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Objective: To analyze the content of the marketing of commercial foods for infants and young children on packages and social media. Design: Commercial foods targeted at children, regarded as potential breast-milk-substitutes according to the Uruguayan breastfeeding standard, were considered: dairy products; teas, juices and bottled waters; glucose solutions; cereals and mixtures of fruits and vegetables. All the products sold at forty-four retail outlets were purchased. A Facebook search was performed to identify accounts of these products. For each account, all the content posted by the brands between July 2017 and July 2019 was recorded. The visual and textual information included in the packages and Facebook posts was analyzed using content analysis. Products were classified using the nutrient profile model of the Pan American Health Organization. Setting: Montevideo, Uruguay. Results: Seventy-six unique commercial foods targeted at infants and young children were identified, 96% of which were excessive in sugar. Packages frequently included textual and visual elements to convey health-related associations, including images of fruits and vegetables, nutrient content claims, and endorsement logos. Ten Facebook accounts were identified, which generated 302 posts. Parents and caregivers were the main target audience of the posts, which mainly included content related to fun and social aspects of food consumption. Additionally, the posts frequently conveyed the idea that products would contribute to children’s growth and development. Conclusions: Results suggest the need to implement comprehensive regulations on the marketing of commercial foods targeted at children, regarded as potential breast-milk-substitutes according to the Uruguayan breastfeeding standard.

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Objective: The information displayed on the packages of feeding bottles and teats commercialized in Montevideo (Uruguay) was analyzed using content analysis with the goal of identifying key marketing practices that may discourage breastfeeding. Design: The study was conducted as part of the periodic assessment performed by the Uruguayan government to monitor the marketing of breast-milk substitutes. All the feeding bottles and teats sold in 44 retail outlets selling breast-milk substitutes were purchased. The information available on the packages was analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. Setting: Montevideo, Uruguay. Results: A total of 197 feeding bottles and 71 teats were found. The majority of the packages included information to enable caregivers to adequately use the products, including recommended age, instructions on how to use the products and instructions on the use of hygienic practices. However, the packages frequently included information that implied that bottle-feeding was equivalent to breastfeeding, particularly from a physiological perspective, or that idealized product use. Idealizations included ability to reduce colic, improvements in the feeding experience and improvements in children’s health, wellbeing and development. Statements on the superiority of breastfeeding were infrequent. Conclusions: Results from the present work showed the high prevalence of marketing practices on the packages of feeding bottles and teats that may discourage breastfeeding. Stricter and more detailed regulations seem necessary to enable caregivers to make informed feeding decisions for infants.

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