Baby food production is highly lucrative and moderately challenging. New entrants into the business have to contend with established brands with huge budgets. However small producers can leverage on local market, direct marketing.
To compete favorable production company must have sufficient startup funds, develop quality products. It is essential to invest in baby food formulation, research and development. Use established advertisement companies to drive marketing strategy.
Types of Baby Food
There are different types of baby food based on ingredients, formula and age. Baby food should be highly nutritious to aid proper growth and development of the child. Ingredients found in baby food are dairy products, vegetables, fruits and meats. The product is tested and certified by national drug and food administration.
Dairy Ingredients
Diary ingredients found in some composition are whole cow milk, cheese and yogurt. Common grains are barley, millet, pasta. Others are germ, Quinoa, flax, oatmeal, rice, buckwheat.
Dairy
- Whole cow milk
- Cheese
- Yogurt
Grains
- Barley
- Millet
- Pasta
- Germ
- Quinoa
- Flax
- Oatmeal
- Rice
- Buckwheat
Vegetables
Vegetables some manufacturers use are tomatoes, sweet potato, peas, carrot. Others add beans, eggplant, parsnips, peas, squash, cucumber, corn, turnip and broccoli.
- Tomatoes
- Sweet potato
- Peas
- Carrot
- Beans
- Eggplant
- Parsnips
- Peas
- Squash
- Cucumber
- Corn
- Turnip
- Broccoli
Fruits
Fruits are blueberries, bananas, avocado include apples, apricot, cantaloupe and mango. More are kiwi, pumpkin, prunes, plums, peaches, papaya, grapes, citrus, and cranberries.
- Blueberries
- Bananas
- Avocado
- Apples
- Apricot
- Cantaloupe
- Mango
- Kiwi
- Pumpkin
- Prunes
- Plums
- Peaches
- Papaya
- Grapes
- Citrus
- Cranberries
Steps to Start Baby Food Manufacturing
Steps to start baby food production involves cost of equipment, research, marketing and labor. Others are utility bills, transportation, and purchase raw material. Study zoning formula, state and federal laws guiding the industry.
There are also waste disposal provisions, health and safety. Don’t forget to write a business plan, study the competition, branding, cost of production. Other things to consider is funding, type of baby for to produce.
Steps
- Write a baby food production business plan
- Carry out a feasibility study
- Survey
- Study competition
- Estimate cost of equipment
- Conduct research
- Device a marketing strategy
- Cost of production
- Funding
- Find good location
- Register the business
- Labor costs
- Utility bills
- Transportation
- Purchase raw material
- Study zoning formula
- Study state and federal laws
- Waste disposal provisions
- Follow health and safety
- Branding
Write a Business Plan
Carry out a feasibility study then write a business plan. The plan should cover profit/loss, location, product development and marketing. Focus on funding, equipment, licensing and certification.
Learn the Trade
Skills to acquire are knowledge of baby nutrition, raw materials, blending. The entrepreneur needs accounting knowledge, management skill and marketing. Ways to learn includes apprentice programs, vocational institutions, tutorials. Acquire knowledge through books, online resources, blogs, websites, practical training.
- knowledge of baby nutrition
- accounting knowledge
- management skill
- marketing
- apprentice programs
- vocational institutions
- online resources
- blogs
- websites
- practical training
Funding Baby food Manufacturing Business
Amount of funding depends on the size and scope of the enterprise. Fund the business through private savings, find a partner or seek loans from friends and family. Other sources are commercial bank loans, corporative, angel investors, venture capitalists, crowd funding.
To access bank loans request for long term low interest loan. Provisions include opening an account in the bank, some percentage of fund, collateral and guarantors.
Funding
- Private savings
- Find a partner
- Seek loans from friends and family
- Commercial bank loans
- Corporative
- angel investors
- Venture capitalists
- Crowd funding
Baby Food Business Location
It is important finding a good location, things to consider are utility cost, transportation, closeness to raw material or customer base. Rent a warehouse to accommodate the factory equipment with storage area for raw materials. Make sure the factory area is clean hygienic to pass any health and safety inspection.
Licensing
The manufacturing company should have a license, permit to produce baby food. The product should have a national food and drug number. It would be tested and certified safe for baby consumption.
Appropriate packaging, labeling with ingredients legible and properly printed on the package. Register the business as a limited liability company, get tax identification number.
- Company license, permit to produce
- National Food and Drug number
- Product certified safe
- Use appropriate packaging
- Labeling
- Register the business
- Tax identification number
Marketing
Quality products appropriate pricing good marketing will sell the product. Sell directly to wholesalers and retailers. Use television advertisement, radio, print media. Print billboards, flyer, business cards. Use discounts, promotional, online advertisement, social media.
- Use television advertisement
- Radio
- Discounts
- Promotional
- Online advertisement
- Social media
Baby Food Production Equipment
Purchase equipment available for industrial baby food production. Safe sanitary equipment either locally manufactured or imported will suffice. Large producers use automated food processing equipment that require strict compliance with hygiene and safety requirements.
Equipment are industrial food processor, steamer, immersion blender and bowls. Others are breakfast cereal instant baby powder equipment, automatic extrusion.
- industrial food processor
- steamer
- immersion blender
- bowls
- breakfast cereal instant baby powder equipment
- automatic extrusion
How to Produce Baby Food
First step is to select ingredients for the formulation. Make sure the ingredients are fresh, organic, balanced and nutritious. Use a professional food mixers to formulate the food.
Make sure the food is appropriate to the age range, older children from 4 years can manage solids. Ingredients should go through washing, peeling, cutting, steaming use a food processor to puree the food blending. Package in glass jar with tamper proof lid and refrigerate.
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