Oral Presentation 49th Nutrition Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2025

Consumption of commercial infant and toddler snack foods among Australian children: a preliminary cross-sectional study (129768)

Catharine Fleming 1 , Ami Seivwright 2 , Katherine Kent 3
  1. School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
  2. Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  3. School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

The early years of life are critical for optimal dietary intake, as feeding development interacts with biological, environmental and epigenetic factors that shape long-term disease risk (1,2). Infants and young children require nutrient-rich foods to support growth and development (3). Commercial infant and toddler snack foods—such as puffs, rice cakes and fruit-based bars—are increasingly common in supermarkets across the globe (4). These products are marketed as convenient and appropriate for busy families, yet many conflict with national infant feeding guidelines due to their low nutritional value and added sugar or salt (4). However, there is limited Australian data on commercial infant and toddler snack food consumption in early childhood. This study aimed to assess the frequency of commercial infant and toddler snack consumption among a sample of Australian children aged 0–24 months and 2–5 years. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with Australian parents (n = 212; 55.0% aged ≥ 35 years; 74.3% university educated) to determine the frequency of their children's consumption of commercial snack foods over the past 12 months. Snack food categories included products commonly marketed to young children, with visual prompts to aid recall. Frequency responses were recoded into two categories: ‘frequent consumers’ (weekly or more) and ‘infrequent or non-consumers’ (monthly or less). Logistic regression explored associations between frequent consumption and sociodemographic variables (household income, education, language spoken at home, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background). Nearly half (47%) of children aged 0–24 months and 27% of those aged 2–5 years were frequent consumers of commercial infant and toddler snack foods. Overall, 72% of infants and 59% of young children had consumed these snacks at least once in the past year. This preliminary study reveals substantial early exposure to commercial snack products among a sample of Australian children across diverse demographic groups. While international research has identified socioeconomic patterns in processed snack use (5), the lack of such associations in this study suggests that these products may be broadly normalised in the Australian food environment. Further research using improved measures and representative samples is needed to track consumption trends in early childhood. Understanding the drivers and long-term health impacts will help inform public health nutrition strategies and support regulation of foods marketed to young children.

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  3. National Health and Medical Research Council (2013) Infant Feeding Guidelines: Summary, Canberra.
  4. Chung A, Torkel S, Myers J et al. (2024) Public Health Nutr 27, e201.
  5. Smithers L, Brazionis L, Golley R et al. (2012) Eur J Clin Nutr 66, 658–666.