Content of critical nutrients in commercially available breast milk substitutes in Peru

Introduction: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is vital for child development, but its practice has declined. In Peru, although EBF is promoted, breast milk substitutes (BMS) have gained ground. The regulations on critical nutrient warnings remain debated, impacting child health. Objective: To analyze the content of critical nutrients in BMS targeted at children under 2 years old, sold in Metropolitan Lima. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 27 BMS. Data collection took place from January to June 2023 in pharmacies, markets, hospitals, and shopping centers to verify, through photographic records, the consistency between the checklist and nutritional labeling. Data were exported to the statistical software JASP version 0.17.2.1. The content of sodium, total sugar, saturated fats, and trans fats in 100 g of powdered product, 100 ml of drinkable product, and 100 ml of reconstituted product was presented and compared with the critical nutrient parameters established for Peru. Results: Among all BMS evaluated, the sugar content stood out, with a median of 7.50 g/100 ml of reconstituted product. The BMS with the highest median total sugar content (7.8 g/100 ml) was from the United States. The highest peak in sanitary registrations was recorded in 2021 (40.74%). Conclusions: BMS exceeded the permitted sugar levels in all products in 2019 and in the vast majority of products in 2020 and 2021.