“My kids have them 5 days a week…”: The Use of Infant Squeeze Pouches in Tasmanian Children

Infant squeeze pouches with spouts are widely available in all supermarkets, and are marketed as practical, convenient, and healthy food options designed for infants and children. However, published data suggests that the nutritional content of these products do not provide adequate nutrition for growth or align to the suggested front of packet health claims. To inform future public health strategies, our research team with Public Health Nutrition experts from the University of Wollongong, Western Sydney University and University of Tasmania, wanted to understand who is using these products, how often they are being consumed and why. The Tasmania Project Food and Food Purchasing Survey (TTP10) was open between December 2023 and January 2024. The survey of Tasmanian parents included questions that explored the frequency and types of squeeze pouches with spouts consumed by infants and children, the demographics of families who use squeeze pouches with spouts and their motivations. Our preliminary results of data from around 250 parents highlights the frequent use of squeeze pouches among infants but also by older children and even teenagers. Our results highlight the need for further, national data to provide evidence on squeeze pouch consumption and the need for a possible regulatory mechanism to protect children from long-term health harms.