November 25, 2024 – In Asia Pacific, parents prioritize nutrition, safety, and quality when selecting food and beverage products to support their child’s nutrition and well-being. Innova’s 360-degree research into child nutrition market trends helps analyze the latest product launches, top ingredients, and claims that parents consider when choosing food products for their child.
Trends Impact
Global megatrends like the Pursuit of Health and Happiness play a crucial role in how parents select food and beverages for their children. In Asia Pacific, child nutrition trends align with Innova’s top trends of 2024, emphasizing proactive choices that promote family well-being. One in three consumers globally always check product packaging for important ingredients. This reflects the ‘Ingredients: Taking the Spotlight’ trend, where brands are shifting the spotlight onto the key elements of a product, which enables brands to express positive attributes and values quickly.
Additionally, 1 in 3 consumers claims to be proactive in preventing health issues. They adopt balanced diets to support healthy aging, aligning with the ‘Prioritizing Prevention’ trend. This trend highlights that consumers take positive action to prevent health concerns before they arise. This proactive approach drives demand for products that address personal health needs, reinforcing the importance of child nutrition options that combine safety, quality, and functionality.
Food and Beverage Nutrition Trends
Food and beverage launches with child nutrition claims have been waning over the past few years, contrasting with overall market growth. The rising prevalence of legislation limiting the marketing of food and beverages to children is likely to further suppress the positioning of child-focused products. In Asia Pacific, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia lead in child nutrition food and beverage launches.
Child nutrition claims show modest growth in several categories. Certain categories, including baby and toddler products, dairy, bakery, and snacks, maintain stable growth in child nutrition claims. Meanwhile, ready meals, confectionery, and cereals are growing, with confectionery subcategories showing solid growth potential.
Strawberry is the top flavor in child nutrition products, followed by milk chocolate and vanilla. These flavors are appealing to young consumers while aligning with nutritional goals.
Top Nutrition Claims and Ingredient Trends
The leading claims in food and beverage launches emphasize the importance of brain development. Claims emphasizing protein, fiber, and immune health are growing. Immunity, bone health, energy/stamina, and mental acuity claims are rising in child nutrition supplements. Digestive and brain health benefits also gain importance across categories. Brands can watch for the emergence in food and beverage launches with vegan and natural claims.
Vitamins are the most prominent ingredients in food and beverages, along with minerals, dairy ingredients, and functional ingredients. Fast-growing ingredients in food and beverage include eggs, HMOs, and plant-based components, catering to evolving consumer preferences.
Supplement Trends
The growth of child nutrition supplements is slower than supplement growth in general. This may be due to stricter marketing regulations targeting children. However, Asian countries lead in supplement launches with child nutrition claims, with China accounting for 21% of launches, followed by South Korea and India.
Children-specific supplements are a key driver of growth. Vitamin and mineral supplements are stable in launches, while supplements specifically for children are growing. Gummies are a popular format for child nutrition supplements, and they are growing in popularity.
Immune health claims have led supplement launches over the past year, followed by bone health, digestive health, and energy and stamina claims. Vitamins maintain a strong presence in child-focused supplements, while the selenium ingredient shows notable growth among minerals. Two functional ingredients, oligofructose and inulin, which act as prebiotics, are leading.
Top flavors such as orange and strawberry continue to enhance appeal, aligning with children’s preferences while meeting nutritional needs. This underscores the importance of innovation and targeted formulations in addressing the unique demands of the child nutrition market.
What’s Next in APAC Child Nutrition Trends?
Food and beverage launches with child nutrition claims are slowing. This presents an opportunity for manufacturers to simplify shopping by offering products that cater to entire families. Parents increasingly seek solutions that support the health of children and adults alike, driving demand for versatile, nutrient-rich options.
Child-specific supplements, however, are on the rise, particularly those emphasizing immunity and brain development through targeted functional ingredients. In APAC, stricter regulations on marketing to children, including the use of child-friendly graphics and characters, are increasingly scrutinized. As parents control purchasing decisions, brands can focus on storytelling to highlight nutritional benefits and the role of key ingredients in healthy growth and development. Innovations that seamlessly integrate family-wide health benefits with transparent communication are likely to gain consumer trust in the child nutrition market.
This article is based on Innova’s Now & Next in Child Nutrition in Asia report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
