06-04-2021
Many commercial baby foods marketed in Poland and across the Region are not nutritionally suitable.
Inappropriate promotion of commercial baby foods can undermine parents’ confidence in home-produced foods and breastfeeding, as well as encourage dietary habits that may lead to obesity and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
A new WHO/Europe report, “Improving the nutritional quality of commercial foods for infants and young children in Poland”, concludes that inappropriate promotion is a widespread practice, echoing other recent reports coming from many countries of the WHO European Region.
“Good nutrition in infancy and early childhood is the foundation of good health and development later in life. Exclusive breastfeeding for the child’s first 6 months, and establishing healthy nutritional habits early on, can protect children from both overweight and obesity – conditions that are associated with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and other NCDs in adu