Baby food transcends the tiny jar

  • By Michael Hill Associated Press
  • Sunday, January 13, 2013 2:46pm
  • Life

Baby food used to have an image as stable — and bland — as a jar of strained peas. And its target market was limited to, well… babies.

No more.

Old-school glass jars of applesauce are still around, but these days they share shelf space in the baby food aisle with curious (and often organic) combinations like zucchini, banana and amaranth (it’s a grain) packed in brightly colored pouches intended to be squished and slurped by consumers with little — and not so little — hands.

“What we try to do is engage them, stimulate all of their senses,” said Paul Lindley, founder of Ella’s Kitchen baby food, a pioneer in the use of pouch-style packaging. “Not just their taste sense, not just putting a spoon in their mouth or a pouch into their mouth … but to try to stimulate all their other senses.”

Welcome to the world of premium baby foods, part of a $1.5 billion industry that’s no longer just about babies. Babies don’t generally care much about food packaging. But toddlers, older children and convenience-driven parents do.

Pouches have allowed baby food makers to broaden the appeal of their products beyond the traditional baby food years. Maureen Putman, chief marketing officer for the Hain Celestial Group, maker of organic brand Earth’s Best, says pouches have helped fuel 11 percent growth at Earth’s Best even as the U.S. birth rate declines.

“It’s allowing us to age up. Where moms may have stopped baby food at 9 to 12 months, the pouches have really helped extend the shelf life of baby food,” she said. “We see growth for a long time to come.”

Parents like Lindsey Carl, of Clarksville, Tenn., make the case, saying pouches are a less messy way to feed her 22-month-old daughter and 10-month-old son simultaneously. “They don’t require a spoon, which makes on-the-go easy,” she says. “You don’t have to worry about bringing a spoon: ‘Where do I wash the spoon? Where do I put the spoon?”’

And the premium baby food world is an increasingly crowded one, with other major players including Plum Organics, Sprout, the organic baby food company founded by Food Network star Tyler Florence, and even long established baby food maker Gerber.

“We’re excited about pouches and we’re the No. 1 in the segment and we want to continue to grow it,” said Aileen Stocks, Gerber’s head of integrated marketing.

Obviously, the premium trend also is about what’s in the pouches. And increasingly it’s organic. While organic accounts for only about 4 percent of total U.S. food sales, organic baby food represents a more impressive 21 percent of that category, Putman said.

Gerber, with more than half the market, also is No. 1 in pouch sales, with about a 30 percent share, Stocks said. She said while organic pouches are driving growth in premium products, Gerber’s product line runs from infants to preschool and they are focusing on growth and innovation in all the segments.

“Pouches obviously, it’s an exciting story because you’re seeing a lot of it in the aisles right now,” she said. “But it’s really just one part of the whole story as far as the child’s nutrition.”

Putman says the popularity of organics is a sign that parents are concerned about what they’re feeding their babies. But there could be other reasons, too. The creative new mixes available — such as Plum’s sweet potato, mango and millet, and Sprout’s pasta with lentil Bolognese — might speak to Mom and Dad’s inner foodie.

Not everyone is cooing over pouches, though.

One common criticism is that in some cases a pouch will read something like “spinach and apples,” giving an impression of a vegetable-rich meal even if the ingredient label lists more apples than spinach.

More pointedly, some critics claim that parents tend to over-rely on pouches.

Dina Rose, a sociologist who writes the “It’s Not About Nutrition” blog, said while pouches can be a beneficial “bridge” to fresh fruits and vegetables, they are no substitute.

“It lulls people into thinking that they’ve done their fruit-and-vegetable job. So they’re done,” Rose said. “And it gets them out of what they think of as the struggle to get their kids to eat fruits and vegetables.”

Talk to us

More in Life

Daniella Beccaria / for The Herald

15-month-old Kantu attempts to climb a pumpkin at Stocker Farms in Snohomish on Sunday, September 20th, 2015. Stocker Farms offers a U-pick patch, farm animals and a corn maze.
Best pumpkin patch in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied, here are the results.

Everett comedian Taylor Clark performs stand-up in 2023 at The Triple Door in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mike Bryk)
Comedian Taylor Clark to film first special Friday in Everett

The skateboarding funny-man will record an hour of his stand-up at the Historic Everett Theater.

Local musician Alex Johnston, whose newest album "Daylight Fooldream" pairs with short film he made with help from his partner Mikaela Henderson, sits with his morning coffee on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, at Narrative Coffee in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Folktronica musician shoots 37-minute visual album on iPhone in Everett

Alex Johnston, 31, describes his music as ”if Coldplay and Bon Iver had a love child.”

Flowering knotweed Persicaria amplexicaulis firetail in the morning light.
Save for one infamous variety, fleece flowers are easy to fall in love with

This long-blooming, easy-to-grow perennial comes in many desirable varieties. But watch out: One is an invasive knotweed.

A view of King Street Station in Seattle, Washington from an Amtrak Cascades train to Portland, Oregon from Everett, Washington on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Ride the rails on Amtrak Cascades from Everett to Portland

Make new friends and let Amtrak do the driving on this 5-hour trip past sea, city and forest.

From left, Elora Coble, Carol Richmond, David Hayes, Karli Reinbold, Giovanna Cossalter Walters, Landon Whitbread in a scene from Edmonds Driftwood Players' production of "Murder on the Orient Express." (Dale Sutton / Magic Photography)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Edmonds Driftwood Players opens its 65th season with Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express.”

Some collectibles are found in nature; some imitate them. If it weren’t for the attached figure, this Royal Dux porcelain vase might pass for a real conch shell.
This shell-shaped vase would make a fine souvenir of summer fun

It may not be a real shell, but this art nouveau piece could still evoke fond memories of days at the beach.

Arlington Garden Club celebrating its 90th anniversary

The club has monthly programs for north Snohomish County gardeners and awards scholarships to area students.

Spouses Franchesca and Don Simpson talk about their baby girl’s “chubby cheeks” and “button nose” as Kelly Fox RDMS RVT performs a live-view 3D ultrasound on the expecting mother Saturday, August 26, 2023, at Wonder Baby Ultrasound Studio in Everett, Washington. The Simpsons are expecting their first child in October. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Glamour shots in utero? Everett studio offers HD ultrasound keepsakes

For curious parents, these glimpses are exciting, but not medically endorsed.

An Oxford White grille with red “BRONCO” lettering signifies the 2023 Ford Bronco Sport Heritage Limited Edition model. (Ford)
2023 Ford Bronco Sport has two new Heritage Edition models

Design and paint treatments pay homage to the original Bronco introduced in 1966.

Photo caption: Back-to-school is an ideal time to pick up new habits that help your family reduce waste and learn about resource conservation.
Go green this back-to-school season

It’s an ideal time for the entire family to learn the three Rs — Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Picturesque Rothenburg, with its pastel buildings, uniform rooflines, and flower boxes, is also famous for its unique people.
Rothenburg is one tourist trap that Rick Steves loves

The medieval town in Germany is a community of real characters and exudes small-town charm.