Status and prospects of the infants and young children complementary foods step⁃feeding system

Abstract

Complementary foods for infants and young children refer to cereal-based complementary foods, canned complementary foods, as well as complementary nutritional supplements, which are suitable for 6~36 months infants and young children. This paper summarizes the current status of national standards, the step-feeding system , and the products for infants and young children's complementary foods, discusses the characteristics and the step-feeding system in conjunction with the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative, and proposes the five phases suitable for infants and young children's step-feeding according to the texture of the foods "Moderately thick, extremely thick/puree, minced & moist, soft & bite-sized, regular(easy to chew)", and further discussed the establishment of infant and young children's complementary food step-feeding system quantitatively in terms of gastric capacity, swallowing and chewing ability, balanced nutrition, etc., and suggests that the production of snack complementary foods for infants and young children should only be moderately fortified with essential nutrients.

Keywords

• infants and young children
• complementary food
• step-feeding system
• food texture
• nutritional support