Infant Foods: Salt and Sugar

A 2019 evidence review showed that babies and young children are exceeding their energy intake requirement and are eating too much sugar and salt. Some commercial baby foods, particularly finger foods, had added sugar or salt, or contained ingredients that are high in sugar or salt.

More recently, the independent Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) highlighted in their report, Feeding Young Children aged one to five years, published in 2023, that free sugar intakes are above recommendations for children at all ages where recommendations have been set, and that commercial baby food and drinks contributed to approximately 20% of free sugar intake in children aged between 12 and 18 months old. The SACN also recommended that in diets of children aged between one and five years old, foods, including snacks that are high in salt, free sugars, saturated fat, or are energy dense, should be limited and that commercially manufactured foods and drinks marketed specifically for infants and young children are not needed to meet nutrition requirements.

We face a childhood obesity crisis, and the Government is committed to raising the healthiest next generation. We will provide an update on publication of voluntary industry guidelines to limit the levels of salt and sugar in commercially available baby food and drink in due course.