Assessment of the Composition of Breastmilk Substitutes, Commercial Complementary Foods, and Commercial Snack Products Commonly Fed to Infant and Young Children in Lebanon: A Call to Action

(1) Background: Nutrition for optimum growth and physical development is acquired by adequate infant feeding practices. (2) Methods: One hundred seventeen different brands of infant formulas (n = 41) and baby food products (n = 76) were selected from the Lebanese market and were analyzed for their nutritional content. (3) Results: Saturated fatty acid content was detected to be the highest in follow-up formulas (79.85 g/100 g) and milky cereals (75.38 g/100 g). Among all saturated fatty acids, palmitic acid (C16:0) accounted for the greatest proportion. Moreover, glucose and sucrose were the predominant added sugars in infant formulas, while sucrose was the main added sugar in baby food products. Our data showed that the majority of the products were non-compliant to the regulations and the manufacturers' nutrition facts labels. Our results stated also that the contribution to the daily value for the saturated fatty acids, added sugars, and protein exceeded the daily recommended intake for most infant formulas and baby food products. (4) Conclusions: This requires careful evaluation from policymakers in order to improve the infant and young children feeding practices.

Automated summary

A study in the Lebanese market found that the majority of infant formulas and baby food products examined did not comply with regulations and nutrition labels. They also revealed high levels of saturated fatty acids and added sugars. This emphasizes the importance of policymakers in improving infant and young children feeding practices.