Global Infant Formula Ingredients Market – Industry Trends and Forecast to 2031

Global Infant Formula Ingredients Market, By Ingredient Type (Carbohydrates, Oils and Fats, Proteins, Vitamins, Minerals, Prebiotics, Others), Form (Powder, Liquid and Semi-Liquid), Source (Cow Milk, Soy, Protein Hydrolysates, Others), Application (Growing-Up Milk, Standard Infant Formula, Follow-On Formula, Specialty Formula) – Industry Trends and Forecast to 2031.

Infant Formula Ingredients Market Analysis and Size

Fortified foods and beverages represent major applications of the infant formula ingredients market. These products are enriched with essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and functional ingredients to enhance their nutritional profile and health benefits. In the context of infant formula ingredients, fortification is crucial for replicating the nutritional composition of breast milk and supporting healthy growth and development in infants and young children. Fortified infant formulas are designed to provide a balanced and complete diet, particularly for infants who may not be breastfed or require supplementation.

Global infant formula ingredients market size was valued at USD 42.65 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 60.75 billion by 2031, with a CAGR of 4.52% during the forecast period of 2024 to 2031. In addition to the insights on market scenarios such as market value, growth rate, segmentation, geographical coverage, and major players, the market reports curated by the Data Bridge Market Research also include in-depth expert analysis, geographically represented company-wise production and capacity, network layouts of distributors and partners, detailed and updated price trend analysis and deficit analysis of supply chain and demand.

Report Scope and Market Segmentation      

Market Definition

Infant formula ingredients are the essential components used in the production of infant formula, a substitute for breast milk designed to nourish infants who are not breastfed or require supplementation. These ingredients encompass a diverse range of nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and additives such as prebiotics and probiotics.

Infant Formula Ingredients Market Dynamics

Drivers

• Increasing Preference of Parents Promotes the Adoption of Infant Formula Ingredients

This preference stems from various factors including rising awareness about the nutritional benefits of formula feeding, changing lifestyles, and the growing number of working parents. As parents seek convenient and nutritious alternatives to breast milk, they are turning towards infant formula products fortified with essential ingredients. Moreover, advancements in ingredient technology and stringent regulatory standards ensure the safety and quality of these products, further bolstering consumer confidence.

• Growing Importance of Nutritional Content Leads to the Introduction of New Products

Baby food manufacturers such as FrieslandCampina and Arla Foods are actively launching new products that prioritize nutritional enrichment. This trend is propelled by increasing consumer awareness regarding the importance of early childhood nutrition for optimal growth and development. Incorporating a diverse range of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients into infant formula, manufacturers aim to offer comprehensive solutions that mimic the nutritional composition of breast milk. Consequently, this focus on fortified infant formula is anticipated to restrict the demand for standalone vitamin ingredients, as consumers seek all-in-one solutions that provide comprehensive nutritional support for infants.

For Instance, In May 2023, Arla Foods Ingredients launched an alpha-lactalbumin (alpha)-rich infant formula ingredient in response to the rising demand for low-protein formulations. This launch aligns with the increasing preference of parents for infant formula products that offer balanced nutrition while mitigating the risks associated with high protein intake during infancy. With studies highlighting the link between early protein consumption and long-term health implications such as obesity, Arla's innovation addresses parental concerns and supports the trend towards healthier feeding options for infants.

Opportunities

• Rising Approvals from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Instant Food Formula Ingredients

The infant formula ingredients market is witnessing a notable trend as. This regulatory green light underscores the industry's commitment to ensuring the safety and quality of infant nutrition products. With FDA approvals in place, manufacturers can confidently incorporate these ingredients into their formulations, enhancing the nutritional profile and convenience of infant formulas. This development also signals a shift towards more innovative and efficient production processes, meeting the evolving demands of consumers for convenient feeding solutions. Furthermore, FDA endorsement lends credibility to these ingredients, fostering trust among consumers and healthcare professionals asuch as.

• Rapid Economic Development offers Enhanced Nutritional Benefits

 As economies grow, consumers' purchasing power increases, leading to higher disposable incomes. This, in turn, augments the demand for premium infant nutrition products, including those fortified with high-quality ingredients. With rising affluence, parents are increasingly inclined towards products that offer enhanced nutritional benefits and align with their aspirations for their children's health and well-being. Economic growth often corresponds with improvements in healthcare infrastructure and awareness, further driving the adoption of infant formula products. Market players can capitalize on this trend by innovating and introducing products tailored to the evolving preferences and needs of consumers, thus reaching to the expanding market potential driven by rapid economic development.

Restraints/Challenges

• Strict Regulatory Constraints Limit the Introduction of New Ingredients

The industry is subject to strict regulations and standards set by government bodies and international organizations to ensure the safety, quality, and nutritional adequacy of infant formula products. Compliance with these regulations involves extensive testing, documentation, and adherence to specific manufacturing processes, adding complexity and cost to production. Any failure to meet regulatory requirements can result in fines, product recalls, or even legal consequences, damaging brand reputation and eroding consumer trust.

• Rising Safety Concerns Limits the Adoption of Infant Formula Ingredients

Despite rigorous regulatory standards and quality control measures, incidents of contamination, adulteration, or safety breaches have occurred in the past, leading to consumer apprehension and mistrust. High-profile recalls or adverse events linked to infant formula products can tarnish brand reputation and undermine consumer confidence in the safety and reliability of these products.

This infant formula ingredients market report provides details of new recent developments, trade regulations, import-export analysis, production analysis, value chain optimization, market share, impact of domestic and localized market players, analyses opportunities in terms of emerging revenue pockets, changes in market regulations, strategic market growth analysis, market size, category market growths, application niches and dominance, product approvals, product launches, geographic expansions, technological innovations in the market. To gain more info on the infant formula ingredients market contact Data Bridge Market Research for an Analyst Brief, our team will help you take an informed market decision to achieve market growth.

