Commercial foods for infants and young children in Poland (2021)

Good nutrition in infancy and early childhood is the foundation of good health and development, during childhood and throughout adult life, but there are growing concerns that the marketing of some baby and toddler foods is undermining infant and young child nutrition.

A study conducted in partnership with the Institute of Mother and Child in Poland collected 732 commercial food and drink products for infants and young children in two districts of the Polish capital Warsaw and assessed them against WHO criteria for foods that may be considered suitable to be marketed for infants and young children. The study found evidence of widespread inappropriate promotion, and several areas of particular concern were identified.

• Early age of introduction: 43% of the products were marketed as being suitable for infants under the age of 6 months, which – although legal under European Union law – is in violation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and WHO guidance.
• Inappropriate nutritional quality: more than half (58%) of the products provided more than 30% of energy (calories) from sugars, around a quarter (24%) had sugar or other sweetening agents added, and 40% provided too few calories per 100 g to meet infants’ needs.
• Inappropriate use of composition, nutrition or health claims: most products (92%) carried a statement about composition or nutritional aspects on the label and more than a third (39%) carried statements relating to health or development, although Codex guidelines and WHO guidance prohibit nutrition or health claims.