Baby food manufacturers must cut levels of salt and sugar in their products and stop promoting snacks for babies under the age of one, the government has said today (Aug 22).
According to new voluntary guidance from the government, businesses are told to reduce levels of sugar and salt in each product category and improve the labelling and marketing of these products to help make it easier for parents and carers to make a healthier choice.
Clearer labelling of products is also recommended by the government to address misleading marketing claims that make baby foods seem healthier than they are.
The guidelines are relevant to retailers, commercial baby food manufacturers (referred to as manufacturers in the rest of the guidelines), trade associations and non-governmental healthcare organisations.
Under the guidelines, sugar levels will be restricted in finger foods, snacks, desserts and non-refrigerated yoghurts, but there is no maximum level of sugar permitted in fruit pouches.
Firms that do not make their products healthier within 18 months may face action.
Companies have previously been able to market products to babies as young as four months old, even though government guidelines state that solid foods should not be given to babies under six months.
Firms have also marketed snacks to infants under 12 months, when NHS guidance for parents says children under one do not need snacks.
The new guidelines say both of these practices should now be phased out, which could have significant ramifications for manufacturers.
Companies have also been told to restrict the use of marketing claims on their products which are not based on scientific evidence.
Experts argue these claims often make products appear healthier than they really are, and sometimes even appear a better choice than homemade food.
This comes after a BBC Panorama investigation report in April this year found top-brand baby food pouches lacked key nutrients and parents were often being misled by marketing.
There has been significant growth in the baby food and drink market in recent years.
Food in pouches makes up more than a third of this market and there's been a rise in sales of snacks like fruit and vegetable-based straws, puffs and wafers.
Read more on debate on baby food nutritional credibility here.