Data-driven infant nutrition: Safe, authentic baby formula as a connected product

Explore Nine Reasons to Connect and Embrace Data for Infant Formula Brands

Baby formula, and infant nutrition more broadly, hits the headlines more often than it should. With challenges ranging from supply chain disruptions and shortages on shelves to contamination scares and even death, infant formula continues to be in the news. As many parents all over the world turn to infant formula to feed their babies, securing a safe, authentic baby formula supply is a top concern. Traceability technology has reached a level of sophistication that means infant formula can – and should – be safer and more trustworthy than ever. It’s possible, with baby formula as a connected product, to safeguard safety and authenticity. Why aren’t more brands taking advantage of making baby formula a connected product?

How can traceability and the data it generates contribute to safe, authentic baby formula? As a connected product, of course.

What can baby formula as a connected product deliver?

Traceability is the ability to track and trace the journey of a product from its origin to its destination. This means that each stop or event along the full product journey is captured as a data point through traceability. And traceability kicks into gear once a product gets a unique digital ID and starts moving through the world.

For infant formula, this step-by-step approach to the formula’s entire journey – from ingredient sourcing to manufacturing/production, from packaging to distribution and storage – can generate not only trust but insight and engagement opportunities for brands.

Gaining visibility into baby formula’s journey

Gaining visibility into this full set of data is just the beginning. Data not only helps establish the needed transparency but also makes a number of critical trust-building activities possible, e.g., ensuring safety and authenticity:

• Quality control: Traceability lets manufacturers maintain granular control over the sourcing and quality of ingredients used in infant formula. Tracking and documenting the origin and characteristics of each ingredient mitigates the risk of contamination or adulteration. 
• Production and processing insights: Infant formula manufacturers can gain real-time data collection and analysis through traceability. While helping to ensure adherence to quality standards, traceability systems can also detect deviations from prescribed parameters, minimizing error rates, cross-contamination, or adulteration during production, resulting in safer products.
• Distribution and storage data: With unique digital IDs, it’s possible to really understand what is happening to your products and take appropriate action. For example, with unique digital IDs, it is possible to do targeted but large-scale product recalls. Unique digital IDs also allow for close monitoring, which means in the case of formula, that a product’s temperature, humidity, journey time, etc. can be traced to verify that the formula remains safe and effective until reaching the consumer. 
• Comply or say goodbye: Traceability has a number of good use cases, but chief among them is regulatory compliance. Manufacturers face regulatory guidelines, laws and restrictions, and traceability provides a complete record of the product’s life.