Stay ahead of the curve in the children’s food and beverage market and future-proof your business with Mintel’s UK Children’s Food and Drink Market Report. Inside the full report, you’ll be provided with consumer-led market intelligence that outlines the trends and behaviours affecting your industry, alongside data-driven recommendations that help you to benchmark and align your strategy with other food and drink market professionals. Below, we’ve handpicked some key insights from the full report. Read on to discover key insights from the full report.
Our Report Delivers Insights On
- Trends and launch activities for products in the children’s food and beverage market.
- Parents’ top health priorities and concerns when it comes to their children’s diet.
- Parents’ attitudes towards different brands and products in the children’s food and beverage market.
- Factors that would encourage parents to buy one children’s snack over another.
Current Landscape of the Children’s Food and Beverage Market
Dining at restaurants will decrease and the number of at-home meal occasions will be boosted while incomes remain squeezed. Money concerns will also make it more difficult for some to feed their children healthy food. Meanwhile, the introductions of volume price promotions on HFSS products, due in October 2023, will impact some children’s food and beverage products.
- 18% of children achieve a five-a-day target.
Consumer Attitudes and Trends Shaping the Children’s Food and Beverage Market
Flexitarian trend gaining momentum
As children begin to demonstrate concerns around sustainability, products within this space are responding. In the full report, Mintel’s analysis outlines how brands can target parents and children to improve their environmental credentials in order to remain on the shopping list long term, given the predicted focus on sustainability.
- 39% of parents of 4-17 year-olds say that sustainability concerns prompt their child/stepchild to eat fewer animal derived products
Scratch cooking remains popular
Meals cooked from scratch and those made from prepared and unprepared ingredients are most popular among parents and their children. Scratch cooking enjoys many positive perceptions, whilst meals using prepared and unprepared ingredients offer parents convenience. The impact on the children’s food and drink market and how providers should respond is detailed in the full report.
- 43% of households mainly eat meats that are made completely from scratch.
Untapped Opportunities for Businesses in the Children’s Food and Beverage Market
High in fibre claims
Adequate fibre intake is important for a third of parents. Mintel’s analysis outlines how brands can harness this accelerating children’s food market trend and position their products as actively helping parents to progress their healthy eating intentions for themselves and their children.
A rise in at-home baking
Innovation with cake mixes targeting children has been particularly active. This trend is set to continue as driven by increased time at home during the income squeeze.
Purchase our full report to reveal the comprehensive list of innovation opportunities and discover how your business can connect with consumers and grow during times of financial uncertainty.
Looking for more information on the UK Children’s Food and Drink Market? Take a look at UK Baby’s Food and Drink Market Report 2023, or explore our extensive food market research.
Our market research is ideal for market professionals wanting to…
- Understand how consumers think and spend
- Analyse industry trends
- Identify investment and innovation opportunities
- Discover the market leaders
- Gain a competitive advantage
- Benchmark their own financial performance
- Enable more informed decisions, faster
Leading Brands in the Children’s Food and Beverages Market
Innocent, Wizard Kids, The Collective, Organix, Snackzilla, Nan’s Manners, Yoplait, Fru Crew, Orgran Kids, Nakd, Fage, Strings & Things, M&S, John Wesr, Little Dish, Mr Kipling, Craft & Crumb, Little Cooks, Actimel.
Expert Analysis from a Food and Drink Specialist
This report, written by Alice Pilkington, a leading analyst in the food sector, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends in the market and add expert context to the numbers.
The cost of living crisis is likely to increase the popularity of at-home meal occasions, offering opportunities for brands with strong family appeal. Affordable, nutrient-rich meal ideas can help reassure parents that their children are meeting their nutritional needs, whilst products that contribute to five-a-day and fibre intake will also chime. Responding to children’s sustainability concerns and parental guilt around packaging will future-proof brands for the long term.”
