Embarking on baby’s first foods is an anxious time for most moms. What should they know about the baby food industry before making baby’s important food decisions?
Here are 5 surprising facts about the marketing and commercialization of baby foods that all moms should know:
#1 “DOCTOR RECOMMENDED” WAS A CLEVER AD PLOY
Original baby food advertisers latched on to the rise of “expert culture” at organizations like the American Medical Association, and used this to create ad content that made health claims. For big baby food brands, “Doctor Recommended” began to mean “better for your baby”.
#2 MOM GUILT PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN MARKETING
A big trend during the first half of the 20th century was to guilt moms into buying jars of baby food by suggesting that more time spent making baby foods meant less time taking care of their husbands.
#3 THE SOLID FOODS DILEMMA
During the 1950’s, Doctors began to encourage feeding solid foods after just one month, and some doctors even pushed for solids just days after birth. Baby food marketers reaped the market rewards.
#4 MARKETING HAS HISTORICALLY CENTERED AROUND BLAND BABY FOODS
White rice cereal and bland foods were once the gold baby food standard. But it’s now known that broadening your baby’s palate is important, and spices like cinnamon, cumin, garlic, ginger and turmeric help them develop taste. The brand Fresh Bellies, for example, is the first-of-its-kind savory food for kids that uses real herbs and spices that are almost never included in baby food (think garlic), which is important for babies.
#5 SUGAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM
Since the beginning of commercial production in the early 20th century, the problem with baby food has been hidden added ingredients to make kids’ food more attractive. More recently, sugars from fruit predominate, meaning that products with less than one serving of kale can be marketed as a “healthy and organic” vegetable flavor.
About the Author:
NYU Professor Amy Bentley, author of Inventing Baby Food, and Saskia Sorrosa, Founder & CEO of Fresh Bellies.
