Dairy products for toddlers offer untapped potential

By Noli Dinkovski

- Last updated on GMT

Opportunity: the global toddler food and beverage market was worth $34bn in 2015
Opportunity: the global toddler food and beverage market was worth $34bn in 2015

Related tags Nutrition Milk

Products formulated for toddlers with nutrition-rich dairy ingredients represent a major untapped opportunity for food and drink manufacturers, a supplier has claimed.

Despite dairy ingredients such as whey already established in the tightly regulated infant formula sector, they remained underused in products aimed at children aged one-to-three years – a crucial period in every child’s development, Arla Foods Ingredients (AFI) suggested.

According to Euromonitor, the global toddler food and beverage market was worth $34bn in 2015, making it significantly bigger than the $24.7bn infant formula market.

Annual growth rate

Sales of toddler products are forecast to post a compound annual growth rate of 11.4% between now and 2018.

“The toddler years are a crucial period, where it’s important to ensure children get the right nutrients and develop healthy eating habits,”​ said Anne Staudt Kvistgaard, senior manager for pediatric at AFI.

“A child’s diet during the sensitive toddler years is a key determinant of their health, both in the short and long-term.

“Even though they are leaving behind their milk-based diet, proteins and minerals from milk should continue to form the bedrock of their diet to ensure they get a healthy start in life.”

Toddler-specific products

Through snack bars, squeezable pouches, yogurts, fruit drinks, milky drinks and toddler formulas, Staudt Kvistgaard said dairy ingredients were perfect for toddler-specific products.

“For food and beverage companies, this offers an excellent opportunity to create products that are perfectly balanced for a toddler’s specific needs,”​ she added.

Through its Goodness of Dairy campaign, AFI is highlighting how dairy ingredients were key to tapping into growing consumer demand for natural and healthy food.

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