Rational Parents: Why Baby Food Sales Are Growing

Quality control is carried out at all stages of production. After unloading the raw materials, the first step is the initial washing, then a brush machine is used to clean the fruit from “dots” and damage, and then the final rinsing takes place. Even the water, despite the fact that it is extracted from a well, goes through several stages of processing - hardness salts are removed, it is passed through a carbon filter, and disinfected with ultraviolet light.

After this, employees manually check the fruit and remove unsuitable ones. Then the apple enters a closed system, where it is crushed, the stalks are removed, and the mass is passed through a sieve. The puree is sent for sterilization, after which aseptic bottling is carried out. Already at this stage, the shelf life of the product reaches two years.

Considering that small children often have allergies, the production of products containing potential allergens is strictly separated. Products with milk additives are not prepared on the same days as fruit purees. Tools and inventory are also clearly delineated to prevent allergens from entering the products.

High requirements are also imposed on packaging. The tightness of the packaging is checked on specialized equipment. Several copies are randomly selected from each batch of pouches and tested in a special apparatus under pressure.

A study by the Romir holding company showed that the main values ​​for Russians in this product group are “safety, family traditions, and reliability,” while Russian brands are associated with “kindness and simplicity.” Baby food manufacturers themselves emphasize the environmental friendliness of their products in every possible way, even in comparison with the food that a mother can prepare for her child at home. “A mother will buy an apple — Iranian or Turkish. No one knows how many pesticides and nitrates it contains. And a zucchini from the garden has about 3 thousand mg/kg of nitrates, while 200 mg/kg is allowed,” says Alexander Galkin, executive director of Fruktis LLC. According to him, the Fruktis plant, launched in 2019 in Kuban, is currently the largest site in Russia and throughout Eastern Europe. Here, about 150 thousand tons of apples, pumpkins, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and other vegetables and fruits are processed annually — everything that is used in complementary feeding of children starting from the age of three months. Raw materials for purees, juices, smoothies are supplied by the enterprise's own farms in Stavropol and its partners in Krasnodar Krai, where half of the total volume of apples comes from.

According to the manager of Fruktis, raw materials are checked for the presence of 400 different pesticides. "We control these indicators in the fields. Only a farm that passes all safety checks can supply us with its products for processing," adds Alexander. There are also imported items — primarily mangoes and bananas. "We validate all suppliers — about 20 audits per year, we undergo an audit for food safety according to the FSSC 22000 system," he emphasizes.

One of the company's key partners is the Pyaterochka retail chain, for which lactose-free fruit and vegetable puree under the exclusive trademark (ETM) Honey Kid is produced in the Krasnodar Territory.

"This product line is developed completely without sugar and gluten. There is a separate plan for the production of puree that does not contain allergens, which is carried out on specially designated days. Even the inventory is color-coded to eliminate the risk of irritants getting to small consumers. Allergen residues are monitored using test strips, and the products are additionally tested in the laboratory," said Alexander Galkin.

According to the retailer, ETM occupies a significant share among baby food on store shelves. In 2024, demand for products increased by 89% compared to the same period last year.

Every month, the plant supplies about 700 thousand packages of baby food to the Pyaterochka chain stores across the country. The range is still small - pouches with three flavors, glass jars with six flavors, four types of milk porridge and three types of juice. But the brand plans to expand the line. In the near future, cottage cheese, yogurt, meat puree and much more will appear on the shelves of the chain.

In addition, consumers can also take part in the development of new products or the adjustment of existing items.

"If a mother notices that a child refuses to eat a certain product, then she can write a review about it. We closely monitor customer comments and, if necessary, can contact the manufacturer to improve the recipe," says Anna Gorbatova. According to her, the chain also works directly with children, studying their tastes. For example, the retailer's analysts found out that the most popular product among young buyers is raspberry puree, and today the issue of increasing its production volumes is being decided.