Infant Formula and Complementary Food Science Outreach Held in Jinzhai, Lu'an, Anhui

On Sept 22, during National Food Safety Awareness Week, the "Infant Formula and Complementary Food Science Outreach" event, themed "Scientific Feeding Without Blind Following, Safer Consumption With Confidence," was held in Jinzhai County, Lu'an City, Anhui Province. It was guided by the Special Food Department of the State Administration for Market Regulation, co-hosted by China Market Regulation News and the Anhui Provincial Administration for Market Regulation, and organized by the Lu'an and Jinzhai market regulation authorities.

According to event information, about 200 people attended, including relevant officials from market regulation departments, representatives of special food business enterprises, infant and toddler parents, and students majoring in early childhood care. Experts from Northeast Agricultural University and pediatric expert representatives from grassroots hospitals discussed product standards, purchasing tips, and common feeding misconceptions to guide parents toward scientific feeding; the event also included field visits and study at manufacturing enterprises.

The event information also noted that false advertising still exists in the market, such as claims or implications that products can replace breast milk and ordinary foods passed off as infant complementary foods, while some online and offline marketing misleads consumers by borrowing the identity of experts or verbal guidance. The organizers said the event was a practice of moving the regulatory threshold forward and bringing science outreach down to the grassroots, aiming to spread related knowledge and improve consumers' ability to identify food safety risks.

On regulatory measures, in June this year authorities nationwide launched the "Guard Growth" improvement action for infant complementary foods, strengthening the infant complementary food safety line through five strict gates: access, capability, responsibility, enforcement, and co-governance. The organizers also combined the red heritage of the old revolutionary base area of Jinzhai with food safety concepts, presenting the keynote speech "Heritage Reflected in Jinzhai, Food Safety Warms Hearts," and flagging three volunteer teams in Lu'an City to give them infant complementary food science outreach functions.

Consumers may follow purchasing and feeding guidance released through official science outreach channels, remain cautious about marketing claims that products can replace breast milk or that ordinary foods are infant complementary foods, and verify product information and business qualifications through proper channels.