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Publication type:
Report
Date of official publication:
Description:
The key findings of this paper include:
- Around one-third of Australian toddlers are estimated to exceed the recommended upper limit for sodium.
- Australian children often eat less than the recommended intake of vegetables and meat and alternatives. These food groups may be displaced with ‘discretionary’ foods high in sugars or sodium.
- Most products for infants don’t declare iron content, despite iron being an important nutrient for development for this age group.
- Most foods promoted as ‘first foods’ have a sweet flavour profile which can:
- establish sweet flavour preferences
- limit acceptance of more bitter flavoured foods such as vegetables.
- The texture of infant foods is often not suitable for the developmental stage of older infants.
- Many foods for young children are energy-dense and high in sugars and sodium.
Evidence suggests that:
- infant and young children’s diets do not align with some aspects of the relevant guidelines in Australia and New Zealand
- many commercial foods:
- are high in sugar (infant and young children’s foods)
- are high in sodium (young children’s foods)
- don’t provide key nutrients for these age groups.
- current labelling does not support carers to make informed choices.
Date last updated: