Leszczyńska, P.M., de las Heras-Delgado, S., Shyam, S. et al. (4 more authors) (2025) Nutritional content and promotional practices of foods for infants and young children on the spanish market: a cross-sectional product evaluation. European Journal of Pediatrics, 184 (6). 333. ISSN 0340-6199
Abstract
The first 1000 days of life are crucial for health, making it essential that foods for infants and young children (FIYC) meet high nutritional standards, as defined by the World Health Organization's (WHO) Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model (NPPM). There is high reliance on commercially available highly processed FIYC for children under 3 years of age, and a growing market. The aim of this study is to analyse the nutrient profiles of FIYC using the WHO NPPM and determine the proportion of products available in Spain suitable for promotion. Data on 830 FIYC available from brands sold by major retailers in Spain were collected. Product nutrient composition and label information were assessed using the WHO NPPM for the European Region. The processed fruit and vegetables were the most common FIYC category, accounting for 46% of the products surveyed. Overall, only 23% met all NPPM nutritional standards. About 60% of products had excessive sugar content, with 98% of fruit and vegetable purees qualifying for a front-of-pack sugar warning. One in four savoury meals was protein-deficient and one in four of all FIYC was energy-deficient. Only 7% and 2% exceeded the sodium and fat limits, respectively. No product fully met the NPPM promotion recommendations.
Conclusion: Nearly 80% of FIYC products in Spain do not meet WHO’s NPPM criteria for nutrient quality, with many high in sugar, low in protein and too watery (low energy). None met the promotional recommendations, highlighting the need for better regulation to improve the nutritional content and appropriate marketing of products for young children.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2025. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Food Science and Nutrition (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 16 Jul 2025 12:29 |
Last Modified: | 16 Jul 2025 12:29 |
Published Version: | https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00431-0... |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Springer |
Identification Number: | 10.1007/s00431-025-06156-y |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:229181 |