Department of Applied Biology. Nutrition and Food Science and Institute of Bioengineering. Miguel Hernández University, 03202 Elche (Alicante), Spain
Department of Applied Biology. Nutrition and Food Science and Institute of Bioengineering. Miguel Hernández University, 03202 Elche (Alicante), Spain
Department of Applied Biology. Nutrition and Food Science and Institute of Bioengineering. Miguel Hernández University, 03202 Elche (Alicante), Spain
Food Quality and Safety Research Group. Miguel Hernández University, 03202 Elche (Alicante) Spain; Centre for Agri-food and Agri-environmental Research and Innovation (CIAGRO-UMH). Miguel Hernández University, 03312 Orihuela (Alicante) Spain
Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine. San Juan de Alicante. Medical coordinator at el Raval Health Centre, Elche. General University Hospital of Elche (Alicante), Spain
President of the Spanish Society of Nutrition, Deusto University. 48007 Bilbao Bizkaia. Spain
Department of Applied Biology, Nutrition and Food Science and Institute of Bioengineering, Miguel Hernández University, 03202 Elche (Alicante), Spain; Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL). 03010 Alicante, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Research Group “Nutrition and Physical Activity”, Spanish Nutrition Society “SEÑ”, 28010 Madrid, Spain
Department of Applied Biology, Nutrition and Food Science and Institute of Bioengineering, Miguel Hernández University, 03202 Elche (Alicante), Spain; Food Quality and Safety Research Group. Miguel Hernández University, 03202 Elche (Alicante) Spain.
World Health Organization recommends complementary feeding alongside breastfeeding starting at six months. Infant cereals are among the first complementary foods introduced into children’s diets, playing a vital role in their transition from exclusive breastfeeding to diversified feeding. Although labelling is a critical tool for enabling parents to make informed choices, it often lacks clarity and presents vague or misleading information, especially for products targeted to children. Parents are increasingly vigilant to added sugars, refined flours, and processed ingredients, demanding healthier options and greater transparency. This growing concern underscores the gap between marketing claims and actual nutritional value. This study examined labelling of 56 infant cereal brands available in the Spanish market, categorizing them into rice-, corn-, rice/corn- and multigrain-based products. The analysis focused on regulatory compliance and quantity of sugar present. The research revealed that 75% of the analysed cereal brands contained sugar either through direct addition or via dextrinization (starch hydrolysis). Alarmingly, 35.7% of the selected brands exhibited high free sugar content, with some brands reaching up to 35% total sugar. Multigrain cereals exhibited superior nutritional profiles, offering significantly higher levels of protein and fibre compared to rice- or rice/corn-based brands. Notably, the study highlights that current EU regulations permit total sugar contents ranging from 24.5% to 61%, depending on the cereal's energy content. This may pose a risk to infant health. In light of these findings, we advocate for an urgent update of European legislation concerning the nutritional composition of foods for children under 3 years of age.
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University