Apr 1, 2009 12:00 PM

• FREE-FROM PRODUCTS: One big trend is that companies are reformulating products to eliminate artificial colors and flavors and high-fructose corn syrup. For example, in North America, Danone has removed artificial colors and high-fructose corn syrup from its yogurts, including its Danimals brand.

• NATURAL VS. ORGANIC: Labeling a product as ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ automatically communicates a ‘free-from’ message. Organic products represent a larger piece of the healthy kids' market; however, the economy is motivating some manufacturers — including Snikiddy, which makes cookies and snack chips for kids — to move from organic to natural with their product offerings.

• GLUTEN/ALLERGEN FREE: As research builds on the potential health benefits of a gluten-free diet for kids, and as more children are diagnosed with nut and other food allergies, the number of allergen-free kids' foods is continuing to rise. Ian's, for example, said it plans to grow the number of gluten-free products it makes for kids. Can Do Kids recently reformulated its children's energy bars to be gluten free, and Nature's Path has added several gluten-free cereals and other products to its EnviroKidz brand.

• WHOLE GRAINS: The U.S. government advised in its 2005 Dietary Guidelines that people should consume more whole grains. Since then, the number of kids' products touting whole grains and added fiber has skyrocketed. In 2008, Froose launched a new kids' beverage that combines organic whole fruits with organic brown rice and other whole grains, while Kellogg Co. rolled out a new cereal product called Frosted Flakes Gold, which boasts 10 grams of whole grains per serving.

• LOWER-SUGAR FOODS AND BEVERAGES: As children's waistlines have ballooned, the sugar content of many kids' products has taken a nose dive in recent years. Honest Tea's Honest Kids pouch juices contain less than half the sugar of most kids' juice beverages, while Stonyfield Farm now makes a YoKids 25% Less Sugar yogurt.

• VEGGIE HIDE AND SEEK: Mom marketing expert Maria Bailey says figuring out how to get their kids to eat more vegetables is one of the main food concerns for mothers. Full Tank Foods, HappyFamily and even Frito Lay, with its new Flat Earth veggie crisps, are addressing this issue by creating food products that include the nutrition of vegetables without their outward appearance or taste.

• FUNCTIONAL 2.0: Kids' functional food products are increasingly moving beyond the standard vitamin and mineral fortification to include newer, science-backed ingredients, such as DHA and probiotics. Martek earned generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status for its life'sDHA ingredient in 2001, and since then the company has penetrated nearly 100% of the U.S. infant formula market. Life'sDHA also can be found in a growing array of baby, toddler and kids foods. “Companies have a choice in what ingredients to add to their products, and DHA is seeing an explosion of interest because of its proven [eye, brain and heart] benefits,” said Jeff Bernfeld, Martek's executive director of sales.

• NEXT-GENERATION PACKAGING: Revolution Foods and Danone are two companies using innovative, interactive packaging to engage kids. Revolution Foods' fruit Mashups feature squeezable organic fruit puree in a form that is perfect for a child's lunchbox. Danone's Danimals yogurts now come in “crush cups,” which enable a child to “crush, slurp, and enjoy,” according to the company's Website.

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