Commercial foods for infants under the age of 36 months: an assessment of the availability and nutrient profile of ultra-processed foods

Abstract

Objective: Considering the negative impact of the consumption of ultra-processed foods on health, this study assessed the availability and nutritional profile of commercial ultra-processed foods for infants in Natal, Brazil. Design: A cross-sectional exploratory study. Setting: Foods targeted at children under the age of 36 months sold in retail establishments located in high and low-income areas of the one capital city of Brazil. Participants: 1,645 food products consisting of 95 different types of food were available. The foods were assessed according to the NOVA classification: minimally processed, processed, and ultra-processed. The nutritional content per 100g was assessed according to processing classification. Results: Half of foods founded were breast milk substitutes and cereal foods (31.6% and 26.3%, respectively). The foods were predominantly ultra-processed (79%) and only 4.2% were minimally processed, with similar proportions of ultra-processed foods being found in both high and low-income areas. After excluding breast milk substitutes and follow-up formulas, all cereals, food supplements and some of the fruit or vegetable purees were ultra-processed, higher in energy density, fat, carbohydrate and protein, and low in fiber (P<0.05). Conclusions: The findings reveal that ultra-processed foods for infants are widely available in Brazil, reaffirming the need to strengthen the regulation of foods for infants and young children by introducing complementary measures designed to promote the production and marketing of foods manufactured using lower levels of processing.

Commercial Baby Foods Aimed at Children up to 36 Months: Are They a Matter of Concern?

“…Da Rocha et al found in their study that 79% of the baby foods were UP foods. The difference observed compared with our results (61.8%, n = 118) might be explained by the fact their study considered infant and follow-up formulas (n = 31, 33%), and our analysis included the food category fruit purée with cereals/milk, which had 15.8% (n = 29) of foods classified as UP due to the presence of additives in the ingredient list or the manufactured process [16].…”

“…For the classification of UP products, the use of industrial techniques, such as extrusion, hydrogenation, and carbohydrate modifications, and the ingredient list was taken into account. Food products where the ingredient list contained additives, such as emulsifiers, and flavourings, were categorised as UP [16,18]. Information on the coded variables is provided in Appendix A (Table A1).…”

“…In Portugal, the National Food, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Survey reported that IYC (<5 years) had the highest energy contribution from total sugars (28%) [13]. In addition, evidence is growing that some CACFs for infants (also referred as baby foods) contain considerable high amounts of sugar [14][15][16][17][18].…”

Evolution of infant feeding practices in children from 9 to 24 months, considering complementary feeding indicators and food processing: Results from the Brazilian cohort of the MAL‐ED study

“…• National nutrition policy should consider promoting breastfeeding and increasing fresh and minimally processed food consumption in children under 2 years. Rocha et al (2021) evaluated commercial baby food availability and child nutritional status in Natal, Brazil. They found that the food was predominantly ultra-processed (79%); only 4.2% was minimally processed, with similar proportions of ultra-processed food found in high-and low-income areas.…”

“…Rocha et al ( 2021 ) evaluated commercial baby food availability and child nutritional status in Natal, Brazil. They found that the food was predominantly ultra‐processed (79%); only 4.2% was minimally processed, with similar proportions of ultra‐processed food found in high‐ and low‐income areas.…”