Category-leading babyfood brand Ella’s Kitchen is to increase the recommended ages on its weaning products from four months and up to six months and up.
The update will align Ella’s Kitchen’s product portfolio with current NHS and World Health Organization guidelines, both of which recommend that weaning should start when babies reach six months.
The recipes will remain unchanged and will continue to meet the current European Food Safety Authority guidelines, which advise that the introduction of complementary foods into the diet of healthy term infants in Europe between the ages of four and six months is safe and does not pose a risk of adverse health effects.
Ella’s Kitchen will begin to roll out the updated labels in October, with a full transition by March 2026. New product development will reflect the change immediately.
Ella’s Kitchen said it encouraged parents and carers “to speak with their healthcare professional if they have questions or concerns about when their little one should start their food journey”.
Dr Diane Threapleton, senior research fellow at the University of Leeds and lead developer of the WHO commercial babyfood standards (NPPM), said she was “pleased to see Ella’s Kitchen act responsibly and finally align with NHS and WHO recommendations for food introduction from six months”.
“I look forward to other UK companies such as Piccolo and Aldi Mamia following this example and I hope that Ella’s Kitchen products sold overseas are similarly changed to align with the important WHO recommendation.
“For too long the babyfoods aisle has fallen short of public health recommendations; this is a positive step in addressing this gap but there is still a long way to go to ensure infant nutrition is as good as it can be.”
Ali Morpeth, co-founder of Planeatry Alliance, agreed that the move by Ella’s Kitchen was a positive step for the babyfood category, which was rife with pouches containing high levels of sugar.
“Frequent use of inappropriate products fuels overweight, dental decay, and lifelong preferences for sweet foods.
“With one in five children starting school already living with overweight or obesity, and 12,000 preschoolers hospitalised each year for tooth extractions, the harms of high sugar intake are pervasive and needs to be tackled through better regulation and product formulation.”
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