ABSTRACT:
Introduction. Evidence supporting the link between early life nutrition and adult health now forms a cornerstone of health promotion and public health programmes globally. The Purpose of this study is to evaluate the nutritional composition of commercially available complementary foods (CACFs) targeting infants and young children (IYC) up to 36 months available in the marketplace in Moscow, Russia Materials and Methods. The study protocol was developed in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe NCD Office using methodology established in previous studies using the 2019 draft nutrient profile models early. This is a cross-sectional study of the availability and nutritional composition of CACFs for IYC aged 6-36 months. Results. In total, 227 baby food products were sampled across different product types to achieve as representative a sample as possible of products available in the Moscow region. A substantial proportion of products (n=89, 38%) were marketed as being suitable for infants under the age of 6 months. 95% products (n=216) were missing information on total sugars, 78% products (n=177) were missing information on either sodium or salt, 24% products (n=55) were missing information on total fat, 95% products (n=215) were missing information on saturated fat, 17% products (n=40) were missing information on protein and 6% products (n=14) were missing information on carbohydrates. All products carried pictures of ingredients and some contained cartoon images (52%) or images of infants/young children (35%). Statements about composition and/or nutritional properties were present on 91% of the products recorded. Conclusion. Baby foods on the market in Russia for IYC aged 6 to 36 months showed a worryingly high proportion of products being marketed as suitable for IYC under 6 months of age. A high prevalence of information missing from the nutrition panel on total sugar, salt or sodium and saturated fat values were observed.