• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, April 9, 2013

Beech-Nut Nutrition and Goya Foods, Inc. have partnered to launch a new line of “authentic, Hispanic-flavored” baby foods.

The introduction of Beech-Nut Goya Baby Food, which comes in 22 flavors (and includes formulations for three developmental stages), reflects the stats: One-fourth of all births in America today are to Hispanics, and Hispanic families (which are on average larger than non-Hispanic families) purchase 15% more baby food than non-Hispanics, according to the companies. 

Companies hoping to grow their businesses “must take [Hispanic families’] tastes into account,” summed up Beech-Nut President Jeff Boutelle.

The new line, offering natural ingredients and no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives (positioned as “as close to home-made as possible”), is designed to bridge “Hispanic mothers’ desire for healthy, traditional baby food with their need for convenience and nutrition in today’s hectic world,” added Goya Foods President Bob Unanue.

A study done for Beech-Nut confirmed that desire, with two-thirds of Hispanic mothers saying they are not satisfied with currently available baby food choices, and that they wish there were more appropriate flavors from which to choose.

The companies will engage in dual sales efforts, with Beech-Nut handling sales to major U.S. supermarket chains and Goya working more closely with independent grocers and in high-density Hispanic markets, reports Hispanic Market Weekly.

The new line, expected to be available in stores throughout the U.S. by the end of June, includes wheat, corn, oatmeal/bananas and rice/mango cereals, beef and chicken with broth, and “stage 2” jarred baby food in flavors such as guava, mango, apple mango, peach mango and banana strawberry, plus vegetable offerings such as a medley with sweet potato, carrots and squash. A higher stage, with more texture, includes flavors such as banana/apple/plum, pear/apricot and rice pudding with raisins.

Beech-Nut Nutrition is held by Hero Group, a family-owned food company headquartered in Lenzburg, Switzerland. Hero is a leader in the infant nutrition category, with operations in more than 30 countries in Europe, North America, Middle East/Africa and Turkey/Central Asia. Goya, the largest Hispanic-owned U.S. food company, manufactures and distributes more than 2,200 food and condiments products from the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America.