Oh Baby: the Baby Food Revolution
Oh Baby: the Baby Food Revolution
Worldwide Baby Food Market
The baby food market has been growing consistently, however it has been experiencing phenomenal growth since 2003. In 2005 the worldwide baby food market was worth billion (US), up from 9.5 billion in 2003. The North American accounts for 25% of the market, Europe 27%, and Asia-Pacific accounts for 25% of the global market value.(1)
US Baby Food Market
The nature of the baby food market in the US has changed over the last few years. Historically, a few big players dominated the market but a few companies have emerged to target specific niche markets for more fresh’ and organic alternatives.
Due to the increase in the number of competitors and fact that the baby food product usage cycle is relatively short, manufacturers are creating new customer segments such as “toddler cuisine”. Industry analysts believe that baby/toddler foods and drinks that are able to capitalize on convenience as well as offer premium quality and ingredients will perform well, as parents often want to buy want is best for their child and are willing to pay a high price for specially formulated products to ensure complete nutrition and a healthy balance.(2)
Market Growth Drivers
There are many factors that are driving the growth of the baby food market. They are: family planning methods, financial planning before the birth of a child, late pregnancy options exercised by women, the increase in the number of working women, and an increased willingness of consumers to pay for premium quality, organic products.(3)
Parents, moms in particular, believe that “organic” and “all natural” labels are “very important” when making food decisions for their baby.(4) It is often the case that baby foods/drinks are the first types of organic products to be brought into a household.(5)
Although there are a number of jarred organic baby food brands, such as Earth’s Best and Tender Harvest available in stores today parents who are committed to offering their children the best, healthiest choices know that commercial organic baby foods are not fresh and, in order to have a longer shelf-life, they are cooked at temperatures that destroy many of the vitamins and nutrients.
Because good quality organic baby food is not available in stores many parents are choosing to make homemade baby food. At the same time, dozens of homemade baby food websites have popped up.
Emerging trend: Frozen organic baby foods
In response to the short comings of jarred baby food, a new alternative locally made, frozen organic baby food – is starting to emerge in trend-leading cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Each of these companies has taken a significant step forward.
For these companies market introduction has a number of challenges. To effectively sell products through grocery stores they must pay distributors and store placement fees. To maintain profitability they must reduce production costs by using co-packers to make their food. Co-packers require large monthly production minimums, cold storage fees, and the baby food companies loose control over the manufacture of their products. And companies must make very large investments in advertising so customers know to look for them in the frozen food section of their local grocery store.
Customer Problem
All parents want what is best for their new babies. US spending on babies is a billion industry. Families spend over ,000 during the first year of a baby’s life on baby products alone.(6) This desire extends beyond cute clothes and fun toys and reaches into the kitchen and baby’s first foods.
Numerous studies have shown that eating patterns and food preferences are established early in life.(7) Dissatisfied with the preservative and sugar-filled baby food options available in grocery stores, parents are looking for new feeding alternatives.
A growing number of parents are turning to organic foods not only for personal health reasons but for environmental reasons as well. The organic baby food market grew nearly 18 percent in 2004, double the overall growth of organic food sales. (8) According to AC Neilsen, over the past five years, the organic baby food market has grown by more than 60 percent, generating more than 0 million in sales in 2005. This growth is driven by concerns that parents have about the level of pesticides and hormones in their baby’s food.
In recent years many parents have also started to at least have the intention of making their own baby food. But working parents and active, busy families don’t have time to shop, peel, steam, puree, strain, and freeze homemade baby food themselves–it is just too time consuming. According to a recent work/life balance study conducted by CareerBuilder.com, one-in-four working moms said they are dissatisfied with their work/life balance and are actively seeking ways to obtain more flexibility, and some will do it at any cost. Fifty-two percent of working moms say they would even be willing take a pay cut to spend more time with their children, a significant jump from 38 percent last year.
New Baby Food Companies
Over the past few years a number of new baby food companies have popped up all over the world to help meet the market need for quality baby food products. Some are attempting to go head-to-head against the baby food giants in chain grocery stores. Some are opening “baby food boutiques”. While a few others are focusing on baby food catering services.
(1) Baby Food Industry (2006), Datamonitor/RNCOS.
(2) Ibid.
(3) Baby Food Market Organic and Inorganic: A Market Study, Datamonitor/RNCOS
(4) Baby Food Market An Outlook, March 2005, Datamonitor/RNCOS
(5) Baby Food and Drink, October 2006, Datamonitor/RNCOS
(6) Health and Human Services Department, 2004. US Department of Commerce.
(7) Helping Children Develop Health Eating Habits, University of Maryland School of Medicine, June 11, 2003.
