Hässig-Wegmann Alenica, Román Sergio, Sanchez-Siles Luisma, Siegrist Michael
ETH Zurich, Department Health Science and Technology (D-HEST), Consumer Behaviour, Switzerland.
Marketing Department, Facultad de Economía y Empresa, Universidad de Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
Appetite. 2025 Oct 1;214:108219. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.108219. Epub 2025 Jul 11.
Feeding habits established during infancy play a significant role in shaping neural and physical development as well as future food preferences, emphasizing the importance of careful food selection during this time. This study examines the reasons driving parents' choices of commercial snacks for their infants amid growing concerns over their nutritional content. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 parents of infants and toddlers aged 6-18 months in Switzerland. Parents were also asked to show all the commercial snacks available at their homes that they provide to their infants and toddlers. Our interviews revealed that convenience was the primary criterion for selecting commercial baby, child, and adult snacks in general, with health considerations being of secondary importance. Nonetheless, some commercial baby snacks were perceived to provide additional health benefits. The safety of commercial baby snacks, particularly in terms of texture and ingredients, emerged as a key factor influencing their purchase, despite the higher costs. The analysis of 151 photographs of commercial snacks (N = 101 different snack products) present in participants' homes and intended for their infants and toddlers, combined with insights from the interviews, revealed that although several parents acknowledged the benefits of baby-specific snacks, they still frequently chose commercial snacks marketed for older children or adults for their infants and toddlers. Commercial snacks selected included 59 % infant, 17 % child, 25 % adult snacks. This behavior reflected a trade-off in parental selection criteria, influenced by practical factors, such as cost considerations and the perception that baby-specific snacks become less necessary as children grow. Our findings indicate that the food industry, policymakers, and healthcare professionals should work together to support parents in choosing age-appropriate snacks for infants and toddlers. Key actions may include making baby snacks more affordable, raising awareness of safety benefits, and ensuring clear, consistent labelling.
婴儿期养成的饮食习惯对神经和身体发育以及未来的食物偏好形成起着重要作用，这凸显了在此期间谨慎选择食物的重要性。本研究探讨了在人们日益关注商业零食营养成分的背景下，促使父母为婴儿选择此类零食的原因。我们对瑞士22名6至18个月婴幼儿的父母进行了半结构式访谈。同时，我们还要求父母展示家中所有供婴幼儿食用的商业零食。我们的访谈显示，便利性是选择商业婴儿、儿童及成人零食的首要标准，健康因素则次之。尽管如此，一些商业婴儿零食被认为具有额外的健康益处。尽管价格较高，但商业婴儿零食的安全性，尤其是在质地和成分方面，成为影响其购买的关键因素。通过分析参与者家中151张供婴幼儿食用的商业零食照片（涉及101种不同零食产品），并结合访谈所得见解，我们发现，尽管一些家长认可特定婴儿零食的益处，但他们仍经常为婴幼儿选择面向大龄儿童或成人销售的商业零食。所选择的商业零食中，婴儿零食占59%，儿童零食占17%，成人零食占25%。这种行为反映了父母在选择标准上的权衡，受到成本考量等实际因素以及随着孩子成长特定婴儿零食必要性降低等观念的影响。我们的研究结果表明，食品行业、政策制定者和医疗保健专业人员应共同努力，支持父母为婴幼儿选择适合其年龄的零食。关键行动可能包括降低婴儿零食价格、提高对安全益处的认识以及确保标签清晰一致。
