 12-36 and included formulas for other demographics or other foods. About half of the works (55.5%) did not consider CMF 12-36 to be a breast milk substitute. We found 81 distinct product denominations used to refer to CMF 12-36, Growing Up Milk was the most common (25.9%). CMF industry was involved in 41.8% of all analysed works, and industry participation and funding were not always clearly informed (22.5% lacked a conflict of interest statement, and 25.5% did not present any information about funding). In the last decade, publications about CMF 12-36 have increased in volume and diversified in scope and subject matter. CMF-industry participation has always been and still is present in the field, so possible vested interests should be taken into account when appreciating the literature.

Use of Health-Promoting Food and Supplements in Swiss Children

INTRODUCTION

Our diet is the sum of many different influences and has visibly changed over the past decades. Since children also imitate their parents when it comes to eating habits, the aim of the study was to assess the current dietary habits in Swiss children.

METHOD

Cross-sectional study of children between 0 and 18 years of age in Switzerland.

RESULTS

A total of 1964 children participated, with an average age of 7.4 years. A total of 57.9% of participants stated to buy supplements to promote health, while fruit juices/smoothies were the most popular product (42.5%), followed by protein-enriched products (40%) and vitamins/minerals (29%). A statistically significant correlation between longer screen time, a higher socioeconomic background, and the intake of supplements was found. Over 20% of all families regularly consume plant-based drinks.

DISCUSSION

This Swiss cross-sectional study of over 1900 participants reveals that 58% of all participants buy supplements or special kid's food to promote the child's health. There is a correlation between higher screen time, higher parental income, and the usage of supplements. A total of 23% of participating families consume at least one plant-based drink on a regular basis. As more and more families use supplements, the pediatrician should not only focus on weight, which reflects the intake of macronutrients but should also take a history of whether children omit certain foods or take supplements to ensure the child does not have a deficiency of micronutrients.

Toddler foods and milks don't stack up against regular foods and milks

AIM

To compare the cost and nutritional profiles of toddler-specific foods and milks to 'regular' foods and milks.

METHODS

Cross-sectional audit of non-toddler specific ('regular') foods and milks and secondary analysis of existing audit data of toddler specific (12-36 months) foods and milks in Australia.

MAIN FINDINGS

The cost of all toddler-specific foods and milks was higher than the regular non-toddler foods. Foods varied in nutritional content, but toddler foods were mostly of poorer nutritional profile than regular foods. Fresh milk cost, on average, $0.22 less per 100 mL than toddler milk. Toddler milks had higher mean sugar and carbohydrate levels and lower mean protein, fat, saturated fat, sodium and calcium levels per 100 mL, when compared to fresh full fat cow's milk.

CONCLUSIONS

Toddler specific foods and milks cost more and do not represent value for money or good nutrition for young children.