Our sugar commitment

Reckitt supports expert recommendations to reduce added sugars in the diets of infants and young children in order to improve nutritional outcomes later in life, and lactose, as it is naturally occurring in milk, is the preferred source of carbohydrate. As part of our responsibility to continually improve the nutritional composition of our infant and young child product portfolio, our ambition is the following:

By March 2024 implement the following specific commitments:

1. Lactose as the only carbohydrate source in infants’ formulas from birth to 6 months of age^1,2
2. Lactose as the preferred carbohydrate source in follow-on formulas and young child formulas from 6 to 36 months of age^1,2
3. To not use sucrose and/or fructose as a carbohydrate source in infant, follow-on and/or young child formula

We have made significant progress already, and as of September 2020, nearly 50% of all infant, follow on and young child milk formulations meet the commitments outlined above.

We also commit to adhering to global and local regulations, nutritional science guidelines and internationally accepted best practices to ensure optimal nutrition. We will measure and report publicly on progress against the commitments outlined above on an annual basis.

This is our first nutritional commitment, and in due course, we will look to extend our commitments, supporting improving optimal outcomes for growth, development and healthier lives.

 

The role of carbohydrates

Eating a balanced, nutritionally rich and varied diet is critical to a healthy lifestyle. Proper nutrition can help prevent a number of health conditions. The six essential components to good nutrition are proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water.

Carbohydrates are an important source of energy, contributing to healthy growth in infants and young children, and they supply the body with energy. As a nutrient, carbohydrates may be classified based on their structural complexity: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are commonly referred to as sugar, as those that are readily digested and serve as a rapid source of energy. There are many types of sugar including lactose (naturally occurring in milk), sucrose (table sugar), fructose (present in fruit, juices, honey, sugarcane, sugar beet and some vegetables) and glucose (the primary source of energy for the brain). Sugar has a core function in infant’s and children’s diets but should be consumed in moderation. Excessive intake of sugars can contribute to dietary issues and potentially lead to adverse health risks later in life.

Core principles

We operate and abide by the following core principles across our entire infant and child nutrition (IFCN) product portfolio:

RB supports exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life, and continued breastfeeding up to two years of age, and beyond.

We comply with all local laws and regulations concerning food safety and the composition of our nutrition products, which are based on international standards.

We are guided by science: we provide optimum infant and child nutrition which meet internationally accepted standards. As a key player in science-based infant and child nutrition, we are committed to continue our scientific and medical research on infant and child nutrition so that they can achieve their full potential. All product formulations consider evidence-based recommendations for optimal nutrition.

We support the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the WHO Global Nutrition 2025 Targets to improve maternal, infant and young child nutrition. For more, see Reckitt's IFCN Pledge.

We support access to healthy nutrition science-based nutrition information and education, improved dietary information and labelling, to enable mothers, parents and caregivers to make informed nutrition decisions and to choose healthier foods that meet their infant and young children’s nutritional needs. For more, see Reckitt's Access to Nutrition Statement.

We commit to providing safe and the highest quality infant and child nutrition products and to market these responsibly and ethically. For more, see Reckitt's policy on the marketing of BMS.

¹ The commitments made apply to formulated milks that are marketed as suitable for use from birth up to 36 months of age and the lactose reference, is as a digestible carbohydrate only.

² Excluded from the commitment are: Specialised medical nutrition products or products for infants and young children with specific medical conditions. These products are formulated to satisfy the special nutritional requirements arising from the disorder, disease or medical condition. All specialised medical nutrition products comply to legislation requirements on nutritional composition // Solutions and specialty products as these products are designed to address specific feeding issues, often as a result of milk-based formulations // Plant based formulations // Formulas for pre-term infants // Other products such as milk-modifiers, vitamin supplements and specific young child formula (12 to 36 month) flavours