Policies and regulations related to commercially produced complementary foods in Southeast Asia

Highlights

A desk review of active national binding legal measures (national polices, standards and legislation) relevant to commercially-produced complementary foods (CPCF) was conducted to provide insight into the regulatory environment guiding the formulation and promotion of CPCF in seven Southeast Asian countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam). The analysis then assessed the alignment of identified national binding legal measures with global guidance on CPCF nutrient composition and labelling practices. Specific objectives included:

1. To compare the content of active national binding legal measures to relevant Codex Standards and Guidelines.
2. To compare the content of active national binding legal measures to the WHO Guidance on Ending the Inappropriate Promotion of Foods for Infants and Young Children.
3. To compare the content of active national binding legal measures to the nutrient composition and labelling practice requirements in the adapted version of the 2019 WHO Europe NPM for CPCF.