The nutritional profile of commercial complementary foods in Japan: comparison between low and high price products.

Despite the increasing market share of commercial complementary foods, their nutritional characteristics and those associated with the price of products are still unknown in Japan. We compared the nutritional characteristics of commercially available complementary foods of different price levels in Japan. Data were obtained from the websites of Japanese brands of infant and young children's food. Nutrient profiles (unit/100 g), ingredients, and food additives were compared between low- and high-priced products by product type. Sixty-three dry meals, 425 soft meals, 187 snacks and sweets, and 60 drinks were analysed. One-fifth of meals and snacks exceeded the CODEX-defined 200 mg Na/100 g limit. Most products lacked content information on nutrients nonmandated to be indicated. High-priced soft meals contained more protein (2.5 vs 1.9 g/100 g) and less sodium (0.18 vs 0.46 g/100 g), less frequently used ≥1 added sugar (23% vs 82%), and less frequently used food additives than low-priced products; however, they had a lower variety of ingredients. The prevalence of products containing ≥1 added sugar was higher in low-priced snacks and sweets (91% vs 77%) but lower in drinks (48% vs 84%) than in their high-priced counterparts. High sodium content is a concern among commercial complementary foods in Japan. Nonetheless, the relationship between the price and nutritional profile of these foods differs by product type. High-priced soft meals might be more favourable regarding nutrient content but not the variety of ingredients than low-priced soft meals. These findings elucidate the nutritional characteristics of commercial complementary foods in Japan.