Ekspozycja napojów w sklepach a żywienie niemowlÄ t: brak społecznie odpowiedzialnego marketingu w Polsce?

Introduction: Supermarkets together with their wide range of products are considered to be the major arenas of free choice of products. Marketing research has suggested that in-store environmental stimuli may induce substantial demand. A substantial body of research has determined that juice consumption is a risk factor of obesity among youth. Recently, research on dietary pattern increasingly focuses on the food environment. Unfortunately, there is a little data on exactly what infant food supermarkets stock. The greater share of the product on the shelf, the higher possibility to be chosen. Methods: In June 2012 we evaluated infant food aged 5-12 months in 6 supermarkets located in Warsaw. The methodology was based on tracking the information that consumer see when visiting a shop. We focused on four broad categories: porridges, dinner and dessert jars, fruit-based beverages, and infant tea. We analyzed the manufacturer and its offer of infant food, as well as length of shelves occupied by the broad categories of food. Results: The average length of shelves with fruit-based beverages and infant tea consisted 22% and 7% of total shelves length (porridges + jars + fruit-based beverages + tea), respectively. In 2 of 6 markets the length of shelves with juice and fruit drinks was higher than with porridges. The greatest offer of infant tea consisted of 29 types from 5 suppliers. Conclusions: This exploratory research allowed us to conclude that the space allocated to juice and fruit drinks is clearly larger than that recommended in dietary. In-store marketing cannot be ignored as having the critical influence on consumer behavior. From an academic point of view, there is a need for a continuous and careful study of relationship between infant food in-store marketing and nutritional guidelines.