U.S. Kids’ Food and Beverage Sales to Exceed $26.8 Billion by 2011

New York, October 14, 2006 — Food and beverages specifically targeted to the 35.8 million kids aged 3 to 11 are expected to jump from $15.1 billion in 2006 to reach more than $26.8 billion in 2011, according to Kids’ Food and Beverages, the latest market research from Packaged Facts.

Packaged Facts attributes this phenomenal market growth to many factors, not least of which is an increased awareness of nutrition and health, coupled with recurring parental and governmental concerns about childhood obesity. As demand for more healthy—including natural and organic—products continues to increase, manufacturers and marketers are actively meeting the need through product innovation and “health-aware” advertising aimed at kids.

Reaching this demographic, however, poses many challenges. What was considered kids’ fare 10 years ago may no longer make the cut. Macaroni and cheese is no longer classified as a “kid food,” unless the noodles are shaped like cartoon characters or the formula is enhanced with “kid nutrition.” Simply put, to qualify as kids’ food and beverages, products must appeal specifically to kids and not contain enough appeal to register with adults.

“Marketers have the unique challenge of balancing fun food formats, ‘wow’ packaging, and continuously changing variety, with parent-friendly fare that’s high in nutrition, convenient, and easy to prepare,” notes Don Montuori, the publisher of Packaged Facts. “Creating a connection and building a brand relationship is far more difficult with today’s multicultural, media and technology saturated kids than it was even a decade ago.”

A comprehensive demographic and product analysis, Kids’ Food and Beverages provides a complete look at projected growth in each of 11 categories, including cereal, lunch kits, frozen desserts, snack foods, and dairy, among others. The report examines new product trends, offers competitive profiles of industry leaders along with successful marketing strategies and strategic insights, and looks at consumer trends and behaviors of both kids and parents. Priced at $3,000, this report can be purchased directly from Packaged Facts by visiting: http://www.packagedfacts.com/pub/1217340.html. It is also available at MarketResearch.com.

About Packaged Facts
Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer industries, including consumer goods and retailing, food and beverage, and demographics. For more information visit www.PackagedFacts.com, or contact Tom Ehart at 240.747.3014, or tehart@marketresearch.com.