Baby food sales are falling in the face of a 'threat' from home-made alternatives, an industry survey reveals
Sales of wet and dry baby foods fell by 14% between 2012 and 2015, which means the nation's infants are eating five million kilogrammes less processed food than they used to.
This may be good news for babies, but it is bad news for baby food manufacturers, who see the growing preference for home-made foods as a threat. A survey by Mintel, reported on Foodnavigator.com, found that parents turned to home-made baby foods both because they were cheaper, and because they could have more control over what their children were eating. A fear of hidden sugar was a major factor.
To counter the decline, manufacturers were recommended to diversify flavours, and try to capture the authentic tastes of home cooking (such as in Heinz's 'Cheery chicken roast dinner with stuffing'). Another opportunity is offered by gluten-free, which is a growing trend globally, with 42% of all new baby food products labelled gluten-free in 2014.
Read about Sustain's campaign work to ensure children have wholesome, healthy diets here.
Published Friday 13 May 2016
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
