Peeling Back the Lid on the Baby Food Industry With Dr Diane Threapleton & Dayna Brackley

Today, we’re peeling back the lid on the commercial baby food industry. A sector that’s been thrust into the spotlight after recent media investigations questioned the nutritional quality and marketing of commercial baby food. 

For many parents and health professionals, navigating the early years food landscape has never felt more complicated. Are these products helping to build healthy eating habits from the start, or are high sugar levels, nutrient gaps, and confusing marketing messages making things harder? And how can dietitians and healthcare professionals cut through the noise to empower families with clear, evidence-based advice? 

To help us break down the facts, and the fiction, we’re joined by two brilliant guests Dr Diane Threapleton and Dayna Brackley. 

 Dr Diane Threapleton is a Senior Research Fellow in Nutritional Epidemiology at the University of Leeds, and Co-Principal Investigator of the Growing Well Study, which explores diet and health in young children. Diane specialises in maternal and child nutrition and public health policy. Her recent research, featured on BBC Panorama earlier this year, has taken a closer look at commercial baby foods and what really matters to families when it comes to infant feeding. Diane’s work is all about improving food systems and supporting healthier outcomes for children and families. 

And Dayna Brackley is a food policy expert and Partner at Bremner & Co, an independent consultancy specialising in food policy and systems change. She works across the whole life course, 

from early years and infant feeding, right through to school food and further education, with a focus on nutrition, child food policy, and shaping the wider food environment. With a master's in food policy, Dayna specialises in turning evidence into practical, system-level changes that make healthier choices easier for children and families. 

Show Notes 

• Dr Diane Threapleton: https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/faculty/staff/12816/dr-diane-threapleton 
• Dayna Brackley LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dayna-brackley-5069b028/ 
• The Food Foundation Early Years Series Report 3: https://foodfoundation.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-05/TFF_Early%20years%20report_2025.pdf • Commercial baby foods crisis revealed in Leeds research: 
• • https://www.leeds.ac.uk/news-health/news/article/5767/commercial-baby-foods-crisis-revealed-in-leeds-research 
• • Commercial Baby Foods In Crisis: Addressing Health, Marketing and Inequalities in the UK: 
• • https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/faculty/doc/commercial-baby-foods-crisis-addressing-health-marketing-inequalities-uk 
• • Nourishing Our Future: Digital Conference Report: 
• • https://nourishingourfuture.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/digital-nof-conference-report-march2025-1.pdf 
• First Steps Nutrition Trust: https://www.firststepsnutrition.org/ 
• Best Start in Life: https://beststartinlife.campaign.gov.uk/ 
• Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model (NPPM): https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2022-6681-46447-67287