#child nutrition #Meiji Corporation #Nutritional Profiling

New Horizons in Child Nutrition: Meiji's Innovative NPS

In a pioneering move for child nutrition in Japan, Meiji Corporation has unveiled the country’s first nutritional evaluation method specifically designed for children aged 3 to 11. This new system, known as the Meiji Nutritional Profiling System (NPS), aims to provide a systematic approach to assess the nutritional value of food using scored metrics based on scientific research. The results of this groundbreaking development will be published in the international journal Frontiers in Nutrition on June 17, 2025.

Understanding the Meiji NPS

The Meiji NPS includes two distinct systems: one for infants aged 3 to 5, and another for children aged 6 to 11. Recognizing that appropriate nutrition is vital for healthy growth and development, Meiji has engineered this system to account for essential dietary needs specific to these age groups.

The Relevance of Nutritional Profiling

Adequate nutrition is critical for fostering optimal development in children. With the launch of the Meiji NPS, Meiji aims not only to evaluate nutrient intake based on scientific metrics but also to create healthier food products that meet the developmental needs of children. This initiative is aligned with the company’s mission to offer high-value nutrition tailored for younger populations.

Figure: Overview of Meiji NPS Target Groups and Health Challenges

Meiji has established a history of implementing the NPS approach to tackle nutrition-related health issues. NPS evaluates the nutritional components and food ingredients present in the products and formulates a scoring system based on scientific evidence to assess their dietary quality.

The Meiji NPS adheres to the