Q&A: How to Support Parents of Children with Feeding Disorders When Food Packaging Changes

3 min read • By: Gerber Medical Hub

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Quick Summary

It can be challenging for children with feeding disorders to accept new packaging on a staple food. A strong reaction to even a slight food packaging label change is more common for children with a feeding disorder. Feeding disorders like pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) can make a packaging change a significant challenge for some families.

Diagnosed children typically experience and categorize food according to what they consider safe. Some children grow out of what may just be “picky eating.” Others have an underlying medical condition causing their aversion to food.

“The term ‘picky eating’ is still widely prevalent and can invalidate parents' experience and even lead to a missed diagnosis of PFD and ARFID,” says Jaclyn Pederson, MHI, CEO of Feeding Matters.

Feeding Matters is the first organization in the world uniting the concerns of families with the field’s leading advocates, experts, and allied healthcare providers to improve the system of care for pediatric feeding disorder through advocacy, education, support and research.

Find answers for why some children with feeding disorders are more sensitive to changes in how food is presented, along with practical tips for helping them cope.

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What is PFD and ARFID?

If mealtimes are difficult enough to affect the whole family, this may be a sign of pediatric feeding disorder (PFD). PFD is “impaired oral intake that is not age-appropriate and is associated with medical, nutritional, feeding skill, and/or psychosocial dysfunction,” according to the consensus definition and conceptual framework published in 2019.
A child may have PFD or ARFID if they cannot drink or eat the types of foods or quantities that other children their age eat. Simply put, when eating is hard, scary or hurts, this is not picky eating. (hyperlink PFD above: A US‐Based Consensus on Diagnostic Overlap and Distinction for Pediatric Feeding Disorder and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder - Estrem - 2025 - International Journal of Eating Disorders - Wiley Online Library )
For children with PFD, there’s an underlying reason for a feeding challenge caused by one of four domains: medical, nutritional, feeding skill and psychosocial
PFD can also transition into ARFID, which is a mental health diagnosis associated with nutritional and psychological concerns. Review the consensus on diagnostic overlap and distinction for PFD and ARFID published in 2024.
A holistic assessment and treatment plan that considers the interplay of the four domains of PFD allows for targeted interventions that match each child’s unique needs.

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Why do food packaging changes matter for children with feeding disorders?

Children use their senses to decide whether food is safe. For babies, the familiar look of a bottle or breast, the smell of their caregiver and the feel of skin-to-skin contact create a sense of safety.
As children grow, they continue to rely on environmental cues to determine if a food is familiar and safe.
For young children, packaging can be a critical signifier of safety. The color, shape and look of packaging and its contents all signal familiarity.
A design change can make the food appear as if it has changed, even if the food tastes the same.
To an adult, that may seem like no big deal. However, for a child with a limited variety of safe foods, new packaging can be like eating an entirely new product

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Why are some children with feeding disorders more sensitive than others?

Limited exposure to natural food variation:
o While fresh food varies with ripeness and how you prepare it, packaged foods are always the same. Children who eat more packaged products may be more sensitive to packaging changes.
Age and developmental stage:
o Younger children naturally go through phases of exerting control over food to express independence.
Limited language skills:
o Younger children may not have the words to explain why they’re upset or what they need.
Sensory sensitivities:
o Some children are highly sensitive to textures, flavors or smells and may also be more sensitive to how food is presented.
Persistent or restrictive patterns:
o If a child’s food refusals are consistent and cause nutritional concerns or family stress, it may indicate a deeper feeding challenge like PFD.

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How can healthcare providers assist parents in helping children with feeding disorders who are sensitive to packaging changes?

Initiate gradual exposure to change:
o Try making small changes when serving familiar foods. For example, open the package and offer the food from your hand, a bowl or a snack bag. Keep the package visible so your child knows it’s still their “safe” food.
Include familiar foods in the child’s diet:
o Always serve at least one familiar food during meals when introducing something new.
Model and share:
o Encourage parents to eat the new food as well, offer it alongside friends or have siblings enjoy it together.
Create low-pressure opportunities:
o Offer the changed product when the child is hungry in a low-stress setting, like during playtime or on a walk.
Practice food flexibility:
o Teach parents to build variation into foods early, even with packaged foods. For example, crumble crunchy snacks over a puree, use them as dippers or serve them in a different dish or bag occasionally.
Don’t give up:
o It often takes multiple exposures offered routinely before a child tastes a new or changed food.