New guidelines from government have outlined the evidence for healthy foods for babies and encouraged companies to reduce the levels of sugar and salt in commercial baby foods aimed at children up to 36 months old.
Government has said that the changes in the voluntary industry guidelines, released today, are needed to combat high levels of childhood obesity, currently costing the NHS £11.4bn each year, so that parents in England can shop for healthier food for their children. Clearer labelling for foods aimed at young children will also be introduced to help parents ‘make informed decisions’.
Levels of sugar and salt can be too high in products aimed at young children, and labelling can be misleading, government claims.
For example, some products labelled as snacks for babies from seven months onwards ‘directly contradict government recommendations’ that children aged 6-12 months do not need snacks between meals, only milk, and labels such as ‘contains no nasties’ might be seen when products may actually be high in sugar.
Foods covered by the new guidance include ready to eat baby meals, breakfasts and desserts, such as fruit and vegetable purees, porridge, and cereals; baby finger foods and snacks, like breadsticks and rice cakes, and drinks aimed at young children, such as fruit drinks and juices and sweetened milk and milk alternatives. The guidelines exclude all formula milks and growing-up milks.
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Public health minister Ashley Dalton said: ‘Every child deserves a healthy, happy start to life. But babies’ development is being harmed by poor diets and unhealthy food, holding them back and piling up pressure on the NHS. Too often, parents are bombarded with confusing labels, disguising unhealthy foods packed with hidden sugars and salt.’
The guidance points to evidence from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) in their report Feeding in the first year of life, from 2018, recommending that:
- most babies should not start solid food until around 6 months of age
- a wide range of solid foods should be introduced in an age-appropriate form from around 6 months
- dietary, flavour and texture diversification should proceed incrementally
- the only drinks offered to children between 6 and 12 months of age should be breast milk, infant formula and water.
Also discussed is data from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) for England, for the school year 2023 to 2024, showing over a fifth of children aged four to five years are overweight or living with obesity, with higher levels of obesity in areas of deprivation.
In addition, the Oral health survey of 5 year old schoolchildren 2024 found that over a fifth of 5 year old schoolchildren in England had experience of tooth decay.
Government feeding advice for babies and young children says that:
- Sugar should not be added to foods or drinks
- The amount and frequency of sugary foods and drinks consumed should be reduced
- Sugary foods (including dried fruit) should not be provided between meals.
Sweeteners are not permitted for use in commercial baby food.
Manufacturers have 18 months, to February 2027, to introduce changes to products.
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Welcoming the guidelines, Dr Vicky Sibson, director of the charity First Steps Nutrition, said: ‘These voluntary guidelines are a first step towards clamping down on the longstanding and widespread poor practices of the baby food industry. These practices mislead parents and undermine their best efforts to feed their babies and toddlers healthy, age-appropriate diets.
‘We welcome government plans to evaluate industry compliance in 18 months and fully support their commitment to taking ‘further measures’ in the event that this voluntary measure fails. Strengthened legislation has public backing.’
Maxine Palmer, head of service development at the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), also commented: ‘Every parent should be able to make informed decisions about what they feed their baby, free from commercial influence and often misleading labelling. So NCT welcomes this step toward giving parents clearer, more accessible health information.
‘Introducing solids from 6 months, alongside continued breastfeeding or milk feeds, is an important milestone.
‘We urge manufacturers to implement the guidance on labelling and reducing sugar and salt content in baby foods, and for parents to continue to seek support and information from trusted sources when deciding what feeding journey is right for them.’
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Earlier this year, the government launched a partnership with food retailers and manufacturers for a new healthy food standard, as part of the shift to prevention in the 10 Year Health Plan.
From 5 January 2026, adverts for ‘less healthy products’ will not be shown on TV before 9pm or online, under new Advertising (Less Healthy Food Definitions and Exemptions) Regulations 2024. The classification of ‘less healthy’ will be according to a Nutrient Profiling Model developed by the Food Standards Agency, and will typically include products high in fat, sugar or salt.