Malaysian baby food market could be target for plant-based food makers: report

This is due to the increasing population of the country.

As Malaysia’s population grows, the country’s baby food markets could be a target for plant-based product manufacturers in their expansion, according to a report by GlobalData.

Malaysia is a “promising market” for baby care and childcare products, especially baby food as the country's population expands, seeing over 492,000 births in 2022, unlike China and Japan, said Tim Hill, Key Account Director at GlobalData Singapore.

“Consumer spending on such products is on the rise as parents value quality over price. This is validated by GlobalData’s 2023 consumer survey, wherein 32% of Malaysian respondents connote high-quality products/ingredients with good value for baby care and childcare products, compared to 28% who said the same for low-price/cheap products.” Hill said.

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Hill added that several plant-based baby food brands such as Miwako and Smile Organic are available in the country, noting that Australia-based Sprout Organic announced in early 2023 that it will launch its plat-based infant formula and snacks for toddlers in the market.

Bobby Verghese, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, also said that consumers are becoming concerned about the presence of residual pesticides, antibiotics, and growth hormones from livestock farms in children’s food and snack in baby foods.

Parents are also concerned about the presence of allergens in baby food due to the high prevalence of lactose allergy.

“A growing number of young Malaysians are adopting vegetarian, vegan, and flexitarian lifestyles for health or environmental/ethical concerns, and want products that align with their diets for their children. This is spurring demand for plant-based milk formula and snacks for toddlers,” Verghese said.