Europe Baby Food Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Europe Baby Food Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The Europe baby food market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period (2022-2027).

At the initial stage of COVID-19 in the European regions working women were at home due to lockdown, and consumers shifted their preference towards homemade food or mother milk which is trustworthy for toddlers. Thus, the European market for infant foods has been impacted adversely. However, later on, at the end of the 2020 pandemic, the organic and premium infant food in Germany, Norway, United Kingdom witnessed high sales growth with high-end baby food formula series which consists of organic ingredients. The supermarkets and hypermarkets were the essential distribution channel in 2020, propelling more than 80% growth in European convenience stores in European regions. Additionally, infant foods were available in the pharmacies and drug stores like other essential food and medicines.

The demand for convenience, variety, and more nutritional baby food is a factor driving the increasing consumption of baby food. The growth of the middle class and the increasing number of working female population are also factors boosting the market. Consumers are more conscious about the baby's health, which leads to the increasing demand for natural and organic baby food. Furthermore, safety measures in terms of baby food packaging are a major concern among young mothers. The eco-friendly packaging is gaining traction, supporting various major companies to discriminate the products in the market.

Within the baby food segment, Valio is a manufacturer of high-quality organic dairy products, and in general, across the country, baby foods are consumed in the form of powders. However, the trend of baby food in ready meals is expected to witness a strong penetration rate over the years. The European baby food market is highly regulated, which makes baby food safest to consume. Stringent and changing regulations have also caused distortions in the market Germany, Russia, and United Kingdom hold the major share in the European baby food market.

With the rising awareness regarding the effects of chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, etc., consumers are opting for foods that are free from these. Thus, organic foods are finding an increased demand in the market. With the increasing number of women working in Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, France, and other regions, the concern about organic baby foods has risen. Thus, the baby food market is propelling stronger growth in these regions, with a sales increase of 35% in 2020. The innovative packaging and incorporation of special ingredients that give an additional benefit to the product are also driving the market. The existing players are expanding their product portfolio, including organic foods, to their product range to gain a competitive advantage and strengthen their position in the market. Parents are increasingly opting for healthy and ready-to-eat food offerings, such as instant milk formula and snacks, which require needless or no preparation time and can be instantly provided to the baby. Major players in the infant food market are eyeing Russia in terms of organic and natural infant food to strengthen its position in the Russian market.

The major drivers of the market are the increasing number of working women population and the awareness regarding the nutritional factors of processed baby food. The increasing awareness regarding the long-term effects of packed baby foods is a major restraint of the market. The technological developments in baby foods such as infant formula, cereal-based products, and other fortified products are trending in the market. Organic baby food is also gaining attraction in the United Kingdom baby food market. Danone, Nestle, and H.J. Heinz are the major players in the market. Cow & Gate, Ella’s Kitchen, Heinz, Plum baby, and Organix are the other players in the market.

The European baby food market is highly competitive, with a few top players holding the major share of the market. In the regions Danone S.A., Hipp GmbH & Co Vertrieb KG, Nestle , Organix, and H.J. heinz, are among the major players in the market. Players are expanding their product ranges and entering the organic baby food segment trending in the market. The manufacturers are majorly concentrating on enhancing their product quality by mergers and acquisitions and product innovation to obtain a competitive edge over other players in the market. Advanced distribution network and manufacturing expertise give the manufacturers an edge in expanding their range of products across the European market.

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