Thread by @EFSA_EU

1/ EU Commission @Food_EU is responsible for labelling commercial infant foods and asked EFSA for scientific advice on #ComplementaryFeeding (puree or solids) for infants in Europe who are still consuming milk (🤱/🍼/both)

What did we do?

2/ Assessed scientific evidence on #infantnutrition #infantdevelopment & #infanthealth. DYK it’s not EFSA’s job to look at social/cultural aspects? BUT EU decision-makers will consider them because these aspects are important

AND the science says…

3/ There’s no single precise age when to start #ComplementaryFeeding based on the science. For nutrition reasons most infants start at 6 months but it can be earlier depending on #developmentalreadiness, food texture, health effect signs, nutritional need

Let’s be clearer…

4/ The earliest signs of #developmentalreadiness occur 3-4 months for spoon-fed #pureedfoods & 5-6 months for self-fed #fingerfoods but NOT ALL infants are ready/able then AND they won’t replace 🤱🍼 at once, the amount increases with developing feeding skills

Is it risky?

5/ There’s no convincing evidence of health risks from introducing CFs before 6 months, NEITHER developing allergies from 🥚🌽🐟 🥜etc OR from foods containing #gluten BUT only proven benefits are to prevent iron depletion

Are we saying replace 🤱🍼 with CFs <6 months?

6/ No! It’s not EFSA’s job to recommend how mothers should/shouldn’t feed their baby. We assess scientific evidence so EU authorities can make informed decisions about labelling for infant food

7/ DYK in Europe most 6-month old infants are no longer #exclusivebreastfeeding (Norway is top with 10% of infants) so we considered #breastfed/#formulafed/both because that’s the reality. Our job here was not to assess benefits of #breastfeeding 🤱vs. 🍼 or CFs

8/ We know #infantfeeding is sensitive so we consulted publicly before and during this work to hear from other experts and to take on board public concerns. EFSA gained a lot from this #transparent process #OpenEFSA

9/ Prof Dominique Turck, practising head paediatrician @CHU_Lille and chair of our nutrition panel: “EFSA’s advice is a strong scientific contribution to the future EU decisions on labelling of commercial infant foods”
End/