,In a move aimed at strengthening early childhood nutrition and promoting healthy development from the first years of life, the National Institute of Quality (Inacal), under the Ministry of Production, has approved a new Peruvian Technical Standard on complementary feeding for infants and young children.
The newly approved standard, titled NTP?CODEX CAC/GL 8 (revised in 2025): Guidelines on complementary food preparations for older infants and young children, aligns national regulations with internationally recognized Codex Alimentarius guidance. It establishes technical and nutritional criteria for complementary food preparations intended for older infants aged 6 to 12 months and young children from 12 months to 3 years.
Focus on Nutrition Quality and Safety
Csar Jos Bernab Prez, CEO of Inacal, emphasized the importance of proper use of nutritional content in complementary foods, highlighting key factors such as ingredient selection, preparation conditions, storage, and handling practices. According to Inacal, these elements are essential to maintaining food quality and safeguarding infant health. He further noted that a balanced and adequate diet during infancy and early childhood plays a decisive role in preventing both short?term and long?term health problems, making adherence to technical standards a critical public health priority.
Key Quality Requirements and Technical Guidelines
The approved standard outlines comprehensive requirements covering raw materials, processing methods, nutritional balance, and safety controls:
1.Raw materials: Complementary food preparations must use suitable ingredients such as cereals, legumes, flours, protein products from oilseeds, foods of animal origin, fats and oils, fruits, and vegetables, all under specified technical conditions.
2.Ground cereals: Cereals must be properly processed to reduce fiber when necessary and minimize antinutrients such as phytates, tannins, phenolic substances, and lectins, which can impair protein digestibility and mineral absorption.
3.Energy and protein sources: The guidelines recommend combining cereals, which typically provide 812% protein, with lysine?rich legumes such as lentils, soybeans, and similar ingredients to improve overall protein quality.
4.Legumes: Fresh or dried legumes, including chickpeas, lentils, peas, cowpeas, beans, and soybeans, must contain at least 20% protein by dry weight and undergo adequate processing to reduce antinutritional factors.
5.Fruits and vegetables: Recognized as key sources of essential micronutrients, fruits and vegetables are encouraged as components of complementary food preparations.
6.Fats and oils: The standard advises adding small amounts of healthy fats and oils to increase energy density and essential fatty acid intake, recommending that at least 20% of total energy should come from fats.
Food Safety, Packaging, and Labeling
To safeguard consumer health, complementary food products must be manufactured following good manufacturing practices. Pesticide residues are required to be eliminated or reduced to the lowest possible levels where total elimination is not technically feasible.
Packaging must ensure hygienic conditions and preserve product quality, while nutritional labeling must clearly and accurately communicate nutritional value, enabling caregivers to make informed feeding decisions.
Commitment to Early Childhood Well?Being
Through the adoption of this updated technical standard, Inacal reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a national culture of quality and supporting practices that enhance the well?being of the population, particularly infants and young children, during the most sensitive stages of growth.