Baby Food & Formula Packaging

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Packaging

The scope of this report includes packaging for food designed and marketed for babies, including newborns, infants, and toddlers. Baby food is specifically labeled as such and generally sold in a dedicated section of retail stores.

Specific applications covered in this report include:

  • food such as entrees and dinners, meat purees, fruit and vegetable purees, and puddings
  • formula, including ready-to-drink, powdered, and liquid concentrate
  • cereal, such as rice, wheat, oatmeal, and multi-grain cereal
  • snacks, such as puffs, crunchies, melts, teethers, yogurt pieces, and cookies

Excluded from this study are baby electrolyte drinks, such as Pedialyte, and products such as applesauce or yogurt that are not explicitly marketed toward infants and toddlers.

Specific packaging products used for baby food include:

  • glass jars
  • stand-up pouches
  • folding cartons and sleeves
  • composite cans
  • plastic tubs and cups
  • bowls
  • aseptic cartons
  • other packaging such as bag-in-box and metal cans

Excluded from the study are shipping boxes and protective packaging, such as that used with baby food subscription services.

Historical data (2010, 2015, and 2020) and forecasts for 2025 and 2030 are presented for demand for baby food and formula containers by value in current dollars (including inflation); demand data by market is presented in current dollars. Also presented are historical and forecast data for raw material usage in food containers in pounds and total dollars. “Demand” (or sales) is defined as all shipments from US plants, plus imports minus exports.

Packaging Formats (Rigid vs. Flexible)

Demand for packaging for baby food and formula is expected to increase 1.5% per year to $377 million in 2025. Growth in baby food and formula packaging demand will be supported by:

  • the convenience of packaged infant food over most home prepared foods
  • the relatively high level of working mothers with infants and toddlers, for whom time and convenience is at a premium
  • above average growth in organic and natural baby foods, supporting the use of higher value packaging

Rigid packaging dominates baby food and formula packaging demand, with 82% of total sales in 2020 – mostly in glass jars and composite cans. Other important rigid packaging products include bottles, cups, tubs, and cartons. Baby formula is packaged primarily in rigid containers due to the difficulty of packaging powdered formula in a flexible material. As such, rigid containers will remain a mainstay of formula packaging for the foreseeable future.

However, flexible packaging is expected to continue to take market share from rigid packaging in baby food and snacks due to its light weight, lower cost, and convenience.

Flexible packaging, while currently a small share of the market, is expected to see faster growth and take market share from rigid packaging in baby food and snacks. This is primarily due to advances in stand-up pouches for fruit purees, baby snacks, and cookies. Flexible lidding is often used in conjunction with cups and tubs.

Packaging

Packaging Demand by Material

Packaged baby foods, including infant and toddler fruits, vegetables, meats, and full meals, were historically the domain of glass jars. However, plastic containers – especially tubs, cups, and pouches – have made substantial inroads into the market since Gerber (Nestlé) began transitioning to them in 2001, and plastic is now the largest material category for food and formula.

Plastic will remain the fastest growing material category, taking share from both glass and paperboard. Besides its lighter weight and lower cost compared to glass, and its structural strength compared to paperboard, plastic’s growth will be further supported by its availability in both rigid and flexible formats.

Although losing share to plastic, paperboard will remain a significant segment of baby formula and snack packaging due to the prevalent use of composite cans. Folding cartons will also remain a relatively large and stable segment of the baby food and formula packaging market due to their ubiquity as secondary packaging.

Though plastic has overtaken glass as the leading container material for baby food, glass jars will remain an important component of the container mix based on attributes including suitability for high temperature processing, resealability, and high-quality image, particularly among premium and organic brands.

Packaging

Demand by Application

Demand for baby food and formula packaging is expected to increase 1.5% per year to $377 million in 2025, supported by:

  • above average growth in organic and natural baby foods, supporting the use of higher value packaging
  • innovations in baby snacks
  • innovations in baby food packaging

Baby food and formula are the dominant applications for packaging, together comprising 93% of overall sales; baby snacks and infant cereal remain relatively small niches but are forecast to experience growth in line with baby food.

Packaging

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  1. Baby Food & Formula Packaging

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    1. 1 Executive Summary

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      1. Figure 1-1 | Baby Food & Formula Packaging Market Outlook

    2. 2 About This Report

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      1. 2.1 Report Details

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      2. 2.2 Study Scope & Product Description

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        1. Figure 2-1 | Baby Food & Formula: Product Examples

      3. 2.3 Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

        $323.00

        1. Table | Annual Baby Food & Formula Packaging Demand by Product, 2019 - 2021

        2. Figure 2-2 | Annual Baby Food & Formula Packaging Demand, 2018 - 2022

    3. 3 Overview

      $1,790.00

      1. 3.1 Historical Market Trends

        $323.00

        1. Table | Baby Food & Formula Packaging Demand, 2010 - 2020

        2. Figure 3-1 | Baby Food & Formula Packaging Demand, 2000 - 2020

      2. 3.2 Packaging Formats (Rigid vs. Flexible)

