Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of taking steps to improve the nutritional content of commercial baby food.

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 2023 report, Feeding Young Children aged 1 to 5 years, that free sugar intakes are above recommendations for children at all ages where recommendations have been set. Furthermore, commercial baby food and drinks contributed to approximately 20% of free sugar intake in children aged 12 to 18 months. The SACN also recommended that in diets of children aged one to five years old, foods, including snacks that are high in salt, free sugars, saturated fat, or are energy dense, should be limited. The SACN also recommended 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 ever. Under our health mission and shift to prevention, we are considering what action is needed to respond to the SACN’s commercial baby food recommendations to establish healthy habits as early as possible.