Journal article

First foods in a packaged world: Results from the COMMIT consortium to protect young child diets in Southeast Asia (Blankenship JL, White JM, et al. Maternal & Child Nutrition. 2023)

13 Dec 23
Topic(s): Adolescent Nutrition, Research
Location: East Asia Pacific, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, The Philippines, Indonesia, Viet Nam
Language(s): English
Audience: Policy makers and legislators, Program designers and implementers
Organization: Alive & Thrive
Programs: Policy advocacy, Strategic use of data

Forty-four percent of all foods and 72% of snacks commercially marketed for young children in Southeast Asia contained added sugars, a study by the Consortium for Improving Complementary Foods in Southeast Asia (COMMIT) initiative found. The study, which analyzed the nutritional content and labeling of over 1,600 commercially marketed foods for young children in seven countries (Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam), also found that over one third exceeded recommended sodium levels. Additionally, nearly 90% of product labels featured potentially deceptive health claims. Alive & Thrive, together with other COMMIT partners and using evidence from the study, has been actively advocating for stronger regulations to promote improved nutrition among infants and young children in Viet Nam and Cambodia.

 
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