Aurélie d’Hulst was quite disappointed when she tasted a bite of baby food. Why does baby food from the supermarket always taste so bland? The young mother from Brussels took inspiration from this and immediately went to work on bringing healthy, organic and especially tasty food onto the market. Taste tailored to the youngest gourmets!
Thanks to her career in the food sector, Aurélie had a wealth of knowledge and expertise. With her hungry baby in her arm, she came to two not very reassuring conclusions. First: the baby food market is almost entirely controlled by a handful of multinationals. Second: baby food almost always has a bland taste. And that’s problematic for developing a broad taste palette in children.
Research taught Aurélie that there is no good biological or scientific reason to put babies on a diet of flavourless foods. “Until the age of three, children explore their immediate environment. They are always curious, looking for new experiences, trying things out. The mouth and taste buds are very important at this stage. Therefore, it’s the ideal age to introduce kids to a variety of tastes: salty, sour, bitter, umami, etc.
A broad palette of tastes at an early age results in a stronger development of children. They benefit from this for the rest of their lives. Today’s paradox: At a young age, children are open to new tastes and experiences. Yet they’re presented with extremely neutral flavours. This is indeed a shame as this golden opportunity only lasts their first few years. From the age of three, the “food phobia” phase already begins. New tastes, textures and colours are then often categorically refused by children. The result: every attempt to introduce new flavours fails. Cooking for them becomes a real nightmare.”
With Sienna & Friends, Aurélie aims for challenging and distinct flavours for baby and toddler food. The result: a balanced range based on organic products brimming with flavour. With Sienna & Friends, children can now discover herbs, spices, sauces, jams, tapenades, soups, healthy snacks, pasta, porridge, olive oil, etc. A world of difference!
Feminizing baby food
It seems an anachronism, but the food sector has been a male bastion for decades. The same is true for baby food. Even after 50 years, the image of the classic mom/housewife remains the standard in marketing. Nowadays, however, the reality looks completely different for many families. With a different division of roles, newly formed families, and so on. Our view of food and parenting has also changed with the times. We are increasingly replacing ready-made formulas with healthy ingredients and meals with taste.
