Facilitating A Manufacturing Baby Boom
The baby food industry is booming. A market research group estimates the current market to be worth over US$50 billion, and in the next five years it is estimated to achieve growth of more than 7% a year, making it the fastest growing packaged food category.
The baby food industry is booming. A market research group estimates the current market to be worth over US$50 billion, and in the next five years it is estimated to achieve growth of more than 7% a year, making it the fastest growing packaged food category. One new driver in the market is the move from glass to plastic packaging which is popular with consumers and manufacturers alike. Plastic is light, convenient and reduces the risk of breakages. It also can reduce overall costs by utilizing more cost-effective raw materials and using less energy in the packaging manufacturing process.
In developed countries, growth can be attributed largely to changing lifestyles and the increase in the number of working women. Breastfeeding has become a less viable option for many women, especially if they choose to return to work before weaning is complete; driving the need for infant formula and packaged baby foods. In today’s economy, women tend to have babies at an older age, when they're more financially secure, and therefore able to buy more premium and organic products.
Emerging markets are also providing strong growth opportunities in the baby food market. Despite lower spending power, regions with higher birth rates and younger mothers such as India, Brazil, the Middle East and Africa are looking to formula and packaged baby foods more in order to provide their children with the nutrition needed to support early stages of growth. In some countries, packaged baby foods have even become a status symbol.
In China, the increase in demand for branded formula can be attributed to better product quality. In 2004, there was outrage when it was discovered that some fake milk formulas did not have sufficient nutritional value for healthy development. Worried parents turned to premium brands to ensure higher quality, and thanks to the strong Chinese economy, the market is now flourishing with an annual growth of 19%.
Brand loyalty is key
The formula and baby food market enjoys a high degree of brand loyalty. Penetration in private labels is less than 1% , which underlines this loyalty and highlights opportunities for higher profit margins; in Europe 72% of consumers sampled in eight countries are prepared to pay higher prices for naturally produced food stuffs without additives .
Nutrition and safety are key challenges to the industry, and brand image is a critical factor in consumer choice. Parents understand good nutrition is vital not only for their children's health, but also for their future mental and physical success, and want brands to provide simple, natural and organic ingredients. Product labelling is therefore a vital line of communication for consumers who want to see clear ingredient information – if this isn't the case, brands will suffer. In the US for instance, the make-up of baby food ingredients has been under intense scrutiny due to incorrect labelling which lead to brands misrepresenting the presence and proportion of ingredients.
Health dangers caused by mislabelling baby foods can have dire consequences. High profile milk scandals in Asia have resulted in infant fatalities, heightening parents' concerns over product integrity and labelling. As a hugely sensitive market, incidents are more likely to result in significant brand damage and even bankruptcy for the manufacturer.
Tougher regulations
In 2011, EU legislation called for accurate, clear and easy to understand baby food labelling, with a requirement that manufacturers verify they are complying with the law. In addition, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standards Version 7, the EU’s Food Information Law (or Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Label Guide in 2013 place greater emphasis on the accuracy of food product labels. Consequently, manufacturers have the challenge of keeping track of labelling regulations for every country they export to, and ensuring every label complies with specification. At the same time, traceability requirements are growing, and manufacturers must ensure that lot and data codes are readable and comply with requirements. Failure to do so could result in costly product recalls, fines, decertification and brand damage.
Vision inspection technology
With babies and small children, there is no room for error – 100% quality is an absolute necessity. In-line vision inspection technology is the only method of product inspection capable of performing fast, accurate inspections on every product on the line, including print verification, barcode identification, plus label and film verification. The technology checks that the information on the packaging mirrors the defined content, is readable and, in some cases, will also check for seal integrity, all in real-time.
Correct information on the packaging allows customers to make informed decisions at the same time as providing manufacturers and governments with the means to trace contaminated products. The technology helps to avoid expensive downtime, gives a critical safety net which protects customers and manufacturers, and provides insurance against harm to brand and consumer.
The BRC now requires manufacturers to have a documented label inspection process, which makes the use of vision inspection all but mandatory; indeed, vision inspection systems have already been used during legal disputes as evidence of thorough and safe working practices.
The globalisation of food supply has made production processes complex. A food producer may use one high-speed packaging and labelling line for one type of food that will eventually be sold in many countries. Standard vision products need to be globally deployable and be able to work to scale in order to meet manufacturing needs; correct labelling reassures customers that the manufacturer has nothing to hide, helping to increase consumer confidence as well as brand loyalty.
In conclusion
Whilst the baby food market offers great growth potential, manufacturers know they have no room for error. Installing vision inspection systems not only safeguards the consumer and the brand, they also help manufacturers safely scale their operations which will set them up for future growth.
