Proposed Merger between Heinz and Beech$-$Nut Scrutinized OVERVIEW OF THE BABY FOOD MARKET Four million infants in the United States consume $80$ million cases of jarred baby food annually, representing a domestic market of $$865$ million to $$1$ billion. The baby food market is dominated by three firms, Gerber Products Company $($Gerber$),$ Heinz and Beech Nut. Gerber, the industry leader, enjoys a $65$ percent market share while Heinz and Beech Nut come in second and third, with a $17\mathrm{.}4$ percent and a $15\mathrm{.}4$ percent share respectively. Gerber enjoys unparalleled brand recognition with a brand loyalty greater than any other product sold in the United States. Gerber's products are found in over $90$ percent of all American supermarkets. By contrast, Heinz