Abstract
In most countries, processed complementary foods have been developed to be used in free or highly subsidized food distribution programmes, but little effort has been made to introduce them in the regular market. They have been positioned as “food for the poor” and, as such, carry a stigma. If nutritionally improved complementary foods were made commercially available at affordable prices, their coverage and contribution to improve nutrition would be more significant and sustainable at lower cost to governments. The question is whether a market-oriented approach is feasible, that is, whether the food industry would be willing to produce and market such foods and whether a demand for them can be created. A number of issues along these lines are briefly discussed, including the available evidence for the effectiveness of processed foods in improving nutritional status, the role of nutrition education and social marketing, and the need and rationale for a market-oriented approach.