Alice Pilkington
Senior Food and Drink Analyst
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Overview
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Products covered in this Report
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Executive Summary
- The five-year outlook for children’s food and drink
- Figure 1: Category outlook for children’s food and drink, 2022-27
- The market
- Income squeeze will create more at-home opportunities
- Only 18% of children achieve five-a-day target
- Latest report on sugar reduction programme shows mixed progress; HFSS volume promotions ban postponed
- Figure 2: Percentage of sugar reduction achieved across selected categories in OHID’s sugar reduction and reformulation programme, 2015-20
- Sustainability predicted to be a higher priority going forward; flexitarian trend will gain greater momentum
- Companies and brands
- High/added fibre claims return to growth in 2022
- Children’s launch activity caters to meat/dairy reduction trends
- Achieving five-a-day remains key focus of advertising
- Child food poverty campaigns during pandemic have renewed relevance in 2023
- New rules on the advertising of HFSS food and drink delayed to 2024
- The consumer
- Family meal occasion still prevalent
- Figure 3: Households eating at different times vs eating at the same time, 2022
- Nearly a third of households eat different meals
- Figure 4: Households eating the same meals vs eating different meals, 2022
- Scratch-cooking and meals made from prepared and unprepared ingredients share lead
- Figure 5: Type of meal cooked/prepared most often, 2022
- ‘Game-ifying’ fruit and vegetable intake can boost five-a-day consumption and please parents
- Adequate fibre intake important for a third of parents
- Figure 6: Factors considered most important for a child’s diet, 2022
- Help in creating nutritionally rich meals on a budget will chime
- Environmental initiatives and repurposing can alleviate parental guilt over packaging
- Figure 7: Behaviours related to children’s food and drink, 2022
- Addressing parents’ concerns about meat and dairy alternatives will be crucial
- Figure 8: Attitudes towards children’s food and drink, 2022
- Low sugar content only prioritised by 37%; ‘not too sweet’ claims can chime
- Slow-release carbohydrates can tap into interest in feeling full
- Figure 9: Factors that would encourage buying of children’s snacks, 2022
- The five-year outlook for children’s food and drink
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Issues and Insights
- Offering parents guidance around affordable, nutritionally rich meals will chime during income squeeze
- Calling out contribution to fibre intake can tap into key concern relating to children’s diet
- Responding to sustainable intentions of children and parental packaging guilt will be pertinent going forward
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Market Drivers
- Inflation is the key concern for consumers and brands…
- …and despite government support, energy prices are still a major concern
- Rising interest rates mean that the pressure will move up to middle- and higher-income households
- High inflation and rising interest rates will weigh down the post-COVID recovery
- Consumer spending power will be curbed
- Unemployment is at a near-50-year low
- Consumers’ financial wellbeing has fallen from the highs of 2021…
- Figure 10: Household financial wellbeing index, 2016-22
- …and most people are feeling the effects of price rises
- Income squeeze will create more at-home opportunities
- Cooking from scratch likely to gain popularity
- Energy costs lead some to invest in less traditional cooking methods
- Live births in 2021 return to slight growth after reaching their lowest level since 2002
- Figure 11: Live births in England and Wales, 2015-21
- Total Fertility Rate in 2021 mirrors movement of live births
- Figure 12: Total fertility rate for England and Wales, 2015-21
- Ageing population will also decrease birth rates over 2022-26
- Figure 13: Trends in UK population, by age, 2016-21 and 2021-26
- Health remains a key focus for consumers
- Many parents view financial health as key to feeding children well
- State of children’s health laid bare by obesity, five-a-day and activity levels
- Childhood obesity remains a significant problem
- Figure 14: Prevalence of overweight or obese children in England, by year group, 2016/17-2021/22
- Only 18% of children achieve five-a-day target…
- Figure 15: Percentage of children eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, 2006-18
- …but percentage of active children returns to pre-pandemic levels
- OHID partnership with Disney for summer physical activity campaign returns
- Figure 16: Percentage of children aged 5-16 years old meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ physical activity guidelines, 2018/19- 2021/22
- Government targets childhood obesity through public health initiatives
- Latest report on sugar reduction programme shows mixed progress
- Figure 17: Percentage of sugar reduction achieved across selected categories in OHID’s sugar reduction and reformulation programme, 2015-20
- HFSS volume promotions ban postponed until October 2023
