New voluntary guidelines will be issued to baby food manufacturers in a bid to reduce sugar and salt content and improve children’s health, the government has announced.
Under the measures, baby food manufacturers will have 18 months to reformulate products aimed at children up to 36 months old, without resorting to sweeteners, which are not permitted in commercial baby food.
Clearer labelling standards will also be introduced to help parents make more informed choices about what they feed their children.
Public Health Minister Ashley Dalton said: ‘Too often, parents are bombarded with confusing labels disguising unhealthy foods packed with hidden sugars and salt.’
She warned that babies’ development was ‘being harmed by poor diets and unhealthy food, holding them back and piling up pressure on the NHS’.
The announcement comes as the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, published in June, found that in England, more than two-thirds of children aged 18 months to three years are eating too much sugar, while over a fifth of children aged four to five are overweight or obese.
Obesity rates have doubled since the 1990s – including among children – and the condition costs the NHS £11.4 billion a year.
The guidelines also clamp down on misleading marketing, requiring manufacturers to drop claims such as ‘contains no nasties’ when products remain high in sugar.
Dr Vicky Sibson, director at First Steps Nutrition Trust, welcomed the voluntary guidelines as ‘a first step towards clamping down on the longstanding and widespread poor practices of the baby food industry’.
‘We welcome government plans to evaluate industry compliance in 18 months and fully support their commitment to taking ‘further measures’ in the event that this voluntary measure fails,’ she said.
As part of the 10 Year Health Plan, the government launched a partnership with food retailers and manufacturers to set a new healthy food standard. It has also joined forces with fitness coach Joe Wicks to help get children active over the summer through the launch of a new animated series, ‘Activate’, available on YouTube.
From January 2026, adverts for less-healthy products will be banned from being shown on TV before 9pm or at any time online, reducing children’s excessive exposure to many foods high in fat, sugar or salt. Local authorities have also been granted greater powers to block fast food outlets from opening near schools.