(8) “Organic Food on Parents’ Grocery Lists: Concerns About Pesticides, Other Toxins in children’s Diets Driving Demand”, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, November 24, 2005
Mischelle (Schelly) Weedman-Davis left her 15-year high-tech career to become a stay-at-home mom but later became the founder of Sprouts Baby Food, Inc. She now uses her talents to support her husband’s law firm, the Davis Law Group. http://www.InjuryTrialLawyer.com
Article from articlesbase.com
Categories: Baby Food Tags: Baby, Food, Revolution
Cholesterol Foods E-Report
Cholesterol Foods E-Report
A comprehensive Report that explains how to lower cholesterol by using the right foods and avoiding the wrong foods
Cholesterol Foods E-Report
Categories: Baby Food Tags: Cholesterol, EReport, Foods
How to Start your Own Baby Food Business Part #6: Manufacturing Vs. Catering
How to Start your Own Baby Food Business Part #6: Manufacturing Vs. Catering
Handmade Baby Food vs. Commercially Produced, Store Bought Baby Food
Food from your baby food catering business will be differentiated from commercial, factory produced baby food in the following ways:
People & Production
Your baby food is made-by-hand by individuals who are committed to the quality of the baby food. At least one certified chef is on duty at all times supervising the process and ensuring that ingredient and cooking standards are met. The food is made in a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen like the ones used by top chefs.
Commercial baby food is produced in mass in a factory or co-packing facility. More often than not, baby food is not the only food product produced in the facility. Typically baby food is made by workers that do not have culinary training and do not have a passion or commitment to high quality baby food.
Hand Selection of Ingredients
Each and every ingredient in your baby food, down to the smallest berry, is hand selected to ensure that it is of the highest quality and to make sure that it is completely ripe.
Commercial baby food is made from massive deliveries of bulk produce that arrive on loading docks. Food quickly passes by workers on conveyer beltsthere is little time for manual inspection.
Source & Quality
The majority of the ingredients in your baby food are locally grown. They are picked only when fully ripe and go from the field to our kitchen within a matter of days, sometimes hours.
Produce used to make commercial baby food comes from multiple sources and multiple countries. It is often picked before fully ripened, to withstand the long transport from the field to the factory. Sometimes produce becomes over-ripe or rotten as it sits on trucks, in warehouses, or on loading docks for days or weeks.
Organic
You use only 100% organic ingredients that are never stored near other non-organic ingredients or produced alongside non-organic foods.
Even foods that are made with organic ingredients can be contaminated with pesticides when they are transported or stored with or near non-organic ingredients or produced in a facility that also makes non-organic food products. Commercial baby food is often made in large factories or by co-packers that also produce non-organic foods.
Washing
All of produce used in the production of your baby food is individually washed or scrubbed by hand.
In commercial baby food factories, produce is either rinsed as it passes under a sprayer on a conveyer belt or it may be allowed to sit in a vat of water to be cleaned. Often the process involves cleaning agents or chemicals.
Preparation
All the produce used in the production of your baby food is peeled, cored, or diced by hand. This provides a second inspection of the ingredient before cooking.
Produce used to make commercial baby food is peeled, processed, and cut by machines in large batches. Seeds, stems, rotten spots, etc. can easily go over looked and may be included in the final product.
Cooking
The majority of your baby food made using produce that has been gently steamed to ensure that the vitamins and nutrients are not “cooked out” of the food. This process also helps the food to retain its natural color. Some foods are baked or roasted whole to ensure that the natural juices are retained.
Commercial baby food is boiled in large vats or cooked quickly in giant, super heated ovens. Both processes are designed to cook the food as quickly as possible so large amounts can be produced at once. The food must be cooked at high enough temperatures to be sterilized in order for it to sit in a warehouse or on a store shelf for long periods of time. Essential nutrients and natural colors are lost. Vitamins and color must be added back into the food. This is accomplished using either synthetic materials or fruit/vegetable concentrates or dyes. Some food dyes are made using ground insects.
Processing
Your baby food is pureed in small batches which are weighed and measured by hand. Each batch is checked and rechecked to ensure a smooth or creamy texture.
Commercial baby food is ground in large, industrial vats. Sometimes tons of food is processed at once.
Texture
You add only a small amount of distilled water to your foodjust enough to allow for a smooth puree. Because we add such a small amount of water, there is no need to add thickening agents.
Large amounts of water are added to commercial baby food to “thin it out”. This allows the company to get more baby food out of each pound of produce (water is cheap) thus increasing company profits while nutritionally cheating babies. Thickening agents, such as starch, are then added (starch is cheap too). Thickening agents also “stabilize” factory-made foods by keeping the complex mixtures of oils, water, acids, and solids well mixed.
