Foods for infants and young children

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Nutrition in early infancy and childhood is crucial in determining a child’s healthy development, and impacts health later in life

SNE members are committed to provide the best products which respond to the specific nutritional needs of infants and young children.

A healthy start in life

Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for babies, as it contains the perfect balance of nutrients, hormones, and antibodies. However, in some cases, mothers are unable to or choose not to breastfeed. According to the WHO, in Europe, only 1 in 4 infants is exclusively breastfed by the time they are 6 months old. SNE members are committed to offering the right nutritional products and services for infants who are not breastfed, ensuring an optimum start in life.

What we do

SNE members manufacture products that are carefully tailored to meet the very specific nutritional requirements
of infants and young children aged 0-36 months, based on science, meeting strict safety and quality standards.
SNE members’ commitment is built on three pillars:

Services →

We do not stop at product development, our members also support mothers with carelines that offer help in times of need, as well as educational materials for healthcare professionals such as doctors and midwives.

Research →

Our products are grounded in comprehensive research which is performed in close collaboration with external scientists, doctors and universities.

Safety →

We have rigorous controls and procedures in place, with up to 600 tests for some products, to ensure that our products meet top quality standards.

 

Our products

SNE members produce a range of products including Infant Formula,
Follow-on Formula, Young Child Formula, and Baby food:

Infant formula
Infant formula is intended to replace breast milk when mothers cannot or choose not to breastfeed. It is the only suitable alternative for babies in good health aged 0-6 months.
Follow-on formula

Follow-on formula has been developed to meet the nutritional needs of older infants (over 6 months) and contains added vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin D and iron. Follow-on formula should only be used as part of a mixed weaning diet and not as a breast milk substitute before six months.

Baby foods
Baby foods (so-called processed cereal-based foods and other baby foods for infants and young children) help in the move from a liquid diet based on breast milk or infant formula, to one which includes solid foods in a wide range of tastes and textures. These foods are formulated specifically to limit the amount of salt, saturated fats and sugar, and ensure the correct amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals for this age group.
Young-child formula

Young-child formula are designed to meet the needs of young children aged 1-3 years as part of a mixed diet based on family foods. Like follow-on formula, they should not be used as a breast milk substitute before six months.

Commitment to the highest quality and safety standards

Products designed to support infant and young child nutrition are manufactured under unique and strict controls, ensuring high standards of safety and quality. The composition, food safety and communication of products intended for infants and young children are strictly regulated at EU level, and additional restrictions beyond general food law already apply (contaminants levels, microbiological standards, etc).

Read more

About how these specialised nutrition products are regulated in the EU.