ObjectivesTo investigate the nutritional quality of foods marketed to children in the UK and to explore the use of health and nutrition claims.DesignThis cross-sectional study was carried out in a wide range of UK food retailers. Products marketed to children above the age of 1 year containing any of a range of child friendly themes (i.e. cartoons, toys and promotions), and terms suggesting a nutritious or healthy attribute such as ‘one of 5-a-day’, on product packaging were identified both in stores and online. Information on sugar, salt and fat content, as well as health and nutrition claims, was recorded. The Ofcom nutrient profiling model (NPM) was used to assess if products were healthy.ResultsThree hundred and thirty-two products, including breakfast cereals, fruit snacks, fruit-based drinks, dairy products and ready meals, were sampled. The use of cartoon characters (91.6%), nutrition claims (41.6%) and health claims (19.6%) was a common marketing technique. The one of 5-a-day claim was also common (41.6%), but 75.4% (103) of products which made this claim were made up of less than 80 g of fruit and vegetables. Sugar content (mean±SD per 100 g) was high in fruit snacks (48.4±16.2 g), cereal bars (28.9±7.5 g) and cereals (22.9±8.0 g). Overall, 41.0% of the products were classified as less healthy according to the Ofcom NPM.ConclusionA large proportion of products marketed to children through product packaging are less healthy, and claims used on product packaging are confusing. Uniform guidance would avoid confusion on nutritional quality of many popular foods.

Ready to eat breakfast cereals (REBCs) and yoghurts provide important nutrients to children’s diets, but concerns about their high sugar content exist. Food reformulation could contribute to sugar reduction, but policies across countries are not uniform. We aimed to compare the sugar content and nutritional quality of child-orientated REBCs and yoghurts in Latin American countries with the UK. In a cross-sectional study, nutritional information, marketing strategies, and claims were collected from the food labels and packaging of products available in Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador and the UK. Nutritional quality was assessed using the UK Ofcom Nutrient Profiling System. In total, 262 products were analysed (59% REBCs/41% yoghurts). REBCs in the UK had a lower sugar content (mean ± SD) (24.6 ± 6.4) than products in Ecuador (34.6 ± 10.8; p < 0.001), Mexico (32.6 ± 7.6; p = 0.001) and Guatemala (31.5 ± 8.3; p = 0.001). Across countries, there were no differences in the sugar content of yoghurts. A large proportion (83%) of REBCs and 33% of yoghurts were classified as “less healthy”. In conclusion, the sugar content of REBCs in Latin America is higher than those of the UK, which could be attributed to the UK voluntary sugar reduction programme. Sugar reformulation policies are required in Guatemala, Mexico and Ecuador.

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Dietary fibre intake is below recommendations in children and some staple foods, rich in inulin, may help to increase its consumption. Inulin a prebiotic dietary fibre (1) is mainly found in plant-based foods. Food reformulation has led to an increase on inulin content in various food products recently, yet there is little research on the level of inulin consumption from food sources in the diet especially in children. Aim: To explore the food sources and intake of inulin in school-aged children.Children were recruited between the Summer and Fall of 2019 in purposely designed child interactive science activities. Diet intake was recorded using one 24-hour recall, and with the aid of food images parents helped their child to remember the foods eaten. For the assessment of inulin a list of foods was created using food composition data reporting on inulin-type fructan content (2)(3) . The amount of inulin from reported homemade and takeaway food was calculated using the mean ingredients of three recipes. Nutritics software was used to check for standard portions.A total of 154 school-aged children, median age 7 years old, IQR (12-5) female/male ratio (61/39%) were recruited from the least deprived areas (65.3%) of Scotland. Median inulin consumption was 1.3 g/day, IQR (7.1-0). Grain and cereal products contributed over half the inulin intake (58.4%). Within this group, bread accounted for over a third of inulin (36.5%), followed by breakfast cereals and biscuits with only 13.3% and 5.1%, respectively. The second highest contributing food group was takeaway and homemade dishes which accounted for 21.7% of inulin consumption, including vegetable dishes with 9%. The vegetable, potatoes, beans and fruits food group contributed the least amount of inulin with 11.9% and 8%, respectively.In this population of school-aged children, the main food sources of inulin come from grain and cereal products and mixed meals from which carrots and onions are the likely contributing ingredients to inulin consumption. These data will help inform future intervention studies of increased dietary fibre consumption in children.

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