Overview of the nutritional composition of infant flours commercialized worldwide in 2021

Infancy is a key window of development during which diet plays an essential role. From the age of 4/6 months, breast milk and/or infant formulas are no longer sufficient to cover all of infants nutritional needs. This period is therefore marked by the gradual introduction of complementary foods such as processed cereal-based foods (namely infant flours) to begin the dietary diversification. Infant flours are a commonly consumed food globally, especially in southern regions. The aim of this dataset was to collect lists of ingredients and nutritional values of infant flours on the world market. Data collection took place from December 2020 to April 2021, involving direct information extraction from product packaging, brand websites, and research articles. The dataset specifically focuses on processed cereal-based products composed of simple or mixed cereals that must be reconstituted with milk or other appropriate liquids, and cereals with added protein-rich foods that must be reconstituted with water or protein-free liquids. A total of 96 infant flours were collected for their ingredient lists and nutritional values. The nutritional values are systematically presented for 100g of powder or for 100 kcal. The main sources of the raw materials used in these flours were also identified from the ingredient lists. This dataset serves as an invaluable tool for the development of infant flours, offering insights into the composition and nutritional values of these products.

婴儿期是个体发育的关键窗口期，膳食在此阶段发挥着不可或缺的核心作用。自4/6月龄起，母乳和/或婴儿配方食品已无法满足婴儿的全部营养需求。因此这一阶段需逐步引入辅食以开启膳食多样化进程，其中加工谷物基食品（即婴儿米粉(infant flours)）是常见的辅食类型。婴儿米粉是全球范围内广泛消费的辅食品类，在部分南部区域尤为普及。本数据集旨在收集全球市场在售婴儿米粉的配料表与营养成分信息。数据采集工作于2020年12月至2021年4月间开展，信息提取来源包括产品包装、品牌官网及学术研究文献。本数据集的聚焦对象为两类加工谷物基产品：其一为以单一或混合谷物为基底、需搭配乳类或其他适宜液体冲调的产品；其二为添加了富蛋白质食材、需以水或无蛋白质液体冲调的谷物产品。本次研究共收集了96款婴儿米粉的配料表与营养成分数据。所有营养成分信息均以每100g粉末或每100千卡能量为基准进行系统呈现。研究人员还通过配料表追溯了该类米粉所使用原料的主要来源。本数据集可为婴儿米粉的研发工作提供极具价值的参考工具，助力研究者深入了解该类产品的配方组成与营养特性。