Aim
Consider and decide what the food regulation system can do to improve commercial foods for infants and young children.
Leads
The policy development leads for this activity are:
- the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
- NSW Health
- the Victorian Department of Health.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is the lead for development of food regulatory measures.
Authorisation
The food ministers agreed at their November 2020 meeting that the Food Regulation Standing Committee undertake this activity.
Status
The policy development phase of this work is complete. Regulatory and non-regulatory options are now under consideration by the appropriate entities (see 2025 – Policy position below for details).
2025 – Policy position
Food ministers considered a policy paper on Commercial foods for infants and young children and agreed on a policy position. This will guide approaches for improving commercial foods for infants and young children.
This recognises the important role of food in:
- infant and young children’s growth and development
- the establishment of eating patterns and taste preferences into adulthood.
Ministers have referred issues relating to regulatory approaches to FSANZ. Ministers referred the non-regulatory approaches to the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to implement in consultation with the Australian Healthy Food Partnership and to the New Zealand Government to consider the approach in New Zealand.
2024 – Consultation Regulation Impact Statement completed
FRSC developed a Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (CRIS). This outlined the:
- problem with commercial foods for infants and young children
- options aiming to improve the nutritional composition, labelling and texture of these foods
- options aiming to better align with Australian and New Zealand infant and toddler dietary guidance.
The consultation was open from 5 August 2024 – 13 September 2024.
FRSC considered stakeholder submissions and provided advice to food ministers on options to improve commercial foods for infants and young children.
For more information on the consultation, see Consultation on commercial foods for infants and young children.
2023 – issues paper completed
FRSC developed an issues paper (including a problem statement) on commercial foods for infants and young children.
The food ministers considered the issues paper at their December 2023 meeting and requested FRSC to progress this work as a priority.
2020 – background paper completed
FRSC conducted an initial analysis to explore:
- the current regulatory environment for infant foods in Australia and New Zealand
- a comparison with international guidelines for infant feeding
- products sold for infants and toddlers in Australia.
This analysis included the background paper Commercial foods for early childhood: Australia and New Zealand. Food ministers considered the evidence and analysis at their November 2020 meeting, and request FRSC undertake further work to determine what actions could be explored in the food regulation system to improve commercial infant and toddler foods.
Related information
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