In short — An audit of 2,783 baby foods sold in Austin, Texas, reveals that 81% are ultra-processed and 49% fail to meet at least one WHO nutritional standard. For suppliers of fortification and clean-label ingredients, this shortfall presents an opportunity for product reformulation, whilst the FDA prepares new labelling rules.
Four out of five products ultra-processed, and nearly one in two that fails A nutritional threshold from the World Health Organisation (WHO). This is the finding of an audit presented at NUTRITION 2026, the annual congress of the’American Society for Nutrition, at National Harbor (Maryland).
The toddler food packaged – those marketed for 6-36 months – show a documented nutritional deficit product by product. For ingredient suppliers and R&D managers, this is not a reputational signal: it is a precise map of upcoming reformulations, at a time when the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working on new front-of-pack labelling rules, «healthy» claims, and the marketing of products for children.
The study was conducted by Erin A. Hudson (The University of Texas at Austin) with Marissa Burgermaster. The method involves two stages: photographing the baby/toddler aisles of 21 stores in Austin, followed by nutritional analysis. Infant formulas, drinks, and first feeding purees were excluded from the scope.
What does the toddler food audit actually measure?
Of the 2,783 products analysed, 81% are classified ultra-processed according to the Nova classification — the system that ranks foods by Degree of industrial transformation. Its level 4 («ultra-processed») refers to formulations rich in additives and cosmetic ingredients that are rarely found in a home kitchen.
The compliance framework is the Nutrition and Promotion Profile Model (NPPM) the WHO’s guidelines for commercial foods intended for infants aged 6–36 months. Result: 49% of the products fail to meet at least one threshold. Breakdown by nutrient:
| Nutritional criterion | Failure rate |
|---|---|
| Sodium (salt) | 25% |
| Sugar | 17% |
| Energy density (calories) | 12% |
| Fats | 11% |
Toddler foods cited as exceeding these thresholds: fruit pouches (sugar), oat bars (sugar and calories), macaroni and cheese and turkey sticks (sodium and fat), cheese puffs (calories), peanut butter puffs (sodium, fat, calories). A fine line separates fact and interpretation: the authors note that the fat and calories in larger proportions of some products scant transformed reflect naturally nutritious raw ingredients – peanut, beef.
Sugar and ultra-processing: the link that data makes visible
The data indicates that the ultra-processed products are far more likely to be high in sugar than less processed products. Put simply: in this category, sugar is added without any associated nutritional benefit.
The window of toddler food shapes lasting taste preferences. Early exposure to sugar establishes an appetite that persists – a well-established challenge in child health. It is this mechanism that distinguishes this segment from an adult food product: reformulation is not cosmetic; it concerns the taste trajectory of a consumer in development.
The scientific debate remains open on one point. Some earlier studies link ultra-processed products to poorer health outcomes despite their nutritional profile — it's not yet known precisely which aspects of processing carry the most weight. In other words, reducing sugar doesn't entirely absolve a food from its degree of processing.
Why a regulatory vacuum opens a market for reformulation
The United States currently requires no warning labels on products high in sugar, sodium, or calories. Many parents assume that baby/toddler aisles adhere to dedicated nutritional standards. The audit shows that half do not meet them.
«Warnings on products exceeding nutritional thresholds could help parents navigate and encourage manufacturers to reformulate,» says Erin A. Hudson. This logic – the label as a reformulator trigger – is the business entry point for ingredient suppliers.
The levers of reformulation identifiable from the four failing criteria:
- Sodium reduction : salt substitutes, flavour enhancers, fermented extracts — sodium is the criterion most frequently failed (25%).
- Sugar reduction Fibres, fruit purées with controlled glycaemic index, reformulation without intense sweeteners (context of 6-36 months required).
- Energy density Matrix rebalancing without cosmetic additive.
- Fortification ingredients providing a real nutritional benefit where ultra-processing provided none.
The reformulation «6-36 months»: your brief is narrower — and more compelling
This segment excludes part of the usual toolkit: no commonplace intense sweeteners, reduced additive tolerance, and a parental target sensitive to clean-label. The constraint is real, but it secures the price premium. A supplier of’fortification ingredients or a salt substitute that demonstrates compliance with the WHO NPPM is entering a reformulation cycle that regulatory pressure from the FDA will accelerate. The measured shortfall — 25% for sodium, 17% for sugar — is not an isolated brand-specific issue: it is latent demand spread across thousands of products. Translating a technical dossier into evidence of NPPM compliance is tantamount to selling a shortcut to tomorrow’s «healthy» shelf.
What the methodology doesn't say
The authors specify that the study concerns only products packaged on the shelf – not the totality of what parents actually give. The sample is regional (Austin, Texas) and the analysis is based on declared labelling, not laboratory analyses.
This limit does not nullify the commercial signal. It bounds it: the documented deficit concerns the product offering on the shelves, precisely the ground where listing and reformulation are played out. For a player in the toddler food, the message is directly actionable — half of the references are in a zone of potential non-compliance with a WHO framework that could become binding under regulation.
References
FAQ
Which nutrients are most problematic in packaged toddler foods?
According to the audit presented at NUTRITION 2026 by the University of Texas at Austin, sodium tops the list (25% of non-compliant products), ahead of sugar (17%), energy density (12%) and fat (11%). In total, 49% fail to meet at least one threshold of the WHO’s NPPM model.
According to the Nova classification, «ultra-processed» refers to food products which have undergone industrial processing, typically involving many ingredients, some of which are rarely used in home cooking, and others which are additives used to improve taste and reduce costs.
The Nova classification system categorises foods into four levels of processing. Level 4, «ultra-processed», refers to products rich in additives and cosmetic ingredients that are rarely found in a domestic kitchen. The study classifies 81%, out of the 2,783 products analysed, as Level 4.
Why is the reformulation of food for 6-36 month olds an opportunity for ingredient suppliers?
The measured deficit (sodium, sugar, calories, fat) defines precise reformulation targets across thousands of product lines. Suppliers of salt substitutes, fibres, and fortification ingredients find a latent demand here, accelerated by new labelling rules being prepared by the FDA.
Is reducing sugar enough to improve a toddler product's profile?
Not necessarily. Some previous studies have linked ultra-processed foods to poorer health outcomes independently of their nutritional profile, without it yet being known which aspects of the processing are responsible. Reducing sugar is one lever, but the degree of processing remains a distinct factor.
Does a higher fat content in a product always signal a poor profile?
No. The authors note that the higher fat and calorie content of some minimally processed products reflects raw ingredients like peanuts or beef, which are nutritious by nature. The fat criterion should therefore be interpreted in light of the matrix and the degree of processing.
Is this study representative of the entire US market?
It covers 2,783 products sold in 21 stores in Austin (Texas) and is based on declared labelling. The authors specify that it captures the in-store offering, not everything parents actually give. The commercial signal remains valid for referencing and reformulation on the shelves.
What is the WHO's NPPM model?
The Nutrition and Promotion Profile Model (NPPM) is the WHO's benchmark setting thresholds for sugar, sodium, fat, and energy density in commercial foods for children aged 6 to 36 months. Documenting an ingredient's NPPM compliance becomes a technical argument in the face of regulatory pressure.