        $323.00

        1. Table | Baby Food & Formula Packaging Demand by Packaging Format, 2010 - 2025

        2. Figure 3-2 | Baby Food & Formula Packaging Demand by Packaging Format, 2010 - 2025

      3. 3.3 Materials Trends

        $842.00

        1. 3.3.1 Packaging Demand by Material

          $323.00

          1. Table | Baby Food & Formula Packaging Demand by Material, 2010 - 2025

          2. Figure 3-3 | Baby Food & Formula Packaging Demand by Material, 2010 - 2025

        2. 3.3.2 Plastic

          $323.00

          1. Table | Plastic Baby Food & Formula Packaging Demand by Product, 2010 - 2025

        3. 3.3.3 Paperboard

          $323.00

          1. Table | Paperboard Baby Food & Formula Packaging Demand by Product, 2010 - 2025

        4. 3.3.4 Glass

          $323.00

          1. Figure 3-4 | Glass Baby Food Packaging Demand, 2010 - 2025

      4. 3.4 Product Innovation

        $323.00

        1. Figure 3-5 | Baby Food & Formula Packaging Innovations

      5. 3.5 Sustainability

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      6. 3.6 Consumer Insights

        $331.00

        1. 3.6.1 Environmental Attitudes

          $323.00

          1. Table | Environmental Attitudes Among Households With Children, 2021

        2. 3.6.2 Eco-Friendly Priorities in Packaging

          $323.00

          1. Figure 3-6 | Priorities When Thinking About Eco-Friendly or Sustainable Packaging, 2021

    4. 4 Applications

      $1,043.00

      1. 4.1 Demand by Application

        $323.00

        1. Table | Baby Food & Formula Packaging Demand by Application, 2010 - 2025

        2. Figure 4-1 | Baby Food & Formula Packaging Demand by Application, 2010 - 2025

      2. 4.2 Food

        $323.00

        1. Table | Baby Food Packaging Demand by Product, 2010 - 2025

        2. Figure 4-2 | Baby Food Packaging: New Product Examples

      3. 4.3 Formula

        $323.00

        1. Table | Baby Formula Packaging Demand by Product, 2010 - 2025

      4. 4.4 Cereal & Snacks

        $323.00

        1. Table | Baby Snack & Cereal Packaging Demand by Product, 2010 - 2025

        2. Figure 4-3 | Cereal & Snack Packaging: New Product Examples

    5. 5 Packaging Products

      $2,266.00

      1. 5.1 Demand by Product

        $323.00

        1. Table | Baby Food & Formula Packaging Demand by Product, 2010 - 2025

      2. 5.2 Jars & Bottles

        $549.00

        1. Table | Baby Food & Formula Jar & Bottle Demand by Application & Material, 2010 - 2025

        2. 5.2.1 Jars

          $323.00

          1. Table | Baby Food & Formula Jar Demand by Material, 2010 - 2025

          2. Figure 5-1 | Jar Demand in Baby Food and Formula Packaging by Material, 2010 - 2025

        3. 5.2.2 Bottles

          $323.00

          1. Figure 5-2 | Bottle Demand in Baby Food & Formula Packaging, 2010 - 2025

      3. 5.3 Composite Cans

        $323.00

        1. Table | Baby Food & Formula Composite Can Demand by Application, 2010 - 2025

        2. Figure 5-3 | Baby Food & Formula Composite Can Demand by Application, 2010 - 2025

      4. 5.4 Pouches

        $324.00

        1. Table | Baby Food & Formula Pouch Demand by Application & Type, 2010 - 2025

        2. Figure 5-4 | Baby Food & Formula Pouch Demand by Application, 2010 - 2025

      5. 5.5 Plastic Cups & Lidding

        $323.00

        1. Table | Baby Food & Formula Plastic Cup & Lidding Demand by Product, 2010 - 2025

        2. Figure 5-5 | Baby Food & Formula Plastic Cup & Lidding Demand by Product, 2010 - 2025

      6. 5.6 Cartons & Sleeves

        $323.00

        1. Table | Baby Food & Formula Carton & Sleeve Demand by Application & Product, 2010 - 2025

        2. Figure 5-6 | Baby Food & Formula Carton & Sleeve Demand by Application, 2010 - 2025

      7. 5.7 Plastic Tubs

        $323.00

        1. Figure 5-7 | Plastic Tub Demand in Formula Packaging, 2010 - 2025

      8. 5.8 Bowls

        $323.00

        1. Figure 5-8 | Bowl Demand in Baby Food & Formula Packaging, 2017 - 2030

        2. Figure 5-9 | Bowl Packaging: New Product Examples

      9. 5.9 Other Packaging

        $323.00

        1. Figure 5-10 | Other Baby Food & Formula Packaging Demand, 2010 - 2025

    6. 6 Key Suppliers & Industry Trends

      $323.00

      1. 6.1 Industry Composition

        $323.00

      2. 6.2 Leading Suppliers

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    7. 7 Appendix

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      1. 7.1 Scope

        $537.00

        1. Table | Relevant Industry Codes

        2. Table | Relevant HS Codes

      2. 7.2 Definitions

        $323.00

      3. 7.3 Freedonia Methodology

        $828.00

      4. 7.4 Study-Specific Methodology

        $323.00

      5. 7.5 Sources

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      6. 7.6 Associations & Agencies

        $323.00

      7. 7.7 Related Studies & Reports

        $478.00

      8. 7.8 Macroeconomic Assumptions

        $2,134.00

        1. 7.8.1 Economic Environment

          $333.00

          1. Table | Macroeconomic Indicators, 2010 – 2025

        2. 7.8.2 Demographics

          $323.00

          1. Table | Population & Households, 2010 - 2025

        3. 7.8.3 Consumer Spending

          $323.00

          1. Table | Personal Consumption Expenditures, 2010 – 2025

        4. 7.8.4 Retail Sales

          $1,300.00

          1. Table | Nondurable Goods Retail Sales, 2010 – 2025

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