Table 1.
Most common claims (number of products with relevant claims ≥10) made for different categories of infant formula: for infant formula (0-6 and 0-12 months), follow-on formula (6-12 months), and food for special medical purposes (FSMP)
| Claim | No (%) of products with relevant claim (n=608 products with ≥1 claim) | No of claims with ingredient cited | Quotes as examples of claims | No (%) with ≥1 claim | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant formula (n=222) | Follow-on formula (n=95) | FSMP (n=291) | ||||
| Helps/supports development of brain and/or eyes and/or nervous system | 323 (53) | 172 | Omega-3 DHA like that found in Enfamil has been clinically shown to: improve attention span, problem solving, and visual development | 137 (62) | 62 (65) | 116 (40) |
| Strengthens/supports a healthy immune system | 239 (39) | 143 | Studies have shown positive effects of nucleotides for the infants’ immune function and in periods with rapid growth like in the newborn period | 88 (40) | 53 (56) | 70 (24) |
| Helps/supports growth and development | 224 (37) | 88 | Arachidonic acid: Components contained in breast milk helps growth and development | 82 (37) | 40 (42) | 75 (26) |
| Easy to digest | 182 (30) | 82 | Amino acids means that this will be easily digestible, and is good for infants with stomach - and digestive - conditions | 75 (34) | 16 (17) | 87 (30) |
| Dietary management of allergy including cow’s milk allergy (CMA) | 96 (16) | 35 | Helps more babies overcome cow’s milk allergy and return to consuming regular milk proteins in as fast as 6 months of feeding | 1 (0) | 0 (0) | 71 (24) |
| Stimulates growth of healthy intestinal bacteria | 91 (15) | 50 | Whey proteins, lactose and nucleotides to support the growth of useful gut bacteria | 40 (18) | 15 (16) | 36 (12) |
| Strengthens and develops bones | 77 (13) | 45 | Supports the normal development of bones and teeth with vitamin D (according to the law) | 33 (15) | 30 (32) | 14 (5) |
| Promotes softer/improves stool consistency | 71 (12) | 36 | Contains a blend of 2 dietary fibres, GOS [galacto-oligosaccharides] and polydextrose, shown to soften stools | 33 (15) | 10 (11) | 28 (10) |
| Reduces risk of allergy development | 63 (10) | 30 | It is clinically demonstrated to help reduce future allergy challenges at 3 years | 17 (7) | 5 (5) | 34 (12) |
| Dietary management of colic | 55 (9) | 21 | It is formulated to aid digestive malabsorption with an enriched level of sn-2 palmitate to help ease constipation (soften stools) and a reduced level of lactose to help ease colic | 6 (3) | 3 (3) | 37 (13) |
| Dietary management of regurgitation | 54 (9) | 41 | Contains rice starch that becomes thicker in your baby’s stomach is clinically proven to reduce frequent spit up | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 38 (13) |
| Improves absorption and/or digestion | 35 (6) | 20 | Improved absorption and digestion due to the presence of: An easy to digest fat blend including MCT/LCT [medium chain triglycerides/light chain triglycerides] | 11 (5) | 5 (5) | 19 (7) |
| Dietary management of constipation | 20 (3) | 8 | NAN Sensilac is an infant formula based on cow’s milk, especially developed for children with sensitive stomachs and those with a tendency to constipation | 5 (2) | 1 (1) | 11 (4) |