There’s a crisis in commercial babyfoods and we are addressing it through our work

We’ve been working on commercial foods for babies and young children since 2019, starting with developing a nutrient and promotion profile model with colleagues at the University of Leeds. The model classifies foods according to how nutritious they are, and the way they are promoted. It’s important because it sets standards that policy makers, retailers and brands can apply to make sure products are appropriate for young children. You can find out more about it here.

It is often surprising to hear that commercial foods for young infants is one of the least regulated categories within the food industry, and typically these foods fall into a policy black hole. Today, Panorama has put out “The Truth About Babyfoods” which widely covers the issues in the commercial foods aisle. You can watch it via the link below.

The BBC reports on how some baby food pouches are worryingly low in essential vitamins and minerals, while others contain more sugar than the NHS and World Health Organisation recommends for infants.

Over the past 12 months we have worked on a project looking at the commercial marketplace including product assessments, parent surveys and focus groups. Read our summary report with analysis of 600+ baby food products and parent views.

This market place is notoriously difficult and confusing to navigate. This parent information sheet helps with some clear guidance and swaps.

If you support our work, you are welcome to download our social media carousel with top findings and recommendations for retailers, policy makers, manufacturers and brands.

The full data and evidence from our work is outlined in a technical report.