- 2024 salt reduction targets still in place
- On-pack nutrition label consultation proposed
- NHS launches Food Scanner app
- Sustainability predicted to be a higher priority going forward
- Flexitarian trend will gain greater momentum in long term…
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Launch Activity and Innovation
- Products for children aged 5-12 remain a small minority of overall launches
- Figure 18: Proportion of new launches in the UK food or drink market categorised as featuring children (5-12) claims, 2018-22
- Chocolate confectionery represents largest share of children’s food launches
- Figure 19: Breakdown of new food launches assigned children (5-12) claims, by category, sorted by 2022, 2018-22
- Immunity claims see boost post-COVID
- Figure 20: Percentage of children (5-12) food and drink launches with selected functional claims, 2018-22
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- Figure 21: Recent children’s food and drink launches calling out immunity support, 2021-22
- High/added fibre claims return to growth in 2022
- Figure 22: Percentage of children (5-12) food launches with high/added fibre claims, 2018-22
- Baby and toddler brand Organix extends to appeal to older children…
- …whilst healthier cookie brand Snackzilla also explores inulin
- Figure 23: Recent examples of high fibre claims in children’s snacks products, 2022
- Majority of no added sugar claims in snack products
- Figure 24: Percentage of children (5-12) food and drink launches with sugar-related claims, 2018-22
- Toddler cutlery brand Nana’s Manners launches “less meat and more veg” meal products
- VFC launches first children’s product
- Figure 25: Nana’s Manners silly sausages, 2022
- Petits Filous expands into plant-based yogurt for first time
- The Collective launches dairy-free Suckies
- Figure 26: Examples of dairy brands expanding into dairy-free children’s space, 2021-22
- …whilst some children’s snack products explore allergen-friendly labelling
- Figure 27: Recent children’s snack launches calling out allergen friendly, 2021-22
- Brands extend into kids market
- Cheese snack brand Strings & Things expand its sweet offerings
- Figure 28: Recent examples of brand extensions in children’s food and drink, 2020-21
- Children’s ready meals offer convenience to families who eat at different times
- Little Dish unveils new packaging
- Young’s teams up with Annabel Karmel
- Figure 29: Examples of ready meals targeted at children, 2020-22
- Cake kits will tap into increased time at home during income squeeze
- Premier Foods expands Mr Kipling home baking range
- Figure 30: Recent children’s home baking launches offering craft element, 2021-22
- Handful of children’s products explore sustainability credentials beyond recyclability
- Little Freddie launches first kerbside-recyclable pouch and claims to be ‘carbon negative’
- Actimel aligns with Too Good to Go
- Figure 31: Children’s food and drink products highlighting sustainability credentials, 2022
- Products for children aged 5-12 remain a small minority of overall launches
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Advertising and Marketing Activity
- Achieving five-a-day remains key focus of advertising
- Soreen takes children to an allotment for the launch of Fruit & Veg-Mmms
- Eat Them to Defeat Them returns for 2023
- BEAR targets back to school occasion
- M&S brings back free fruit for kids in-store activation
- Child food poverty campaigns during pandemic have renewed relevance in 2023
- “Silence the Rumble” campaign run by Heinz
- Kellogg’s extends its support for Magic Breakfast
- Co-Op argues, “Everyone should have something for tea”
- Marcus Rashford narrates Aldi Hunger Monster animation
- Dairylea advert banned by ASA…
- …whilst The Collective focuses 2023 campaign on its non-dairy products
- Petits Filous encourages families to #MakeMischief
- New rules on the advertising of HFSS food and drink delayed to 2024
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Household Meal Patterns
- Family meal occasion still prevalent
- Figure 32: Households eating at different times vs eating at the same time, 2022
- Opportunities for slow-cooker products to more actively target families
- Nearly a third of households eat different meals
- Figure 33: Households eating the same meals vs eating different meals, 2022
- Family meal occasion still prevalent
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Type of Meal Cooked/Prepared Most Often
- Scratch-cooking and meals made from prepared and unprepared ingredients share lead
- Figure 34: Type of meal cooked/prepared most often, 2022
- Healthy child-orientated shortcut products can offer convenience…
- Figure 35: Examples of shortcut child-orientated products, 2021
- … and alleviate guilt
- Scratch-cooking and meals made from prepared and unprepared ingredients share lead
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Factors Considered Most Important for a Child’s Diet
- Five-a-day is important for 46% of live-in parents
- Figure 36: Factors considered most important for a child’s diet, 2022
- ‘Game-ifying’ fruit and vegetable intake can make it fun for children
