Fact or fad: Are European infant formulas better?

One research study looked into why many US parents are choosing to use imported European formulas over US infant formulas, and whether this is a safe choice.¹

Why are parents choosing European infant formulas?

According to a survey of blog posts recommending European infant formulas, the most common reasons sited (85%) for preferring European infant formulas were beliefs that European formulas are:

• held to stricter standards than US infant formulas
• made of higher quality ingredients
• are organic and do not contain pesticides

Other reasons for preferring European infant formulas included beliefs that the European infant formulas

• prioritized gut health (7.5%),
• treated infant colic (2%)
• provided more tailored nutrition because they are available in 2 stages (2%)
• offered a goat milk-based formula (2%)

And that US infant formulas were produced by pharmaceutical companies (2%).¹

Are European infant formulas in fact subject to stricter standards than US infant formulas?

Possibly, but "when European formulas are purchased from third party sellers ... and are imported outside their normal ‘chain of control,’ they bypass these safety regulations, and create concerns for potential tampering and contamination of the formula with risks to US consumers."¹

Some other considerations

When deciding whether or not to purchase imported European infant formula, also consider potential issues with labelling and nutrient content of imported European infant formulas.

Nutrient requirements. It is difficult to compare nutrients between US and European infant formulas, because the US FDA requires minimum amounts of each nutrient while the European infant formulas must meet average amounts.

Labels for the most common European infant formulas list all of the nutrients required by the US FDA, with the exception of linoleic acid which was only listed on some European infant formulas.

Of the most commonly used European infant formulas, 57% contained less than 1mg of iron per 100 calories and none of these stated on the label that additional iron may be needed. Of the remaining European infant formulas, none of the labels indicated that they were fortified with iron.

Safe storage. The labels of 21% of the most commonly purchased European infant formulas did not contain safe storage information for before and after opening.

It is also important to note that while powdered infant formulas are fairly stable under recommended conditions, European infant formulas transported by third party vendors could potentially expose the infant formulas to extreme temperatures, risking loss of vitamins, or bio-availability and digestibility of some amino acids.

Formula preparation. The amount of water per scoop of European infant formula is different than the amount of water per scoop of US infant formula, potentially leading to over- or under-reconstituted formula, especially considering that the labels of the most commonly imported European infant formulas were often not in English. While the instructions for reconstituting most brands of European infant formula are based on 1 ounce of water per scoop of powdered infant formula, one brand of European infant formula instructed parents to mix 31.7mL of water per scoop of powdered infant formula, making safe reconstitution even more difficult.

Date format. The use-by date may use a different date format than we typically use in the US, potentially resulting in misinterpretation.

Stages. European infant formulas are separated in two stages, Stage 1 for birth to 6 months and Stage 2 for 6 months to a year. Since US infant formulas do not differentiate, US parents may not purchase the correct stage formula for their baby's needs.

Hypoallergenic infant formulas. Hypoallergenic is defined differently in Europe than it is in the United States. Some European infant formulas labelled as hypoallergenic are not suitable for infants with cow's milk protein allergy.

How can an IBCLC help?

International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) are not only experts in lactation, we are infant feeding experts. IBCLCs are trained in direct feeding of human milk from the breast, but we are also pros in bottle-feeding and other alternative feeding methods, as well as donor milk feeding and infant formula feeding. An IBCLC can help you navigate all of your options for feeding and nurturing your little one.

If you have any questions or need guidance in understanding your options for feeding and nurturing your baby, feel free to schedule a free mini consultation with me HERE. 

References:

¹DiMaggio, D. M., Du, N., Scherer, C., Brodlie, S., Shabanova, V., Belamarich, P., & Porto, A. F. (2019). Comparison of imported European and US infant formulas: labeling, nutrient and safety concerns. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, 69(4), 480-486.