Background/Aims: There are concerns that nutrient-poor foods, particularly snacks, are being marketed as suitable for young children. The current study aimed to document the prevalence and nutritional quality of packaged snack foods for infants (<12 months) and toddlers (12 to <36 months) compared to other commercially produced foods available for these age groups in Australia.
Methods: A sub-set of data was used from an audit of foods for children under 36 months conducted in supermarkets in September/October 2022. Eligible products were those classified as ‘confectionery’ or ‘snacks and finger foods’ (snacks) under WHO Europe’s Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model. Snack products were assessed to identify how much energy they provide compared to daily energy requirements for young children and whether they provide servings of any of the five food groups recommended in the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
Results: Around a quarter (23%; n=56 out of 243) of infant foods and two-thirds (67%; n=58 out of 87) of toddler foods were snack products. On average, a serve of these products contributes 5.9% of the recommended daily energy requirements for a child of the age listed on the front-of-pack (range: 2.0%-14.7%). However, preliminary analyses indicate that few products contain fruit or vegetables and, where present, they are providing less than a serving from these food groups. Results regarding servings of grain (cereal) foods, dairy and protein sources will be available for presentation at the conference.
Conclusions: While packaged snack foods make up a significant portion of the market for young children, our findings suggest they are not a good source of fruit and vegetables (or potentially other core food groups) despite representing over 10% of daily energy requirements in some instances. Regulation is needed to ensure that snack foods provide adequate nutrition, not empty energy, in line with the Australian Dietary Guidelines.