Unlike infant and follow-on formulae, young child formulae are not subject to specific EU rules, and the Commission is considering whether to recommend special provisions for these products in upcoming legislation.ĮFSA’s Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was also asked to provide advice on how dietary requirements of infants and young children evolve during the first three years of life and established the levels of nutrients which it considers adequate for the majority of healthy, normal-weight infants and young children.įor infants up to the age of six months, the experts based their calculations for most nutrients on the nutrient content of breast milk from healthy, well-nourished, mothers who do not use dietary supplements. Scientists and stakeholders have differing views as to whether these products are needed to satisfy the nutritional requirements of young children. In recent years, increasing numbers of milk-based drinks and similar products intended for young children – labelled as “growing-up milk” or “toddlers’ milk” or similar – have been marketed in Member States. The findings are contained in EFSA’s Scientific Opinion on nutrient requirements and dietary intakes of infants and young children in the European Union, requested by the European Commission. EFSA’s scientific experts could identify “no unique role” for young-child formula (commonly called “growing-up formula”) in the diet of young children (those aged 1-3), concluding that it is no more effective in providing nutrients than other foods that constitute the normal diet of young children. The use of milk-based “growing-up” formula does not bring additional value to a balanced diet in meeting the nutritional requirements of young children in the European Union, EFSA has said.

Growing up