Nutrient composition of fortified complementary foods: should age-specific micronutrient content and ration sizes be recommended?

Designing a fortified complementary food that meets the nutrient needs of all breast-fed children 6-24 mo of age is a challenge because of variability in the amounts of complementary foods consumed and the very high nutrient requirements of children < 12 mo of age. A single formulation targeted for infants 6-8 mo of age will result in excessive intakes of certain nutrients (e.g., calcium, iron and zinc) if consumed by children 12-23 mo of age (up to six times the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for iron), whereas a formulation targeted for children 12-23 mo of age will provide insufficient levels of nutrients for infants 6-8 mo of age (e.g., only 4-44% of the RDA for iron). Options for resolving this dilemma include developing 1). two or more different formulations for different age groups, 2). a high nutrient-density product but specifying a maximum ration per day or 3). a lower nutrient-density product and using a combination of approaches (e.g., a separate iron supplement) to reach the higher levels needed by infants. More information is needed on efficacy, costs and feasibility of these options.