A surreal seesaw balancing baby food and the earth.

Baby Food Dilemma: Are Ready-Made Porridges Really Worth It?

Soraya Malik in Climate & Environment August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Uncover the surprising environmental impact of your baby's breakfast choice and learn how to make sustainable swaps."

As parents, we're constantly seeking the best for our children, and that often begins with nutrition. In today's fast-paced world, ready-made baby food products, particularly porridges, have become a staple for many families. They offer convenience and the promise of balanced nutrition, but have you ever stopped to consider the environmental impact of these choices? While the nutritional value is paramount, it’s becoming increasingly clear that sustainability needs to be part of the equation too.

The environmental footprint of the food industry is substantial, and baby food is no exception. Every stage, from the sourcing of raw materials to the manufacturing, packaging, and transportation of the final product, contributes to this footprint. Understanding these impacts can empower parents to make informed decisions that not only benefit their children's health but also protect the planet for future generations.

This article dives deep into a recent study analyzing the life cycle environmental impacts of both dry and wet ready-made baby porridges. We’ll explore the key findings, uncover surprising truths about which option is more eco-friendly, and provide practical tips and swaps you can implement today to reduce your baby's environmental footprint. Let’s embark on this journey to make breakfast time a little greener, one spoonful at a time.

Dry vs. Wet: Unpacking the Environmental Impact of Baby Porridge

A surreal seesaw balancing baby food and the earth.

The study meticulously compared the environmental impact of dry and wet ready-made baby porridges across their entire life cycles. This included everything from growing the ingredients (like oats and rice) to manufacturing, packaging, transportation, retail, usage, and disposal. The results revealed a significant disparity between the two options, with wet porridges generally having a larger environmental footprint.

The key culprit behind the wet porridge's higher impact was the energy-intensive manufacturing process and the packaging. Wet porridges require more energy to produce and are often packaged in glass jars, which, while recyclable, have a substantial impact due to their weight and the energy required for their production and transportation. On the other hand, dry porridges, while seemingly the greener choice, have their own issues. The main concern here lies in the raw materials, particularly the milk powder used in the formulation.

Global Warming Potential (GWP): Wet porridge clocks in at 2.6 times higher GWP than dry porridge, primarily due to manufacturing and packaging.
Abiotic Depletion Potential: A whopping 23 times higher for wet porridge, mainly due to the glass jar and aluminum lid.
Ecotoxicity Potentials: Wet porridge shows significantly higher freshwater and marine aquatic ecotoxicity.

These findings may seem alarming, but they also present an opportunity. By understanding the specific hotspots in each product's life cycle, we can identify areas for improvement and make more sustainable choices.

Making Greener Choices: Practical Swaps and Sustainable Habits

The journey to a more sustainable lifestyle isn't about perfection; it's about making informed choices and embracing small changes that collectively make a big difference. By understanding the environmental impact of your baby's food choices and implementing some of these swaps, you can contribute to a healthier planet while still providing the best for your little one.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.12.009, Alternate LINK

Title: Environmental Impacts Of Baby Food: Ready-Made Porridge Products

Subject: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Journal: Journal of Cleaner Production

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Authors: Natalia Sieti, Ximena C. Schmidt Rivera, Laurence Stamford, Adisa Azapagic

Published: 2019-03-01

Everything You Need To Know

What specific environmental factors were compared between dry and wet ready-made baby porridges in the study?

The study compared the environmental impact of dry and wet ready-made baby porridges across their entire life cycles. This included the stages of growing the ingredients, manufacturing, packaging, transportation, retail, usage, and disposal. It specifically assessed the Global Warming Potential (GWP), Abiotic Depletion Potential, and Ecotoxicity Potentials (freshwater and marine aquatic) to determine the impact of each type of porridge.

Why do wet ready-made baby porridges generally have a larger environmental footprint compared to dry porridges?

Wet porridges have a larger environmental footprint primarily because of their energy-intensive manufacturing process and packaging. The production of wet porridges requires more energy, and they are often packaged in glass jars. While glass is recyclable, its weight and the energy needed for its production and transportation significantly increase the environmental impact. These factors contribute to the higher Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Abiotic Depletion Potential observed in the study.

What are the main environmental concerns associated with dry ready-made baby porridges, and how do they differ from those of wet porridges?

While wet porridges' main environmental impact comes from manufacturing and packaging, the primary concern with dry porridges lies in the raw materials used in their formulation, particularly the milk powder. The production of milk powder itself has a considerable environmental footprint due to the resources required for dairy farming. In contrast, the study indicates that wet porridges have higher Global Warming Potential (GWP), a significantly higher Abiotic Depletion Potential, and greater ecotoxicity potentials compared to dry porridges.

What specific environmental impacts did the study reveal when comparing wet and dry porridges, and what do these mean practically?

The study showed that wet porridge has 2.6 times higher Global Warming Potential (GWP) than dry porridge, mainly due to manufacturing and packaging. Wet porridge also has a whopping 23 times higher Abiotic Depletion Potential, primarily because of the glass jar and aluminum lid used for packaging. Furthermore, it displays significantly higher freshwater and marine aquatic ecotoxicity. Practically, this means that choosing wet porridge contributes more to climate change, resource depletion, and pollution of aquatic ecosystems compared to dry porridge.

How can parents make more sustainable choices when selecting baby porridges, considering the study's findings?

Based on the study's findings, parents can make more sustainable choices by understanding the environmental impact of wet and dry porridges. Opting for dry porridges may be a greener choice considering the packaging impact of wet porridges, but parents should also consider the source and sustainability of the milk powder used in dry porridges. They can look for brands that prioritize eco-friendly packaging, sustainable sourcing of ingredients, and practices that minimize their environmental footprint. It's about making informed decisions and embracing small changes that collectively contribute to a healthier planet.