The Baby-cereal-foods is that enriched food which has a requisite level of nutrition. This requisite level is prescribed by various dietitians & physicians for children. Various experts fixed a definite calorific value for infant food & based on this the various mixtures or formulae of foods are developed.
Food products are derived from single grains or blends of mixed grains combined with other ingredients for flavour and nutritional fortification. Materials used by various manufacturers in addition to the grains include malt, milk powder, vegetable oil, wheat germ, sugar, cotton seed flour, tri and dicalcium phosphate, dried yeast, a form of iron such as sodium iron pyrophosphate and the vitamin B1 (thiamin), riboflavin and niacin.
The baby food market in India is witnessing rapid growth and is growing by 10-12% a year. India has the largest population of 0-4 year old in Asia. Additionally, due to the increasing number of working women, and the increasing parental concerns about nutrition have lead to its growth. Professionally-made food designed to meet the nutrition requirements of babies also address the problems of paucity of time for preparing baby food at home. As a whole it is a good project for new entrepreneurs to invest.
Few Indian major players are as under
· Continental Milkose (India) Ltd.
· Glaxosmithkline Consumer Healthcare Ltd.
· Hindustan Foods Ltd.
· Kaira District Co-Op. Milk Producers' Union Ltd.
· Narayan Agro Foods Ltd.
· Natureland Organic Foods Pvt. Ltd.
· Nestle India Ltd.