Kids, over-40 crowd drive growth

More than two-thirds of moms who participated in a recent Abbott Nutrition survey revealed they have a picky eater, and 9-out-of-10 of these moms indicated they are unsuccessful at getting their picky eater to eat healthy and nutritious foods every day. To aid moms in their pursuit of healthy eating habits and restore order to the dinner table, Abbott earlier this year launched the PediaSure Mom Brigade, a team of real mom experts with experience in children’s health and nutrition.

Good-for-you snack items for kids certainly are important to moms, as evidenced by the more than $117 million in revenue that the PediaSure brand generated in the past year, representing 17% dollar growth for the 52 weeks ended Sept. 4, according to SymphonyIRI Group across food, drug and mass (excluding Walmart).

The PediaSure Mom Brigade is designed to connect with moms, and provide tips and expert advice to help them ensure that, even with picky eaters, they are feeding their children’s potential throughout the year.

Like children’s nutrition, adult nutritional shake items also are in demand, and that heightened interest ought to continue building the category in the coming year. Abbott has been targeting the increased protein needs associated with the over-40 crowd. Clinical research showed that beginning around age 40, people can start to lose 8% of muscle mass per decade, which can lead to loss of strength and mobility.

“There are approximately 140 million Americans currently over the age of 40, ... which represents a significant opportunity for our Ensure product line,” John Thomas, Abbott VP investor relations and public affairs, told analysts earlier this year.