Commercial Complementary Food in Germany: A 2020 Market Survey

Abstract

As consumption of commercial complementary food (CCF) during infancy and toddlerhood is common, the aim of the present study was to describe the current (2020) German market of CCF products targeted at infants and toddlers with a special focus on ingredients, macronutrients, and the practice of nutrient fortification. Information on age declarations, ingredients, energy and nutrient contents, and nutrient fortification was obtained in a market survey by contacting the producers and searching manufacturers’ websites. Each product was assigned to 1 of 13 product categories (menus, milk–cereal–meal, fruit–cereal–meal, oil, vegetables, meat, fish, fruits, cereals, snack foods, pouches, desserts, beverages). Descriptive statistics were used. We identified 1057 CF products on the German market (infants’ CCF (<12 months): n = 829; toddlers’ CCF (>12 months): n = 228)). The highest protein content (% of energy content, %E) was found in meat products. In pouches, beverages, cereal fruit meals, and fruits, more than 50% of energy came from total sugar. The highest median salt content was found in toddlers’ menus and desserts. Around one-third of infants’ CCF products and one quarter of toddlers’ products were fortified with nutrients. Vitamin B1 (thiamin) was the most frequently fortified nutrient, followed by vitamin C, iron, calcium, and vitamin D. Apple was the type of fruit listed most often in products with fruits, whereas carrot was the most frequent vegetable among CCF with vegetables. In particular, the high total sugar content of most CCFs currently available on the German market may promote unhealthy dietary habits. Parents need to be advised about the optimal selection of products.

The nutritional profile of commercial complementary foods in Japan: comparison between low- and high-price products

“…Soft meals formed the largest fraction of products included in this study, with the most substantial differences observed in nutrient profiles between price levels. The energy density (55 kcal/100 g) observed in this study was similar to or lower than that observed in previous studies conducted in other countries (60-99 kcal/100 g) (8,11,12,14,20,47,48,52) . In addition, soft meals in Japan had similar protein content (2•2 g/100 g) to those in the UK (2•6-3•1 g/100 g) (8,20) , Germany (1•4 g/100 g) (14) and South-East Asian countries (1•9-3•2 g/100 g) (18) ; however, they had lower protein content than soft meals in Australia (2•2-4•4 g/100 g) (11,12,48) and Italy (1•8-6•0 g/100 g) (15) .…”

“…We found that 90% and 80% of low-priced soft meals contained carrots and onions as ingredients, respectively. The frequent use of carrots and less use of bitter vegetables were consistently reported in the previous studies in Germany (14) , the US (19) , and the UK (20) . The carrot use frequency in this study (90% of soft meals) was much higher than that in other studies from the US (19) (31.9%), and the UK (20) (19.4%).…”

“…Furthermore, the proportion of products exceeding a sodium content of 200 mg/100 g was 0% for products for infants, 5% for 'dinners or meals', and 69% for 'savoury snacks' (9) . In other studies, the sodium content of soft meals was approximately 10-60 mg/100 g (0.02-0.15 g salt/100 g) (8,14,15,18,48) . Although the association between early life exposure to tastes and taste preference in later life is controversial (4,(53)(54)(55) , it is possible that exposure to salty foods in early life is associated with easy acceptance of salty tastes in later life.…”

“…Accepted manuscript studies conducted in other countries (60-99 kcal/100 g) (8,11,12,14,20,47,48,52) . In addition, soft meals in Japan had similar protein content (2.2 g/100 g) to those in the UK (2.6-3.1 g/100 g) (8,20) , Germany (1.4 g/100 g) (14) and South-East Asian countries (1.9-3.2 g/100 g) (18) ; however, they had lower protein content than soft meals in Australia (2.2-4.4 g/100 g) (11,12,48) and Italy (1.8-6.0 g/100 g) (15) . The total fat content in soft meals observed in this study (0.9 g/100 g) was also similar to or lower than that in previous studies (8,12,14,15,18,20,48) (0.5-3.2 g/100 g).…”

“…Previous studies have reported nutritional concerns regarding the use of commercial complementary foods. For example, high levels of sodium and sugar and the presence of sweet foods have been reported in studies from the UK (8) , the US (9,10) , Australia (11,12) , European countries (5,(13)(14)(15)(16) , Taiwan (17) , and South-East Asian countries (18) . Other studies have reported a low variety of vegetables and other ingredients in commercial complementary foods (19)(20)(21) .…”