Leading vendors of baby formula (powder) in the U.S. 2016

This statistic presents the leading vendors of baby formula (powder) in the United States in 2016, based on dollar sales. For the 52 weeks ended January 24, 2016, Mead Johnson Nutrition and Abbott Nutrition were the key players in the baby formula segment in the United States. Mead Johnson Nutrition captured sales of about 1.53 billion U.S. dollars in that time period.

Baby formula

Baby formula is a subcategory in the baby food segment and intended for babies’ nutrition during the first months after birth. Based on recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, breast milk is seen as the ideal food for baby’s needs. For non-breastfed babies, commercial baby or infant formula is a safe and nutritious alternative or additional supplement as it is to imitate the nutritional composition of breast milk. It is available as dry powder or ready-to-drink formula.

Powdered infant formula has to be prepared before feeding the baby. Special hygiene, handling and storage directions have to be followed. Usually, a specific amount of water is mixed with the powder and then is shaken well in a bottle until mixture is ready to be served.

In the United States, the nutritional content of commercial baby formula is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Leading baby food vendors include Abbott Nutrition and Mead Johnson Nutrition. Abbott Nutrition’s core brand is named Similac. Long-term competitor Mead Johnson Nutrition owns powdered baby formula brand families such as Enfamil and Enfagrow. The company’s baby formula product portfolio ranges from products intended for babies with common feeding concerns, preterm babies and babies with special medical needs or metabolic disorders.

In general, the global baby food market is still in transition, as recent trends have shown, the expansion of companies’ product portfolio by introducing toddler foods which are suitable for toddlers aged from about twelve months to 24 or 32 months.