We can do better.<\/strong><\/p>\n SYDNEY, Aug. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)<\/a> — Odi<\/u><\/a> is taking aim at a category it says has too often prioritised sweetness and convenience over the nutritional needs of growing children.<\/p>\n For too long, Australian parents have been sold baby food under the banner of \u201chealthy\u201d, \u201cnatural\u201d and \u201cnutritious\u201d, while many baby-food options remain dominated by sweet fruit pur\u00e9es, low nutritional diversity and added synthetic nutrients.<\/p>\n Odi\u2019s<\/u><\/a> launch comes amid increasing scrutiny of commercial foods marketed to babies and young children, with Australian Government research<\/u><\/a> finding commercial infant\u00a0foods may be a major contributor of sugar to children\u2019s diets, while national infant-feeding guidelines recommend first foods be iron-rich.<\/p>\n It is a problem clinical nutritionist, nurse and mother of four Gina Urlich knows well. Urlich founded Odi<\/u><\/a> after becoming frustrated by the gap between what parents reasonably assume children\u2019s food provides and what many products actually deliver.<\/p>\n \u201cParents should be able to pick up a product made for their baby or child and trust that it has been formulated around what growing bodies actually need,<\/em>\u201d said Urlich.<\/p>\n \u201cBut \u2018healthy\u2019 doesn\u2019t necessarily mean nutritionally balanced. A product can be organic, natural or made predominantly from fruit and still not provide meaningful amounts of nutrients such as iron, protein, iodine or omega-3.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cParents are incredibly time-poor. Convenience isn\u2019t the problem – families need convenient options. The question is whether we can make convenience genuinely nutritious.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The issue is particularly important during early childhood, when nutritional requirements are high and eating habits are beginning to form.<\/p>\n While fruit naturally has a place in a balanced diet, commercial children\u2019s foods can be heavily fruit-based and consequently very sweet. Some children\u2019s pouch products contain the equivalent of 5 teaspoons (20g) of sugar in a single serve.<\/p>\n Rather than replacing one convenience format with another, Urlich says Odi<\/u><\/a> set out to rethink what goes inside it.<\/p>\n Odi<\/u><\/a> products are formulated around nutrient-dense wholefood ingredients including organic vegetables, organ blends, bone broth and algal DHA omega-3, with essential nutrients including iron, protein, omega-3 and iodine derived from real food ingredients rather than synthetic fortification.<\/p>\n Several of Odi\u2019s<\/u><\/a> products provide approximately 30\u201350 per cent of a child\u2019s recommended daily iron intake from wholefood ingredients, alongside naturally occurring co-factors that support absorption.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I started looking closely at the category, I kept coming back to the same question: where are the nutrients?<\/em>\u201d said Urlich.<\/p>\n \u201cBabies and children have enormous nutritional needs relative to the amount of food they can physically eat, so every mouthful is an opportunity. We wanted to create food that makes those mouthfuls count.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThat meant starting with nutrient density and building the product from there – rather than starting with sweetness, shelf life or what is cheapest to manufacture.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The approach has helped make Odi<\/u><\/a> one of New Zealand\u2019s fastest-growing baby and kids food brands, with the company now bringing its range across the Tasman as it expands into the Australian market.<\/p>\n Originally created for babies starting solids, Odi has grown into a broader children\u2019s nutrition range designed to support families from six months through to 14 years, including baby pur\u00e9e pouches and powders, family nutrition products and healthier takes on familiar children\u2019s snacks.<\/p>\n Its baby pouches include varieties such as Organic Chicken & Vegetable<\/u><\/a>, Organic Berry & Coconut<\/u><\/a>, Organic Chickpea & Vegetable<\/u><\/a> and Organic Vanilla & Coconut<\/u><\/a>, formulated for babies from six months.<\/p>\n The wider range includes bars, bites and other snacks designed to resemble foods children already know and enjoy while shifting the nutritional focus towards wholefood ingredients, fibre, protein and nutrient density.<\/p>\n Urlich says Odi\u2019s<\/u><\/a> Australian launch isn\u2019t about making parents feel guilty for reaching for convenient food – but giving them another option when they do.<\/p>\n \u201cParents don\u2019t need another person telling them they should be cooking everything from scratch,<\/em>\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a mother of four. I understand the reality of feeding children when you\u2019re busy, tired and trying to get everyone out the door. Our ambition is to make the convenient choice a genuinely nutritious choice – and ultimately help raise the standard of what parents should be able to expect from food made specifically for their children.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Odi\u2019s<\/u><\/a> long-term mission is ambitious: to reduce diet-related disease in the next generation by creating the most nutrient-dense baby and children\u2019s food possible.<\/p>\n The Odi<\/u><\/a> range is available in Australia via odinutrition.com<\/u><\/a> and will be stocked in a large range of Australian retailers soon.<\/p>\n
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