Key tips to ensure your baby food is safe:
Emerging markets are also providing strong growth opportunities in the baby food market. Despite lower spending power, regions with higher birth rates and younger mothers such as India, Brazil, the Middle East and Africa are looking to formula and packaged baby foods more in order to provide their children with the nutrition needed to support early stages of growth. In some countries, packaged baby foods have even become a status symbol.
In China, the increase in demand for branded formula can be attributed to better product quality. In 2004, there was outrage when it was discovered that some fake milk formulas did not have sufficient nutritional value for healthy development. Worried parents turned to premium brands to ensure higher quality, and thanks to the strong Chinese economy, the market is now flourishing with an annual growth of 19%.
Brand loyalty is key
The formula and baby food market enjoys a high degree of brand loyalty. Penetration in private labels is less than 1% , which underlines this loyalty and highlights opportunities for higher profit margins; in Europe 72% of consumers sampled in eight countries are prepared to pay higher prices for naturally produced food stuffs without additives .
Nutrition and safety are key challenges to the industry, and brand image is a critical factor in consumer choice. Parents understand good nutrition is vital not only for their children's health, but also for their future mental and physical success, and want brands to provide simple, natural and organic ingredients. Product labelling is therefore a vital line of communication for consumers who want to see clear ingredient information – if this isn't the case, brands will suffer. In the US for instance, the make-up of baby food ingredients has been under intense scrutiny due to incorrect labelling which lead to brands misrepresenting the presence and proportion of ingredients.
Health dangers caused by mislabelling baby foods can have dire consequences. High profile milk scandals in Asia have resulted in infant fatalities, heightening parents' concerns over product integrity and labelling. As a hugely sensitive market, incidents are more likely to result in significant brand damage and even bankruptcy for the manufacturer.
Tougher regulations
In 2011, EU legislation called for accurate, clear and easy to understand baby food labelling, with a requirement that manufacturers verify they are complying with the law. In addition, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standards Version 7, the EU’s Food Information Law (or Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Label Guide in 2013 place greater emphasis on the accuracy of food product labels. Consequently, manufacturers have the challenge of keeping track of labelling regulations for every country they export to, and ensuring every label complies with specification. At the same time, traceability requirements are growing, and manufacturers must ensure that lot and data codes are readable and comply with requirements. Failure to do so could result in costly product recalls, fines, decertification and brand damage.
Vision inspection technology
With babies and small children, there is no room for error – 100% quality is an absolute necessity. In-line vision inspection technology is the only method of product inspection capable of performing fast, accurate inspections on every product on the line, including print verification, barcode identification, plus label and film verification. The technology checks that the information on the packaging mirrors the defined content, is readable and, in some cases, will also check for seal integrity, all in real-time.
Correct information on the packaging allows customers to make informed decisions at the same time as providing manufacturers and governments with the means to trace contaminated products. The technology helps to avoid expensive downtime, gives a critical safety net which protects customers and manufacturers, and provides insurance against harm to brand and consumer.
The BRC now requires manufacturers to have a documented label inspection process, which makes the use of vision inspection all but mandatory; indeed, vision inspection systems have already been used during legal disputes as evidence of thorough and safe working practices.
The globalisation of food supply has made production processes complex. A food producer may use one high-speed packaging and labelling line for one type of food that will eventually be sold in many countries. Standard vision products need to be globally deployable and be able to work to scale in order to meet manufacturing needs; correct labelling reassures customers that the manufacturer has nothing to hide, helping to increase consumer confidence as well as brand loyalty.
In conclusion
Whilst the baby food market offers great growth potential, manufacturers know they have no room for error. Installing vision inspection systems not only safeguards the consumer and the brand, they also help manufacturers safely scale their operations which will set them up for future growth.
Key tips to ensure your baby food is safe:
- Find a competent partner who can actively support you with cost management and risk mitigation, allowing safe and steady growth.
- Choose a vision system which suits your product shape, materials and production environment—for example with panelling and stitching as well as complete print, label and seal inspection systems.
- Boost productivity by using systems that minimise set up time, calibration, changeovers, maintenance and cleaning at the same time as providing long-term reliability.
- Ensure easy operation by using an intelligent Human Machine Interface (HMI) that takes care of set-up and operation. Operator training should be provided by the systems supplier.
- Build in a safety net by installing systems with anti-circumvention capabilities which safeguard against eager operators bypassing or changing acceptance tolerances to speed up production.
- Ensure complete 360° product inspection - maximise existing floor space by carrying out additional product safety checks by integrating vision inspection technology with x-ray, checkweighers and/or metal detectors.
- Prove due diligence - integrate technology which documents all processes and monitors and records all the relevant safety checks, thereby providing due diligence if needed.
Source: Mettler-Toledo
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