Childhood nutrition is in the spotlight, with negative stories in the media frequently overplaying the positive. For example, earlier this year another Nestlé baby formula scandal came to light, while concerns over the ultra-processing of children’s foods continue to mount. However, the focus is now shifting towards the nutritional content of children's foods, which critics claim is severely lacking.
“Malnutrition is a universal issue holding back development with devastating consequences for entire nations. It has a devastating impact on children – it blunts intellect, reduces productivity, and perpetuates poverty,” said a UNICEF spokesperson. “UNICEF and the European Union are committed to scaling up and sustaining our efforts to reach more children.”
However, UNICEF also notes childhood nutrition remains low on most European national agendas and is under-resourced.
A report published by The Food Foundation in the UK uncovered a significant decline in children’s health, stating “children in England are now shorter and more likely to have obesity and type 2 diabetes". This has led to campaigners including celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, politician Gordon Brown and public health professor Michael Marmot joining The Food Foundation to call on Britain’s new Labour government to urgently address the decline in children’s health.
So why is the health of Europe's children so poor? And are children’s foods lacking in nutrition?
Are children’s foods lacking nutrition?
While many consumers may be quick to blame manufacturers for skimping on the nutrients, the industry vehemently rejects such claims.
“Kids food is highly regulated to ensure its safety and quality,” Tim Collins, managing director of children’s food brand, Ella’s Kitchen, told FoodNavigator. “The safety of little ones is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities seriously, setting strict nutritional guidelines that go beyond industry requirements. We only introduce new first food products that contain 10% less sugar than our range average and have reformulated products to reduce saturated fat and sugar.”
But do consumers believe the claims of food manufacturers? It appears not.
A recent report by the EIT Food Consumer Observatory found under half (46%) of consumers asked said they trust food manufacturers, while 27% actively distrust them. This distrust bleeds into all aspects of food manufacturing, including health claims, with 44% believing the foods they are consuming are healthy. As a result of this, consumers are less likely to believe health and nutritional claims on food packaging, and this extends to foods made specifically for children.
This lack of trust is a concern for children's food manufacturers.
“Our concern is that if parents are pushed outside the kid’s aisle, little ones will eat snacks which are not-age appropriate, not as strictly regulated, and contain far more fat, salt, and sugar. Kids products must continue to provide a healthier alternative,” adds Collins.
There’s also the issue of a child’s ability to eat foods not specifically formulated for their age, particularly with regards to firmness and texture.
“We did research which found that 53% of parents were unaware of the importance of building up texture,” Mandy Bobrowski, marketing director at Organix, told FoodNavigator.
So how can food manufacturers encourage parents and caregivers to continue buying foods designed for children?
Encouraging parents to buy foods formulated for children
Addressing the primary concern of parents and caregivers is the best way to encourage them to purchase, the experts agree. In this case, promoting verified health claims and underlining the regulations placed on the industry would help.
“The industry must focus on developing tasty products, which provide value for money and deliver good health outcomes,” says Ella’s Kitchen’s Collins.
Why are children in Europe malnourished?
The understanding that foods formulated specifically for children are not the cause of declining childhood nutrition, leads to the conclusion that children are not getting the correct nutrients from the other foods they are consuming as part of their diet. Furthermore, there are many children who do not eat any foods formulated specifically for children, making the consumption of the required nutrients in the form of fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, etc., even more important.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), just 78.8% of children eat breakfast, often regarded as the most important meal of the day. Furthermore, only 42.5% consume fresh fruit each day and 22.6% consume fresh vegetables.
“Action is urgently needed to promote healthy eating habits among children in all the countries of the European Region, especially to increase daily consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables,” said a spokesperson for the WHO.
What can be done to boost childhood nutrition?
In response to the declining levels of childhood nutrition, the WHO has set out an action plan for countries across Europe and the world.
- Regulate marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children.
- Implement WHO-recommended labelling rules for nutrition producers.
- Incentivise reformulation of foods high in sugar, fat and salt.
- Introduce fiscal incentives such as implementing a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.
- Facilitate access to healthy and nutritious food in schools, other public institutions – through implementation of healthy public food procurement and service policies – and in under-served communities.
- Support monitoring initiatives of children’s eating habits, anthropometric measurements and food environments to monitor policy impacts.
