Infant milk formula is produced to replace mother milk. They are diary, concentrate or vegetable based. The production process involves numerous ingredients, blending and heating process. Manufacturers are mandated to register and obtain certification from relevant agencies before production. The product is subjected to quality control, health and safety laws.
Types of infant formula
Types of formula are based on the ingredients and age grade. Common types are milk, animal or vegetable fat, non-milk based. Milk products are derived from cows, vegetable soybeans, non-milk based are from liquid or powder concentrates.
- Milk based
- Vegetable based
- Non-milk based
Learn the Trade
An entrepreneur needs to obtain training on infant formulation, food regulations and technical services. Others are marketing, equipment, staff, transportation and legal requirements. More considerations are company location, state and federal legislation.
- obtain training on infant formulation
- food regulations
- technical services
- marketing
- equipment
- staff, transportation
- legal requirements
- company location
- state and federal legislation
Location
Select a location close to source of raw materials. Another good strategy is to locate near customer base. The location should have adequate security, utilities, good road network. You need provisions for warehousing and transportation of finished product.
Staff
Hire only qualified personnel with cognate experience. Staff are factory workers, receptionist, drivers, security guards, manager.
- factory workers
- receptionist
- drivers
- security guards
- manager
Licensing and Certification
An infant formula Manufacture needs to obtain registration certification and license. The product should have a label and registration number. Register the business as a limited liability company and obtain tax identification number. There are safety standards including raw material quality provisions.
Infant Formula Production Licensing
To obtain an infant formula manufacturing license you need applicant qualification. The producer should show capacity to produce the powder product. The producer is required to have manufacturer registration, accreditation and certification. The registration and certification is provided by the authorized accreditation agency of the country.
- obtain manufacturing license
- applicant qualification
- show capacity to produce
- manufacturer registration
- accreditation and certification
Registration Qualification
There are nine kinds of formula and three series namely series 1, 2 and 3. Each series has significant difference in the formulation of each stage. You need the formula license and formula registration before producing the product. This provision is mandatory for manufacturers and importers and subsidiaries.
Dossier Considerations
Things to consider are obtaining an application form, raw material quality including safety standards. Others are production process description, production formula and production formula report. You need extensive product testing with evidence of production capacity. Finally obtain related certificates, specifications and labeling.
Dossier
- Obtaining an application form
- raw material quality
- safety standards
- production process description
- production formula
- production formula report
- extensive product testing
- evidence of production capacity
- obtain related certificates
- specifications and labeling
Registration Procedure
The registration procedure starts with the feasibility analysis then a sample test. The next stage is a dossier preparation before submitting an application. This is followed by an accredited agency technical review. They will then conduct an on-site sampling and inspection before registration approval.
Infant Formula Registration Procedure
- feasibility analysis
- product sample testing
- dossier preparation
- application submission
- agency technical review
- on-site
- sampling
- inspection of factory
- registration approval
Safety Laws, Standards and Regulations
| Administrative | Product Formula Registration |
| Dossier Requirements | Infant Formula Registration |
| Technical Guidelines | Labelling |
| Onsite | Inspection of factory |
| Product testing | Sampling |
| registration | Approval/rejection |
Testing
Testing covers industry regulations, laws, 3 batches testing before the finished product.
Equipment
Equipment needed for infant milk production are stainless steel tanks, industrial mixer, and heater. Other are pasteurization equipment, homogenization mixing equipment standardization equipment, labeling and packaging.
- stainless steel tanks
- industrial mixer
- heater
- pasteurization equipment
- homogenization mixing equipment
- standardization equipment
- labeling
- packaging
Raw Materials
Raw materials used in production are fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Others are vitamins emulsifier’s minerals, diluents. Common minerals magnesium, sulfur, zinc, chloride, potassium, calcium, phosphate, sodium.
Vitamins are vitamin C, D, A, B12, More are folcan, riboflavin, thiamine, pantothenate, niacin. A good diluent is skim milk, protein sources are soybeans, protein concentrates. To reduce separation of water soluble components and oil emulsifiers like gum or starches are added.
Infant Formula Manufacturing Process
The manufacturing process depends on the type of formula produced. Two basic compositions are liquid milk based formula or powder.
Milk based Formula
Milk based for formula goes through mixing, pasteurization, homogenization, standardization and packaging and sterilization.
Mixing
Prepare a stainless steel tanks and add ingredients then blend then introduce skim milk and adjust to 60 C. then add emulsifiers, fats, oil mix and heat appropriately to desired consistency. Introduce stabilizing gum, minierals and vitamis for a rich nutitous blend. Once mixing, heating is completed to required specification it is stored moved to pasteurization equipment.
Pasturization Process
Pasteurization eliminates molds, bacteria or yeast from the product. Undercontrolled environment the mix is cooled and heated to destroy micro-organisms at a 86-94 C for 30 seconds.
Homogenization Process
Homogenization is a process iused to reduce fats and oil particules in the formula. The process sucessfuly provides stability while increasing emulsion uniformity. The process of mixing reduces oil and fat particules into droplets.
Standardization
Standardization ensures key elements like minerals, viitamis PH level and fat are correct. Insufficient levels require reworking unitil appropriate levels is achieved.
Packaging
Packaging depends on the type of material preferred by the manufacturer. Common packaging is metal cans, box or nylon bag packaging. The oproduct packaging should have secure tamperproof lid or seal.
Sterilization
Heat treatment or sterilization is used to maintan products bacteriologic properties. The process involves high temperature treatment.
Quality Control, Pricing
The pricing should competitive and similar to other products in the market. Make sure you put inplace proper quality control measures.
Marketing
The value chain is manufacturer-wholesaler-distributors-retaier. the manufacturer needs capable distributors with financial means with adequate transportation and warehousing. the baby milk industry is highly competitive so effective maketing is esential to sucesss. use television advertisement, radio, print and online advertisement. make sure the product is high quality with federal or sate certification.
How to Start Baby Food Production
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 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.
