Improving baby & toddler foods

 

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Foods marketed for babies and toddlers should support good health and wellbeing.

Research shows that the first three years of life are a critical opportunity to support healthy dietary habits and to prevent overweight and obesity. As the popularity of ready-made foods for young children continues to increase there is growing concern that some of these foods are undermining healthy, nutritious diets.

Our work develops recommendations for changes to Australian laws and policies based on the latest evidence on the composition, labelling and promotion of baby and toddler foods and international best practice.

Our campaign calls for three actions to improve ready-made foods for babies and toddlers so that these foods support good health and wellbeing.

Our campaign

Kids with iPad

Kids are sweet enough

All children deserve the best start in life, ensuring they can grow and develop in the healthiest way possible.

Our campaign centres on three actions to improve ready-made foods for babies and toddlers so that these foods support good health and wellbeing.

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Collaborating for healthier baby and toddler foods

Kids with iPad

Food for Health Alliance established and chaired a working of public health experts to respond to the Department of Health and Aged Care’s 2024 consultation on improving foods for babies and toddlers. This work resulted in a list of key recommendations for decision makers, backed by 28 public health and consumer organisations across Australia and New Zealand.

Read the recommendations

Big thanks to all our working group members:

  • Andrea Schmidtke, Senior Legal Policy Adviser, Food for Health Alliance (Chair)
  • Dr Alexandra Chung, Senior Lecturer, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University
  • Dr Catherine Flemming, Senior Lecturer, Public Health, Western Sydney University
  • Dr Daisy Coyle, Senior Research Fellow, Food Policy, The George Institute
  • Dr Jennifer McCann, Senior Lecturer, Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University
  • Dr Rosemary Stanton OAM, Senior Visiting Fellow, School of Health Sciences, University of New South Wales

Latest

Public health experts commend Food Ministers’ decision to regulate baby and toddler foods

Public health experts have congratulated Food Ministers on their decision to support regulating the composition, labelling and texture of baby and toddler foods in Australia
Media
Toddler eating passionfruit with a spoon

Australian Government Early Years Strategy

Food for Health Alliance submission on the Commonwealth Governments Early Years Strategy highlights the need for this strategy to include nutrition as a key part of the vision and outcomes for the early years. Read more
Submission
high sugar warning label

Food for Health Alliance to work on MRFF grant study into sugar warning labels on baby & toddler foods

Food for Health Alliance is excited to be working on a Medical Research Future Fund grant study to support research into the effectiveness of added sugar warning labels on baby and toddler foods. The research will be led by Cancer Council Victoria. Read more
Research

Further work

International Guidance

The European Office of the World Health Organisation has published its final report  Nutrient and promotion profile model  on a nutrient promotion and profile model for foods for children aged between 6-36 months.   

We tested Australian foods against the draft of this model and they don’t perform well. The government needs to set higher standards for foods for babies and toddlers that align with this model of international best practice.  

Infant and Toddler Food Research Alliance

We collaborate with other public health organisations on the improvement of foods and diets for young children as a member of the Infant and Toddler Food Research Alliance.

Early Years Strategy 

The Australian Government is developing an Early Years Strategy  to shape its vision for the future of Australia’s children and their families. The discussion paper for submissions on this strategy does not include nutrition as a key consideration – we think it should. Read our submission

Learn more

Protecting children from unhealthy food marketing 

Learn about protecting children from the processed food industry’s unhealthy food marketing.

Improving baby & toddler foods

Learn about improving the composition, labelling and promotion of ready-made foods for babies and toddlers to support good health.

Improving food labelling

Labelling of packaged foods should provide accurate information that enables consumers to make choices in line with dietary guidelines. Learn about our work to improve food labelling.

Pricing measures for healthier diets

Pricing measures can promote healthier diets through encouraging reformulation by industry and by influencing the purchase and consumption of food and drinks.

National & international strategies

Learn about the frameworks and strategies that play an important role in changing the food environment to better support healthier diets.