Infant formula is a great supplement or replacement to a mother’s breast milk. Thanks to infant milk, a baby receives all the necessary substances for normal development. However, this becomes possible only when choosing the best one for newborns. The first year is considered the most important in a baby’s life, when everything matters, especially nutrition which is responsible for the health of a child.
Breastfeeding is a natural way of feeding a newborn. Therefore, if you are going to replace breast milk with formula, let it be the best one. There is an abundance of brands to choose from, but German manufacturers stand out among the others by their high quality. Furthermore, to be certificated they have to meet EU standards which are stricter than, for example, in the USA. Nutritious, and organic formulas like HiPP, Loulouka, Holle, and Lebenswert are demanded by countless families around the world. Let’s check whether such manufacturers are worth trying.
HiPP Formula
You’ve probably already heard about HiPP. The history of HiPP began in the distant 1889. Initially, its founder created formulas alone, and by 1932, a whole company appeared. The main goal of the company is to produce formulas as close to breast milk as possible based only on organic ingredients. That is why they add nutrients such as DHA, iron, calcium, probiotics, and prebiotics. In Combiotik infant formulas, you will find galacto-oligosaccharides, which support healthy bowel movements and help infants to maintain a healthy gut.
It is principal for some parents to use GMO-free food for their kids. The good news is that all HiPP formulas are free from GMO ingredients, gluten, and other preservatives. In later stages, HiPP includes starch into the composition to make a baby feel satiated. However, if you prefer not to have starch in the composition, HiPP offers the same nutrition without it. Actually, HiPP provides parents with a huge amount of formulas suitable for different cases. On organicsbestshop.com you will find anti-reflux, hypoallergenic, biodynamic, and even more. Moreover, this company has a variety of stages to support your baby through the whole period of development. Many mothers prefer this brand because of the wide selection. HiPP also has three subsidiaries located in Dutch, UK, and Germany.
Holle Formula
For more than 70 years, Holle has been making the highest quality baby products from biologically and biodynamically grown ingredients. Its assortment has everything to ensure that your child receives high-quality nutrition from birth to 3 years old. Holle guarantees that any formula does not contain or use GMOs, added salt, as well as flavors, dyes, preservatives. Holle organic baby food is made without sugar from whole grains, including their shells in order to preserve the full nutritional value. The grain is processed using wet steam, the starch is partially broken down and the grain turns into readily soluble flakes. Therefore, they are suitable for the digestive system of babies. For more organic baby formula, you can visit: https://
Holle’s range has three types of formula that are gluten-free and made from only one type of grain. They are rice porridge, millet porridge, and millet porridge with apples and pears. Holle experts advise you to start feeding your baby with a formula based on one type of grain. So you will be able to observe the individual reaction of the child’s organism to each type of grain, and in case of intolerance, you will know which type of grain should be avoided. For celiac disease, choose gluten-free grains like millet, rice, and corn. In case of intolerance to wheat, use cereals that do not contain regular wheat. Holle offers different types of infant milk with a delicate taste that kids love. They are nutritious, filling, and easy to digest and can also be prepared by adding milk (preferably of biological or biodynamic origin).
You can probably notice the Demeter label on Holle food and wonder what this means. That label provides comprehensive quality control. Literally, everything is checked and controlled from growing, transportation, storage, processing to the final product. So the whole process is as open as possible and the most accurate observance of standards is ensured at any stage of production. Furthermore, you’ll perhaps be satisfied to find out that Holle has goat milk formulas. So if your little one has a difficult time digesting cow’s milk proteins, goat formulas can be a way out.
Lebenswert Formula
Lebenswert was introduced by Holle 10 years ago. Unlike Holle, the Lebenswert formula does not contain maltodextrin or starch in stage 1. One other difference is that Holle has a higher percentage of fat than the Lebenswert formulas (approximately 5 grams). The ingredients included in the composition are clean, simple, and are nutritious without soy, gluten, GMOs, chemicals, added sugar, steroids, and antibiotics. Lebenswert formulas meet the EU 98% organic requirements, and they receive milk from Bioland-certified farms. By comparison, the US organic certification process has a 95% percent only.
Differences between US and European formula regulations
There is a difference between how the EU commission and FDA regulate formulas. Firstly, according to European standards, the formulas have to be divided into stages. Secondly, the requirements for partially hydrolyzed and fully hydrolyzed protein are stricter in EU formulas, while the FDA doesn’t distinguish types.
Apparently, both commissions have very different opinions on how much iron should be included. The FDA requires between 0.15 – 3.30 mg/100kcal iron while the EU commission insists on between 0.3 – 1.3 mg/100kcal iron. European cow’s milk formulas with intact proteins cannot have sucrose. It is allowed to have no more than 20% sucrose, the FDA does not have requirements regarding sucrose, or lactose. Here are other ingredients that are required in EU formulas, but not in the USA: L-Carnitine, inositol, DHA to at least 20mg/100kcal. Although, they do not allow such additives to be used like locust gum, guar gum, pectins, fructans (like inulin), and carrageenan.
The main requirement for infant milk is a maximum adaptation to breast milk. But when choosing, you need to take into account the individual needs of a child. Besides, you should consult with your pediatrician before switching to bottle-feeding.
