Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the appropriate amount of (a) iron and (b) vitamins is in food marketed for children under 36 months.

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

The Department has regulations in place that set nutritional, compositional, and labelling standards for commercial baby food for children from six to 36 months. These include maximum levels of iron, and minimum and maximum levels of some vitamins that can be added to commercial baby food. We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure that the composition of infant food and drinks reflect the latest scientific advice and dietary guidelines. It is the responsibility of individual businesses to ensure they comply with the law and the responsibility of local authorities to enforce the law.