March 9, 2025 – Parents choose infant formula foods to ensure their babies/children receive vital nutrients essential for healthy growth and development. By providing key components like proteins, fats, and vitamins, infant formula serves as a trusted option for parents across Europe. Innova’s 360 research into infant formula market highlights the trends, consumer preferences, and future innovation opportunities that ensure superior nutrition for children.
Infant Formula Trends
Europe enforces strict regulations on infant formula, setting high standards for product quality. It includes authorities prohibiting health claims related to breastfeeding to protect its promotion and requires manufacturers to report product safety evaluations.
Brands align with these regulatory norms when launching products. For example, Nutriben offers a stage 1 milk formula for infants from birth, ensuring compliance with Europe’s rigorous quality and safety requirements. Its formula limits heavy metals, mycotoxins, chemical contaminants, pesticide residues, as well as no coloring additives and no sweeteners. Another brand, Aptamil Pre Bio, uses high-quality organic ingredients in infant milk powder formulation, earning EU organic certification. This transparency aligns with regulations and allows brands to gain consumer trust and position themselves as responsible and credible in the market. This heightened focus on high-quality ingredients aligns with Innova’s “Ingredients and Beyond” food trend, which emphasizes product differentiation through ingredient quality.
Formats and Labelling Trends
Manufacturers tailor infant formula to meet babies’ nutritional needs at every stage, offering various formats, such as powder, milk tabs, and liquid. These products come in metal tins, cartons, or other convenient packaging, making on-the-go feeding easier.
Brands that prioritize clear and informative labeling further strengthen consumer trust. Providing detailed instructions on preparation, sterilization, and age-specific nutrition helps enhance brand loyalty and drive long-term success.
Precision and Wellness Trend
Immunity is the top concern for 60% of parents towards their infant’s health. To address this, brands incorporate bioactive components into their formulations, catering to babies who cannot be breastfed. Many companies are launching targeted nutrition products, including calcium, vitamin D, iron, and iodine, which support infant’s bone health and cognitive development. This aligns with Innova’s top food trend “Precision Wellness,” which highlights that information culture is challenging brands to meet targeted nutritional needs at any life stage.
Growth of technologies allows brands to mimic an infant’s stomach and intestinal conditions, leading to the formulation of science-backed digestive solutions. Additionally, brands are developing products with rich sources of protein and fiber with no added sugars, appealing to health-conscious parents seeking better-for-you-options. Also, rising transparency demands have led to greater acceptance of goat milk-based infant formula in Europe. Kabrita Premium A2 Goat Milk Formula is one example, offering a protein profile enriched with various fatty acids and lipids.
Category Performance
In Europe, the infant formula subcategory ranks fourth in baby and toddler launches. France, Germany, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, and Poland are the top 5 countries in this subcategory with launches over the past five years.
Nestlé leads subcategory launches, followed by Holle Baby Food, Nutricia, HiPP, and Kendal Nutricare. Together, these brands account for 69% of total launches in the infant formula market in Europe over the past year.
Key product positioning claims include DHA, palm oil free, immune health, omega-3, and baby formula for infants 6-12 months. Other notable claims include bone health, source of protein, brain health, probiotic, and energy. Infant formula launches prominently with vanilla flavor, followed by milk chocolate, banana, green apple, and strawberry.
What’s Next in Infant Formula Trends?
Infant formula trends are evolving in response to both consumer preferences and technological advancements. While maintaining a balanced nutrient profile and ensuring affordability remain crucial, brands are seeking innovative ways to meet growing demands for sustainability and customization.
High-OPO structured lipids can enhance nutrient absorption and support infant digestion. These innovations could appeal to parents looking for nutritionally optimized formulas. Preventing oxidation through natural additives can protect nutrient integrity and prolong shelf life, offering a key advantage in product quality and reliability. The shift toward plant-based diets presents an opportunity for formulas derived from oats, coconut, or other alternatives. This move can satisfy parents seeking dairy-free, sustainable nutrition for their infants. Using renewable resources and adopting environmentally conscious production methods can resonate with eco-aware consumers, aligning with their values while enhancing brand credibility.
Brands with nutrient profiles that foster healthy growth and early development are likely to build trust among parents and respond to market demands for effective and reliable nutrition.
This article is based on Innova’s Overview in Infant Formula in Europe report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
