Commercial foods for infants and young children in Türkiye

Abstract

While nutrition has always been an essential component of health care, in recent years the effect upon the health of infants and young children of improper nutrition has come under closer scrutiny. Ensuring complementary foods are healthy and nutritious is made increasingly difficult by improper and unregulated marketing. This report examines the availability, marketing and trends of manufacturers, consumers and stores to provide a cross-sectional study of the availability and nutritional composition of foods aimed at infants and young children in Türkiye. It is the first study in Türkiye on the marketing of commercially available foods for infants and young children aged 6–36 months. Adapted from an established WHO method, the study collected data on 224 food products marketed for infants and young children in two districts of Ankara, Türkiye. The products were assessed using the WHO 2022 Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model (‎NPPM)‎. The findings show that according to the NPPM criteria there is widespread inappropriate promotion of commercial foods for infants and young children in Ankara. The data contained within this report have implications for all WHO Member States and its results illustrate the need to implement comprehensive regulations on the marketing of commercial foods targeted at infants and young children.