Infant Nutrition Market Expected to Reach $95.5 Billion by 2032—Allied Market Research

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, “Infant Nutrition Market," The infant nutrition market was valued at $45.5 billion in 2022, and is estimated to reach $95.5 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 7.7% from 2023 to 2032. 

The most significant factor that influences a child growth and development is nutrition.  Infant nutrition facilitates healthy growth of babies, improves cognitive performance and development, prevents them from allergies, and increases gastrointestinal health & immunity.  

The number of women as a part of the labor workforce has increased over the past few years due to rise in literacy rate. The ratio is estimated to increase in the near future, owing to the supportive government policies. The infant nutrition products offer parents the convenience to lessen their time in manual preparation of baby foods and simultaneously take care of the babies, which is expected to boost the market growth during the infant nutrition market forecast period. 

Moreover, consumer prefer to purchase infant nutrition from stores such as supermarkets and retail stores; however, this scenario is changing and customers are moving toward online channels. Online sales have evolved as a key source of infant nutrition market opportunities for many companies. The online sales market is expected to expand at a higher rate in the near future owing to the rapid penetration of smartphones, increase in m-commerce sales, and ease in payment options. However, the collaborative initiatives of various organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), have increased the overall awareness about breastfeeding among women. This in turn, limits the overall revenue generation for the global infant nutrition market. 

Continuous innovation in product functionality and performance along with coherent strategies such as tailored packaging, which reflect the healthy ingredients of the baby food products allow major players in the market to sustain in the consumer-centric market. Moreover, attractive & convenient packaging acts as a key selling point for leading manufacturers. As a result, prominent players in the market have introduced baby food in a variety of packaging formats, including, but not limited to stand up pouches, glass & plastic containers, and cans, which helps increase the companies' infant nutrition market share. 

The infant nutrition market is segmented depending on product type, form, distribution channel, and region. On the basis of product type, it is categorized into follow-on milk, specialty baby milk, infant milk, prepared baby food, and dried baby food. According to form, it is into solid baby food and liquid baby food. As per distribution channel, it is divided into e-commerce and offline channels. Moreover, the market is further classified into third-level segmentation through the distribution channel. Depending on offline channel, it is fragmented into hypermarkets/supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacy, and others. Region wise, the market is analyzed across North America (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and rest of Asia-Pacific), and LAMEA (Brazil, South Africa, UAE, and rest of LAMEA). 

Depending on the product type, the infant milk segment dominated the market in 2022, garnering around two-fifth of the market share according to the infant nutrition market analysis; moreover, the prepared baby food segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 8.6% from 2023 to 2032.  In addition, special attention is given to the fat equivalents in newborn milk to mimic HMF counterparts since human breast milk (HBM) is supposed to be replaced by it. To improve infant milk digestion and fat and mineral absorption, the current trend in the newborn nutrition industry is to produce fat analogues by integrating palmitic acid in fatty acids through a lipase-catalyzed reaction. 

By Form 

By form, the solid baby food segment dominated the market in 2022, garnering around three-fourth of the market share. Moreover, the liquid baby food segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 8.0% from 2023 to 2032. In addition, due to ongoing improvements in product performance and functionality as well as cogent strategies such as specialized packaging that reflect the nutritious ingredients of the products, major market players are able to survive in the consumer-centric market, which is the current trend in solid baby food. Solid baby food is an enticing alternative for working mothers as many working women start their professions soon after giving birth, satisfying their demand for wholesome, nutritional meals for their kids and assisting in infant nutrition market growth.   

By Distribution Channel 

As per distribution channel, the offline channel segment dominated the market in 2022, garnering majority of the market share. Moreover, the e-commerce segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 7.9% from 2023 to 2032. In addition, the offline channel offers a wide range of product portfolios from numerous market categories, making it easily accessible for the customers. Customers can find niche products in these types of establishments that cater to specific market segments. As a result, profitable opportunities for the growth of the infant nutrition market are created by the development of offline channels in numerous areas. Manufacturers encourage supermarket & hypermarket chains to sell their own products through these channels, which is one of the most prominent infant nutrition market trends. 

By Region 

Region wise, Asia-Pacific dominated the market in 2022, garnering a market share of 44.1%. Increase in spending power of the population in the region has significantly increased the demand for infant nutrition products in Asia-Pacific. The government has further started initiatives to promote baby care awareness. Furthermore, increase in internet advertising for healthy and nutrient-dense baby meals would help the infant feeding sector expand, helping to increase the infant nutrition market size.  

Competitive Analysis 

The key players operating in the infant nutrition industry include Abbott, Arla Foods Amba, Campbell Soups, Dana Dairy Group Ltd., Danone, Nestle S.A., Reckitt Benckise (Mead Johnson & Company LLC), Perrigo Company Plc, Heinz Baby, and Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF). 

Key findings of the study  

• By product type, the infant milk segment is estimated to witness significant growth, registering a CAGR of 8.0% during the forecast period.   

• According to form, the solid baby food segment is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 7.7% during the forecast period.   

• As per distribution channel, the offline segment is estimated to witness significant growth, registering a CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period.   

• By region, Asia-Pacific was the dominant region in 2022, occupying a major share of the market.