COMMIT to better first foods for young children
Protecting the diets of young children in Southeast Asia
Children need a lot of energy and nutrients to grow, develop and thrive, especially in their first three years. That’s why children’s first foods are so important. Families try hard to provide their children with a variety of healthy and nutritious foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs and meat.
But nutritious food is getting more and more expensive, and parents – especially mothers – may not always have time to prepare home cooked meals for every feeding. Food manufacturers have been quick to develop and market packaged, ready-to-eat or instant foods and beverages as appropriate for young children – from as young as 6 months, up to 3 years of age.
But are these products appropriate for young children? Or are parents being misled?
Commercially produced food products that are promoted as appropriate for children between 6 months and 3 years of age – including instant cereals, porridges, puréed foods, food in pouches, snacks and ready-to-eat or instant meals – are known as “commercially produced complementary foods.” Across Southeast Asia, sales of these packaged products have risen by 45% in the past 5 years.
The labels of commercially produced complementary foods often include claims that they are “nutritious”, “healthy”, “all natural”, or “beneficial for children’s development”. But some of these products also contain high levels of sugar, salt or fat. This isn’t fair to parents or children.
COMMIT is working to change this
The Consortium for Improving Complementary Foods in Southeast Asia – known as COMMIT – aims to better understand the use, quality and regulation of commercially produced complementary foods in Southeast Asia. COMMIT assessed over 1,600 commercially produced complementary foods marketed for children aged 6 months to 3 years as well as consumer behaviour and existing regulation across seven countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.
Its key findings are troubling.
Added Sugar
Almost half (44%) of all products studied, and 72% of snacks and finger foods, included added sugars and sweeteners.
Too Much Salt
More than one third of products studied included more sodium (salt) than recommended.
Misleading Labels
Nearly 90% of the products studied had labels with claims about the composition of the product which can be misleading or deceptive.
Lack of Regulation
None of the seven Southeast Asian countries have national regulations on commercially produced complementary foods that follow all international guidance.
Learn more & take action
Whether you’re a parent or policy maker, learn more below on the results from COMMIT’s study and what you can do.
I'm a parent / caregiver
I'm a policymaker / researcher
What needs to be done?
To help every child enjoy healthy and nutritious food, UNICEF and COMMIT partners are calling for:
- Improved national regulations for commercially produced complementary foods, including prohibiting the use of added sugars and sweeteners, limiting sugar and sodium content, and prohibiting the use of misleading marketing labelling.
- Strict government monitoring and enforcement of national regulations on commercially produced complementary foods.
- Support for parents to provide a diverse array of nutritious food to their youngest children and navigate deceptive marketing and labelling practices.
Who is COMMIT?
COMMIT was established to support governments with regulating commercially produced complementary foods and to protect consumers from inappropriate marketing practices.
It is a joint initiative by the UNICEF East Asia Pacific Regional Office; Access to Nutrition Initiative; Alive & Thrive; Helen Keller International; JB Consultancy; School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds; and World Food Programme Asia Pacific Regional Bureau.
