Background/Aims: Commercial foods for infants and toddlers are readily available in Australia, with these products often marketed with on-pack claims and imagery to give the impression to parents/caregivers that they are providing a healthy choice for their child. Yet there are concerns that many of these products have a high total sugar content and sweet taste profile. This study aimed to document the prevalence of these marketing strategies on Australian infant and toddler foods and examine the sugar content of products that use them.
Methods: A comprehensive audit of foods labelled as suitable for children aged <36 months was conducted in September/October 2022, with 330 products identified in-store and online at three major Victorian supermarkets. Nutrition and promotional data for each product was extracted from photographs (in-store data collection) or screenshots (online data collection) of the packaging.
Results: One in two (50%) products reviewed carried a ‘no added sugar’ claim. Of these, 93% contained added sugars when applying Public Health England’s definition of free sugars, while about two-thirds (64%) specifically included processed fruit sugars such as juices, purees or powders. Further, half (51%) of products with a ‘no added sugar’ claim derived at least 30% of their energy content from total sugar. Many products included images of fruit (56%) or vegetables (39%) on their packaging, and nearly all of these (96%) contained added sugars. The majority (94%) of products with fruit imagery on their packaging specifically included processed fruit sugars. Although less common, processed fruit sugars were also found in around one-third (31%) of products with vegetable imagery on their packaging.
Conclusions: Restrictions on the use of ‘no added sugar’ claims on infant and toddler foods, as well as improved labelling of added sugars, is needed to help parents/caregivers accurately evaluate the sugar content of these products.