A new study by the George Institute for Global Health has found that no infant or toddler food products in Australian supermarkets meet the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. The research, published in Maternal and Child Nutrition, assessed over 300 products for children aged six months to three years against the WHO Regional Office for Europe’s nutrient and promotion profile model—a gold standard for nutritional quality and marketing practices.
The study, which utilized the George Institute’s FoodSwitch database covering over 90% of the Australian packaged food market, discovered that more than 75% of the products failed to meet nutritional requirements. All products also violated promotional standards, which restrict claims to allergens, religious considerations, and vegetarian/vegan attributes.
Researchers found that 22% of the products met the WHO’s nutrient criteria, with the majority failing on sugar and calorie content. None adhered to the WHO’s promotional requirements, which prohibit claims such as “free from colours and flavours,” “organic,” and “no added sugar.” The average product displayed 6.7 claims, with some making as many as 21.
Dr. Daisy Coyle, a dietitian and study author, highlighted that these claims can mislead parents, obscuring true nutritional content. For example, products marketed as “no added sugar” might still contain processed fruit sugars, and products like “broccoli, spinach, and apple” may have a misleadingly high fruit content.
The study also noted that squeeze pouches, which make up over 50% of supermarket products, only half met the WHO’s sugar requirements. Dr. Catharine Fleming, a public health lecturer and pediatric nutrition specialist, expressed concern over the misleading packaging that complicates parents’ ability to make healthy choices for their children.
The researchers recommend stricter regulations and further research into the health risks of ultra-processed foods, particularly given their increasing prevalence in baby food categories.