Quality Attributes in Child Food Packaging Design: Photovoice Study with Beninese Mothers

Child malnutrition is a significant predicament in Benin, with 32% of children under the age of five being stunted and 5% wasted. The artisanal production of affordable, tasty, and nutritious baby food by local women entrepreneurs has the potential to mitigate this issue. Nevertheless, appropriate, professional and attractive packaging is necessary to reduce spoilage and gain access to markets in both urban and peri-urban areas. The aim of our investigation was to identify items that could potentially convey affirmative quality characteristics on the packaging of infant formula for mothers. To achieve this, we conducted a photovoice study in the Parakou community, situated in northern Benin, with 15 mothers of children below the age of five. The photovoice methodology delineates the experiences and perceptions of the participants through photographs. The findings indicated that thirteen photographs of various elements, including nature (fruits, trees, gardens), people (babies), and utensils, had a positive value for the mothers. However, it still needs to be determined whether the depiction of these elements or their derivatives on the packaging of children's food would generate interest and instill confidence in mothers to accept artisanal child food products. This could become a competitive advantage for local producers of infant foods in the face of competition from imported products.