Revised Codex Alimentarius Guidelines on Formulated Complementary Foods for Older Infants and Young Children - Better Formulations, Increased Fortification Levels and Smaller Serving Sizes to Protect Breastfeeding

Abstract

Objectives: The Codex Alimentarius guidelines on formulated complementary foods for older infants and young children have important implications for maintaining nutritional status and health and preventing malnutrition. Governments and companies rely on these guidelines, yet they were outdated due to the lag between advances in science and the lengthy process required to establish Codex guidance. Methods: In 2008, Ghana initiated and led revision of these guidelines, which were adopted by Codex in 2013. Results: Benefits of the revised Guidelines include: (1) Smaller recommended serving sizes to protect breastmilk intake; (2) Specific mention of essential fatty acids and their optimal ratio; (3) At least 50% RNI of essential vitamins and minerals per serving; (4) Expanded scope of complementary foods to include small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements and multi-nutrient supplements; (5) Processing techniques to minimize or reduce anti-nutrients and trans-fatty acids. Conclusions: The revised guidelines help countries to develop national regulations covering all forms of formulated complementary foods and provide updated guidance for formulating good quality foods used for infants and young children, particularly in developing countries.