Health, nutrition and other better-for-you claims in commercial infant and toddler foods
| Category/claim | All products N=282 | Infant products N=215 | Toddler products N=67 | |||
| N | % | N | % | N | % | |
| Allergen free and gluten free | 47 | 16.7 | 31 | 14.4 | 16 | 23.9 |
| Allergen free claim only | 9 | 3.2 | 6 | 2.8 | 3 | 4.5 |
| Gluten free claim only | 21 | 7.4 | 17 | 7.9 | 4 | 6.0 |
| Vegetarian/vegan | 22 | 7.8 | 15 | 7.0 | 7 | 10.4 |
| Sugar | 173 | 61.3 | 147 | 68.4 | 26 | 38.8 |
| No added sugar | 155 | 55.0 | 137 | 63.7 | 18 | 26.9 |
| No concentrates | 20 | 7.1 | 17 | 7.9 | 3 | 4.5 |
| Natural sugar/sugar from fruit, veg | 36 | 12.8 | 33 | 15.3 | 3 | 4.5 |
| Sodium | 125 | 44.3 | 112 | 52.1 | 13 | 19.4 |
| No added salt | 120 | 42.6 | 111 | 51.6 | 9 | 13.4 |
| Low in salt/sodium | 6 | 2.1 | 2 | 0.9 | 4 | 6.0 |
| Fat | 28 | 9.9 | 13 | 6.0 | 15 | 22.4 |
| No added fat/oil/ transfat/low fat | 7 | 2.5 | 3 | 1.4 | 4 | 6.0 |
| Baked, not fried, air popped | 23 | 8.2 | 10 | 4.7 | 13 | 19.4 |
| Protein | 62 | 22.0 | 52 | 24.2 | 10 | 14.9 |
| in text/image | 55 | 19.5 | 49 | 22.8 | 6 | 9.0 |
| Source of/servings or % protein | 33 | 11.7 | 25 | 11.6 | 8 | 11.9 |
| Dairy | 64 | 22.7 | 44 | 20.5 | 20 | 29.9 |
| In text/image | 62 | 22.0 | 43 | 20.0 | 19 | 28.4 |
| Servings or % dairy | 3 | 1.1 | 3 | 1.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fruits | 156 | 55.3 | 122 | 56.7 | 34 | 50.7 |
| In text/image | 155 | 55.0 | 122 | 56.7 | 33 | 49.3 |
| Servings or % fruit | 17 | 6.0 | 17 | 7.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Vegetables | 118 | 41.8 | 103 | 47.9 | 15 | 22.4 |
| In text/image | 108 | 38.3 | 95 | 44.2 | 13 | 19.4 |
| Servings or % veg | 31 | 11.0 | 26 | 12.1 | 5 | 7.5 |
| Grains/cereals | 119 | 42.2 | 89 | 41.4 | 30 | 44.8 |
| In text/image | 114 | 40.4 | 86 | 40.0 | 28 | 41.8 |
| Servings or % grain | 10 | 3.5 | 8 | 3.7 | 2 | 3.0 |
| Superfoods (fruit/veg/grains) | 96 | 34.0 | 74 | 34.4 | 22 | 32.8 |
| Nutrition | 111 | 39.4 | 81 | 37.7 | 30 | 44.8 |
| Nutritious, nourishing, wholesome | 65 | 23.0 | 47 | 21.9 | 18 | 26.9 |
| Contains nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants | 45 | 16.0 | 38 | 17.7 | 7 | 10.4 |
| Vitamins (eg, C or B) | 34 | 12.1 | 29 | 13.5 | 5 | 7.5 |
| Iron | 27 | 9.6 | 24 | 11.2 | 3 | 4.5 |
| Calcium | 12 | 4.3 | 11 | 5.1 | * | 1.5 |
| Essential fatty acids (eg, DHA) | 13 | 4.6 | 10 | 4.7 | 3 | 4.5 |
| Fibre | 13 | 4.6 | 7 | 3.3 | 6 | 9.0 |
| Natural | 282 | 100 | 215 | 100 | 67 | 100 |
| ‘Natural’ | 50 | 17.7 | 41 | 19.1 | 9 | 13.4 |
| Pure or raw | 34 | 12.1 | 26 | 12.1 | 8 | 11.9 |
| Organic/organic symbol | 146 | 51.8 | 109 | 50.7 | 37 | 55.2 |
| Real/fresh or homemade | 63 | 22.3 | 46 | 21.4 | 17 | 25.4 |
| No additives, preservatives | 252 | 89.4 | 195 | 90.7 | 57 | 85.1 |
| No chemicals, pesticides, GMO | 103 | 36.5 | 77 | 35.8 | 26 | 38.8 |
| Images of nature | 154 | 54.6 | 109 | 50.7 | 45 | 67.2 |
| Good or goodness | 90 | 31.9 | 71 | 33.0 | 19 | 28.4 |
| Health/wellness claims | 49 | 17.4 | 32 | 14.9 | 17 | 25.4 |
| High level health | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| General level health | 7 | 2.5 | 3 | 1.4 | 4 | 6.0 |
| Health/healthy/wellness | 6 | 2.1 | 4 | 1.9 | 2 | 3.0 |
| Gut health/happy tummies | 31 | 11.0 | 22 | 10.2 | 9 | 13.4 |
| Teething claims | 12 | 4.3 | 7 | 3.3 | 5 | 7.5 |
| Development claims | 90 | 31.9 | 57 | 26.5 | 33 | 49.3 |
| Help, improve, assist, encourage | 13 | 4.6 | 11 | 5.1 | 2 | 3.0 |
| Learning/brain/cognition | 2 | 0.9 | * | 0.5 | * | 1.5 |
| Self-feeding | 42 | 14.9 | 26 | 12.1 | 16 | 23.9 |
| Development of tastebuds | 48 | 17.0 | 39 | 18.1 | 9 | 13.4 |
| Development of jaw, mouth | 11 | 3.9 | 3 | 1.4 | 8 | 11.9 |
| General growth, development | 32 | 11.3 | 20 | 9.3 | 12 | 17.9 |
| Adult snack food images* | 69 | 24.5 | 28 | 13.0 | 41 | 61.2 |
| Sweets, chocolate | 7 | 2.5 | 2 | 0.9 | 5 | 7.5 |
| Crisps (puffs, straw, popcorn) | 24 | 8.5 | 13 | 6.0 | 11 | 16.4 |
| Sweet biscuits/cookies | 12 | 4.3 | 5 | 2.3 | 7 | 10.4 |
| Savoury biscuits/crackers | 10 | 3.5 | 4 | 1.9 | 6 | 9.0 |
| Snack bars | 19 | 6.7 | 4 | 1.9 | 15 | 22.4 |
Bold text represents the overarching claim (eg, ‘Sugar’ is the overarching claim, with ‘No added sugar’ sitting below that claim)
*Products with images of adult snack foods (crackers, cookies, crisps or sweets) on pack were coded.
DHA, Docosahexaenoic acid; GMO, Genetically modified organisms.