- Figure 37: BEAR offers collectable cards and an app to track collecting them, 2022
- Kids Eat in Color offers cues for re-framing the five-a-day conversation
- Help with appropriate child portions can chime for 39%
- Calling out alliance with portion recommendations that do exist remains relevant…
- Figure 38: Soreen and Innocent call out alliance with official portion recommendations
- Figure 39: Recent examples of child-orientated products calling out portion control, 2021-22
- …whilst ‘family favourite’ products can more actively position themselves as encouraging healthy habits
- Help around portions can also tap into minimising food waste
- Nesquik offers cues for on-pack communication
- Figure 40: Nesquik makes portion size prominent to on-pack messaging, 2022
- Adequate fibre intake important for a third
- Calling out contribution to recommended fibre intakes can help make it tangible
- Figure 41: Troo calls out contribution to daily fibre intake, 2021
- Wholegrain and 50/50 variants can also tap into concerns about fibre
- Figure 42: Piccolo Kids organic carrot cupcake mix calling out ‘wholewheat goodness’, 2022
- Figure 43: Napolina 50%50 spaghetti, 2020
- Five-a-day is important for 46% of live-in parents
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Behaviours Related to Children’s Food and Drink
- 63% of parents worry about the nutritional richness of their children’s diet
- Figure 44: Behaviours related to children’s food and drink, 2022
- Give parents help in creating nutritionally rich meals on a budget
- Figure 45: Marks and Spencer shares ideas for five breakfasts and five lunches for two children for £20, 15 January 2021
- Raise awareness of the role of different nutritional elements in a complete meal among children
- BOL and children’s shake mixes offer cues for ‘nutritionally complete’ messaging…
- Figure 46: BOL Power Pot calls out that it is ‘nutritionally complete’ and details contribution to daily fibre intake, 2021
- Figure 47: Else. calls out complete nutrition in shake mix, 2022
- …whilst prioritising positive nutrition claims in on-pack messaging also holds potential
- Figure 48: John West Kids calls out lack of ‘nasties’, 2022
- Figure 49: Co-op prioritising positive nutrition claims on front-of-pack, 2022
- Environmental impact of packaging makes 50% of parents feel guilty
- Calling out packaging reduction will be pertinent for hard-to-recycle products…
- Figure 50: Recent examples of snack and breakfast cereal brands calling out packaging reduction, 2021-22
- …whilst environmental initiatives can help parents feel they are contributing to a better planet for their children’s future
- Figure 51: Recent examples of brands calling out ocean-plastic initiatives, 2022
- Offer ways in which packaging can be repurposed
- Figure 52: Craft & Crumb cool cat biscuits & craft kit with cut out cool cat house, 2021
- Social media turned to by half of parents to make meals more exciting
- Collaborations with ‘mummy influencers’ can boost visibility
- Ocado makes meals exciting by drawing links with Disney movies
- 63% of parents worry about the nutritional richness of their children’s diet
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Attitudes towards Children’s Food and Drink
- Responding to sustainable intentions of children will be pertinent going forward
- Figure 53: Attitudes towards children’s food and drink, 2022
- More child-friendly meat substitutes NPD pertinent
- Addressing parents’ nutritional concerns within meat substitutes will be crucial…
- Figure 54: International example of children’s meat substitute product calling out vegetable and fibre content, 2022
- …as well as in dairy alternatives
- Figure 55: Recent examples of dairy alternative products targeting children, 2021-22
- Meat and dairy will need to work hard to stay on menu
- Introduction to different cuisines important for 80% of parents
- Level of interest points to extension opportunities for baby food brands
- Figure 56: Recent examples of world cuisine flavours in baby food products, 2023
- Providing guidance on tailoring world cuisine products for younger taste buds will chime…
- Figure 57: Uncle Ben’s Caribbean jerk inspired one pot rice kit helps people customise dish, 2019
- …whilst world cuisines flavours also lend themselves to more meat-free meals
- Responding to sustainable intentions of children will be pertinent going forward
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Factors that would Encourage Buying of Children’s Snacks
- Low sugar content only prioritised by 37%
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- Figure 58: Factors that would encourage buying of children’s snacks, 2022
- ‘Not too sweet’ claims can chime
- Figure 59: Examples of ‘not too sweet’ claim in hot chocolate and yogurt, 2020
- Slow-release carbohydrates can tap into interest in feeling full…
- Figure 60: belVita breakfast biscuits calling out slow-release carbohydrates, 2021
- …whilst high fibre claims can also chime
- Figure 61: Recent examples of high in fibre claims in children’s snack products, 2022
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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