Explore the latest innovation in baby milk and food in 2025 with Mintel’s global innovation report. The report identifies the major launch activities, pivotal consumer attitudes and most important product development of the year across regions EMEA, APAC, and the Americas.
Key innovation trends in the baby food market are analysed and succinctly presented alongside Mintel’s consumer data and insights. So you can understand changing consumer demands and identify future growth opportunities.
This report also presents Mintel’s analysts’ pick of the most innovative launches in the global baby milk and food market. Understanding innovation in baby food has never been so easy.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Mikolaj Kaczorowski. Mikolaj has 8 years experience working at Mintel and is responsible for analysing new product launches in food, drink and household categories, tying these back to consumer insights, and identifying emerging NPD trends.
A focus on fortification, functional benefits, and reduced sugar content remains central to baby milk and food innovation.
Mikolaj Kaczorowski
Innovation Analyst
Collapse All
-
- What we have seen
- Our pick of the most innovative launches in this review
- Other innovative launches
- Spotlight on baby food flavours
- Graph 1: % of baby food launches with a top three flavour component subgroup, 2024-25
- The Future of Baby Food and Milk: 2025
-
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA (EMEA)
- Europe: immunity boosting claims are growing in baby food
- Parents are keen to ensure their babies and toddlers have a robust immune system
- Immunity claims have returned to growth
- Vitamin C is flagged as providing immunity support
- Europe: human welfare claims are growing among baby food and milk launches
- Consumers are willing to avoid unethical companies
- Worker welfare claims are steadily growing in baby food and baby milk
- Graph 2: % baby milk and baby food launches with a human welfare claim, 2020-25
- Certified B Corporation certification is widely seen in  baby food and milk launches
- Brand renovation/innovation: Kendal Nutricare launches a more affordable infant and baby milk range
- The Middle East & Africa (MEA)
- New baby food launches
-
ASIA PACIFIC (APAC)
- Asia: sugar is in the spotlight
- Parents are becoming more sugar conscious
- The no added sugar claim continues to grow in baby foods
- Graph 3: % of baby food launches with select sugar claims, 2020-25
- Baby food brands highlight low-sugar and sugar-free recipes
- Asia: fortification helps brands bolster the nutritional appeal of baby foods
- Parents prefer fortified food options for their children
- Vitamin and mineral fortification is down in baby milk and food launches
- Graph 4: % of baby milk and baby food launches with the vitamin/mineral fortified claim, 2020-25
- Baby food brands highlighting vitamin and mineral fortification
- Australia & New Zealand
- No additives and preservative claims are trending downward in baby food launches
-
THE AMERICAS
- North America: functional benefits are a staple of baby milk and food launches
- Nutrition and health are at the forefront of parental purchase factors
- Functional claims are established in baby milk, but less so in baby food
- Graph 5: % of baby food launches with a top five functional claim, 2024-25
- Graph 6: % of baby milk launches with a top five functional claim, 2024-25
- Baby milk and food brands call out functional benefits
- North America: fruit and vegetables are a common ingredient in baby foods
- Parents will pay a premium for fruit- and vegetable-rich baby foods
- Apple and pear are the most popular fruits in baby food launches
- Graph 7: % of baby food launches with a top five fruit and vegetable ingredient group, 2024-25
- Baby food launches rich in fruit and vegetables
- Latin America
- Parents are suspicious of baby foods with long ingredient lists
- Baby food brands highlight minimal and natural ingredients lists
What is 'A Year of Innovation' Report?
To truly understand a market, it’s essential to look at the products that are shaping it. Our ‘A Year of Innovation’ reports provide a detailed review of specific categories, focusing on the most notable product launches from the past 12 months. These reports are designed to give you a clear and comprehensive picture of recent innovation and its impact.
How We Analyse a Year of Innovation
By deconstructing the past year’s activity, we can provide valuable context for your current and future strategies. Here’s how we do it.
A Deep Dive into Product Launches
The core of these reports is a thorough examination of new products. We go beyond simply listing what’s new. Our analysis delves into the “why” behind each product launch, exploring the strategies, ingredients, and marketing claims that are driving innovation. This helps you understand what’s working, what’s not, and where the market is headed.
Powered by the Global New Products Database (GNPD)
Our insights are built on a foundation of robust data from Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD). This powerful tool tracks and catalogues new product launches from around the world. By leveraging the GNPD, we offer a complete exploration of innovative activity within your category, ensuring our analysis is comprehensive, accurate, and relevant.
Uncovering Trends and Consumer Shifts
Our ‘A Year of Innovation’ reports are designed to equip you with actionable insights into how to lead innovation in your category. By studying recent product launches, we can identify shifting consumer habits and preferences. These reports help you connect the dots between what consumers want and how companies are responding. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of emerging trends, allowing you to refine your own product development and marketing strategies with confidence.
£ 2,195 (Excl.Tax)
-
Download today with instant access
Pay via credit card or invoice (net 30 payment terms)
-
Multiple formats provided
We send a PDF and Powerpoint version straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
-
Save 20% when you purchase two or more reports
Offer available for this month only
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn moreTrusted by global industry leaders
We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.
They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.
Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
There is no question that Mintel is the go-to resource for the best quality market research, but I did not think it was an affordable option for Abacus Marketing to consider. As a small marketing agency, we only work with a few new clients each year.
However, we have a very high-end consultative approach to our work, so we really do need a partner like Mintel to provide the big agency experience we are always aiming to deliver. Our clients come from an incredibly diverse range of industry sectors, so we obviously need access to market research reports from a very wide spectrum of marketplaces – and that is precisely what we got.
Stephen Taylor-Brown, Managing Director, Abacus
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.
Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.
Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
Working in a customer-obsessed organization means that data and insights have to be at our fingertips. Mintel’s reports help us support anecdotes with real quantifiable insights. The summary sections (which I really like) helps save time by giving a birds eye view of the content before spending time combing through the pages.
Our business review discussions are strengthened by the relevancy of the reports to help us better understand our customers. In addition, the customer service received from the team (especially in crunch periods) makes the process of understanding customer behavior even better.
Ngozi Ngonadi-Nkwoji, Senior Marketing Manager, Amazon
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn more