Quality Control
At every point in the cooking and pureeing process the temperature of the food is checked and rechecked to ensure that the correct temperature and consistency is being met. Temperature is monitored during the cooking process to make certain that vital vitamins and minerals are not “cooked out”, and as food is cooled to avoid pathogen growth.
Most of the production is often monitored by computers rather than humans.
Packaging
Your baby food is packaged by a person, giving it one final quality check.
Commercial baby food is packaged by big machines that squirt food into jars or containers with no one overseeing the process.
Freshness, No preservatives
Your stores/kitchen/etc.make fresh baby food daily. You only make enough food to fulfill the needs of for the current week. Your baby food is sold or delivered to customers within 24 to 48 hours of being made. There is no need to add preservatives and no food is wasted.
Commercial baby food is made in mass. Tens of thousands of “units” of baby food are produced each day. Commercial baby food can sit in a warehouse or on a store shelf for up to 2 years. The companies must add chemical or natural preservatives to keep the food from degrading. Even frozen baby food in the grocery store can sit in the freezer for months before it is sold.
Mischelle (Schelly) Weedman-Davis left her 15-year high-tech career to become a stay-at-home mom but later became the founder of Sprouts Baby Food, Inc. She now uses her talents to support her husband’s Seattle law firm, the Davis Law Group so she can spend more time with her family. http://www.InjuryTrialLawyer.com . But she remains committed to infant nutrition and helping others that want to start their own baby food business.
Article from articlesbase.com
Fresh Baby So Easy Baby Food and Breast Milk Trays
Fresh Baby So Easy Baby Food and Breast Milk Trays
- Specially designed for making fresh-frozen baby in quantity and at home
- Each compartment is a one-ounce cube – a single serving size for your baby
- Each tray contains 12 compartments
Fresh Baby Food Trays are specially designed for making fresh-frozen baby in quantity and at home. Making baby food in quantity once or twice a week is easy and convenient and the Fresh Baby Food Trays make it’s even easier. We designed our trays so that each compartment is a one-ounce cube – a single serving size for your baby. Each tray contains 12 compartments. Using one set of trays you make 24 servings of baby food at a time! Plus, each Fresh Baby Food Tray includes a cover to prevent fre
List Price: $ 13.95
Price: $ 7.59
Stainless Steel Potato Ricer-Sauces,Purees,Baby Food
(1) Reptomin Floating Food Sticks - Baby - 0.92 oz.
 | US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 14:56:22 PST Buy It Now for only: US $3.49 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Infant Baby Banana Food Funny Cute Bunting Costume
 | US $22.99 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 15:02:30 PST Buy It Now for only: US $22.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Feed Me! I'm Yours, Revised & Updated by VIcki Lansky, food for baby & toddlers
 | US $7.99 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 15:15:21 PST Buy It Now for only: US $7.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
food baby!
hahahaha this is unattractive i know, but so is burping. i obviously don’t care 
enjoy!
Video Rating: 4 / 5
DEX Electric Baby Food Processor
Kidco Baby Steps Freeze 'n Serve 2 oz. Baby Food Storage Cups (8 per tray)
 | US $10.95 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 14:47:18 PST Buy It Now for only: US $10.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Beech Nut Baby Food Coupons
 | US $1.29 (3 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 14:50:16 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
Cookbook - FEED ME I'M YOURS - Baby Food Made Easy
 | US $6.48 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 14:52:58 PST Buy It Now for only: US $6.48 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
HAPPYBABY Organic Baby Food, Stage 2, Spinach, Mango & Pear, 3.5 Ounce Pouch (Pack of 16)
HAPPYBABY Organic Baby Food, Stage 2, Spinach, Mango & Pear, 3.5 Ounce Pouch (Pack of 16)
- Always organic, no GEIs.. Dr. Sears Recommended
- Optimally formulated for baby’s health
- Minimal Processing
- Portable Packaging, Bpa Free
About HAPPYBABY: Our mission is to provide you with the absolute best foods for your little one. We work with Dr. Sears to come up tasty recipes using only natural nutrition & yummy organic ingredients.
List Price: $ 19.50
Price: $ 15.23
Categories: Baby Food Tags: Baby, Food, HAPPYBABY, Mango, Organic, Ounce, Pack, Pear, Pouch, Spinach, Stage
100 grocery coupons food , baby ,buty,clean
Mattel Baby Doll Hanger Lot and Food Tray Accessories
 | US $1.99 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 14:25:38 PST Buy It Now for only: US $1.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Taz Tasmanian Devil Baby She Devil PVC fast food rolling toys vintage WB '92
 | US $7.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 14:26:09 PST Buy It Now for only: US $7.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
175+ savings Lot of assorted Coupons Exp2/26 later Home Food HBA Pet Baby $250+
 | US $1.04 (3 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2012 14:34:22 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