Impact and Current Market Scenario of Raw Material Shortage and Shipping Delays

Data Bridge Market Research offers a high-level analysis of the market and delivers information by keeping in account the impact and current market environment of raw material shortage and shipping delays. This translates into assessing strategic possibilities, creating effective action plans, and assisting businesses in making important decisions.

Apart from the standard report, we also offer in-depth analysis of the procurement level from forecasted shipping delays, distributor mapping by region, commodity analysis, production analysis, price mapping trends, sourcing, category performance analysis, supply chain risk management solutions, advanced benchmarking, and other services for procurement and strategic support.

Expected Impact of Economic Slowdown on the Pricing and Availability of Products

When economic activity slows, industries begin to suffer. The forecasted effects of the economic downturn on the pricing and accessibility of the products are taken into account in the market insight reports and intelligence services provided by DBMR. With this, our clients can typically keep one step ahead of their competitors, project their sales and revenue, and estimate their profit and loss expenditures.

Recent Developments

• In September 2021, Bunge Loders Croklaan, the Netherlands-based plant-based lipids business of Bunge, a U.S. food production company, unveiled Betapol Organic, the first certified organic OPO (Oleic-Palmitic-Oleic or SN-2 palmitate) in the Chinese and European markets. This innovative introduction marked a significant milestone in the company's commitment to offering organic solutions to meet evolving consumer preferences, particularly in infant nutrition
• In March 2020, Kraft Heinz, a global food giant, forged a collaboration with Babytree, a prominent childcare website in China, to distribute over 4,000 boxes of the company's infant nutrition to families in need. This collaborative effort, facilitated through the Shanghai Fosun Foundation, demonstrated Kraft Heinz's dedication to supporting communities during challenging times and addressing nutritional needs, especially among vulnerable populations
• In February 2020, Else Nutrition, a producer and distributor of clean ingredients and plant-based nutrition products, announced the launch of a groundbreaking 100% plant-based, organic toddler formula. This formula, developed with a proprietary blend of almonds, buckwheat, and tapioca, represented a significant advancement in offering alternative, allergen-free options for toddlers, catering to the growing demand for plant-based nutrition solutions in the market

Infant Formula Ingredients Market Scope

The infant formula ingredients market is segmented on the basis of ingredient type, form, source and application. The growth among segments helps you analyze niche pockets of growth and strategies to approach the market and determine your core application areas and the difference in your target markets.

Ingredient Type

• Carbohydrates
• Oils and Fats
• Proteins
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Prebiotics
• Others

Form

• Powder
• Liquid
• Semi-Liquid

Source

• Cow Milk
• Soy
• Protein Hydrolysates
• Others

Application

• Growing-Up Milk
• Standard Infant Formula
• Follow-On Formula
• Specialty Formula

Infant Formula Ingredients Market Regional Analysis/Insights

The infant formula ingredients market is analyses and market size, volume information is provided by country, type, form, source and application as referenced above.

The countries covered in the infant formula ingredients market report are U.S., Canada, Mexico in North America, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Denmark, Italy, U.K., France, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, Rest of Europe in Europe, Japan, China, India, South Korea, New Zealand, Vietnam, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) in Asia-Pacific (APAC), Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America as a part of South America, U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa(MEA) as a part of Middle East and Africa(MEA).

The Asia-Pacific dominates in the infant formula ingredients market and is poised to maintain its dominance in the foreseeable future. This dominance is attributed to the region's status as the largest market for infant formula ingredients. Factors such as rising disposable incomes, increasing urbanization, and growing awareness about the importance of infant nutrition drive the demand for high-quality infant formula ingredients in the region.

North America is expected to experience the highest CAGR propelled by two key factors: rapid urbanization and the burgeoning sales of infant formula ingredients. As urban centers continue to expand, there's a parallel surge in demand for convenient and nutritious infant formula products. This trend is particularly pronounced in North America, where lifestyle preferences and evolving dietary habits drive the need for high-quality infant nutrition. With these factors in play, the region is primed for robust growth in the infant formula market, reflecting positively in its CAGR.

The country section of the report also provides individual market impacting factors and changes in regulations in the market domestically that impacts the current and future trends of the market. Data points such as down-stream and upstream value chain analysis, technical trends and porter's five forces analysis, case studies are some of the pointers used to forecast the market scenario for individual countries. Also, the presence and availability of global brands and their challenges faced due to large or scarce competition from local and domestic brands, impact of domestic tariffs and trade routes are considered while providing forecast analysis of the country data.   

Competitive Landscape and Infant Formula Ingredients Market Share Analysis

The infant formula ingredients market competitive landscape provides details by competitor. Details included are company overview, company financials, revenue generated, market potential, investment in research and development, new market initiatives, global presence, production sites and facilities, production capacities, company strengths and weaknesses, product launch, product width and breadth, application dominance. The above data points provided are only related to the companies’ focus related to infant formula ingredients market.

Some of the major players operating in the infant formula ingredients market are:

• Arla Foods Ingredients Group P/S (Denmark)
• Plum PBC  (U.S.)
• The Honest Company, Inc.  (U.S.)
• AAK AB  (Sweden)
• Abbott  (U.S.)
• Carbery Food Ingredients Limited  (Ireland)
• BASF SE  (Germany)
• DSM (Netherlands)
• Glanbia PLC.  (Ireland)
• Vitablend Nederland B.V.  (Netherlands)
• Co-operative Group Limited (U.K.)
• FrieslandCampina (Netherlands)
• Lactalis Ingredients (France)
• Kerry Group plc (Ireland)
• Chr. Hansen A/S, part of Novonesis (Denmark)