Nestlé says it has reformulated its Nestum infant cereal portfolio to include additional iron in response to the needs of children for this important nutrient.

The revelation was made at a symposium for health care professionals at the Knutsford Court Hotel on May 10. The symposium was entitled ‘Rationale for Feeding Normal Infants from Birth to One Year’.The keynote speaker, Dr Jatinder Bhatia, a professor of paediatrics at Augusta University, Atlanta, Georgia, highlighted iron requirements as a specific need for infants in his presentation.The session was interactive, with health professionals, including doctors, nurses, midwives, and nutritionists, asking a range of questions related to Dr Bhatia’s presentation.According to Nestlé, the overall sentiment of those in attendance was that they welcomed the symposium as part of the continuing discussion on this important topic in the Jamaican health sector.The right nutrition during the first 1,000 days can have an important impact on a child’s ability to grow and learn, and iron deficiency remains a public health concern for Jamaica.In his address, Nestlé Jamaica Country Manager Daniel Caron emphasised that Nestlé is “very happy to be hosting a scientific forum of this nature here in Jamaica, and looks forward to continuing training and development initiatives.“Nutrition is at the core of what we do, and for more than 70 years we have contributed to the continuing education of the health care and nutrition community in a variety of subject areas, through our publications, workshops, and other activities,” he said.Nestlé says it hopes that the information shared will prove very valuable to health care professionals as they continue to provide vital services to the Jamaican population.