Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps with the Food Standards Agency to align the labelling of early-weaning baby food sold as suitable for babies aged four months and older with NHS guidance on introducing solid foods to babies from six months old.

Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influences many aspects of wellbeing in later life.

Government dietary advice is that babies should be introduced to a healthy and varied diet, alongside their usual breast milk or first infant formula, when they are approximately six months old. This advice is communicated on the Start for Life and the NHS.UK websites, and we recommend businesses follow this advice when labelling products. Manufacturers are aware of this dietary advice and many already state six months on their products or have made a commitment to do so soon.

The Department is responsible for legislation and policy on foods for infants and young children. Regulations set minimum standards for nutrition, composition, and labelling for commercial baby food, and we challenge industry to act responsibly and take voluntary action to align products with dietary guidelines and best practice.

We continue to keep regulations for commercial baby food under review against the latest scientific and dietary guidelines.