The new research explores whether nearly 500 UK commercial baby food products align with WHO guidelines.

Specifically, it uses the WHO Nutrient and Promotion Profile model (NPPM) guidelines - a standardised tool used to evaluate commercial baby foods, designed in response concerns about their high sugar content, labelling that promotes early introduction of solids and nutrient deficiencies.

The research found that just 45 per cent of products met the standards. Out of the products considered, 59% didn’t meet the criteria for sugar content. No products met the standards for marketing and only 5% had adequate messaging in support of breastfeeding.

The research was conducted by Cigdem Bozkir and colleagues and was released in January 2025.

To find out more, read the full research paper here