European
Baby Formula

If you start to shop around for organic baby formula, you might notice that most of the popular organic brands are European. So what sets the European brands apart from those made in the United States?

Although there are some organic baby formulas that are made in the United States that are comparable to the European brands, European baby formula is made with much stricter regulations for farming and manufacturing.

Did you know that the organic certification process is much stricter in the European Union than it is in the United States?

Here are a few of our favorite brands of European baby formula and why we love them:

• Holle Baby Formula has production sites in Germany and Switzerland. This baby formula is fully organic, minimally processed, made from raw milk, and sources ingredients from Demeter-certified farms.
• HiPP Baby Formula is available in a few different options including HiPP German, HiPP Dutch, and HiPP UK. HiPP Baby Formula is also fully organic and is one of the market’s leading brands. HiPP Stage 1 Offers a unique whey-to-casein ratio that is easy to digest for newborns, since it mimics the composition of breast milk.
• Lebenswert is another German brand of organic baby formula that is a sister company of Holle. Lebenswert offers many of the same great benefits as Holle baby formula including pure ingredients, environmentally friendly farming, and ethical production standards.

Something that most new parents will soon notice is that there is no better feeling than seeing your baby happy and comfortable. It can be challenging to have a newborn who struggles from gassiness, constipation, acid reflux, and other digestive upset. These issues cause increased fussiness and it can be hard to know exactly why they are crying, since they can’t communicate yet. With better quality ingredients and less unnecessary additives, organic and pure baby formula is bound to be easier to digest.

In addition to the cleaner ingredients, many of the organic brands contain added prebiotics and probiotics which benefit your baby’s gut health and immune system. The adult digestive system contains healthy bacteria that help digest food and improve immune function. Baby’s aren’t born with these healthy bacteria and acquire them over time through breast milk and other sources of nutrients. By introducing your newborn to prebiotics and probiotics early on you’re helping jump start healthy digestion to prevent uncomfortable digestive issues and improve their immune system.

The ethical farming standards are another great reason to choose an organic baby formula brand. We’re not saying that non-organic formula is inherently bad for the environment but most conventional farming practices aren’t held accountable for animal welfare and environmental preservation, so there is no way to ensure that these principles are taken into account. Brands like HiPP, Holle, Kendamil, and Lebenswert hold strict certifications that require them to use safe, ethical farming practices, maintain biodiversity, and leave a minimal carbon footprint. So, you won’t only be doing what’s best for your baby but for the planet as well.

Another surprising benefit of organic, European baby formula is that the price point is virtually the same when compared with less clean, non-organic brands. So there is honestly no real reason to choose a non-organic baby formula.

At the end of the day, giving formula to your baby doesn’t have to be a stressful situation. Although we all know that “breast is best”, clean, organic formulas do exist. So in the event that you have to supplement or replace breast milk, you should be sure to choose the next best thing.

Something that really sets organic baby formula apart from non-organic baby formula is the ingredient label. Many of the conventional, non-organic baby formulas that are made in the United States have lengthy ingredient labels with difficult to pronounce, confusing ingredients such as “2′-Fucosyllactose” and “Adenosine 5′-Monophosphate”. On the contrary, when you look at the ingredient label of an organic, European-made formula, you’ll most likely be familiar with every ingredient. Brands like Holle, HiPP, Kendalmil, and Ledenswert offer simple ingredient labels made up of nothing but organic milk, vegetable oils, and vitamins. Since these formulas are free from artificial flavors, dyes, and preservatives, their ingredient labels are much simpler and wholesome than other brands.

You may be wondering what the real difference is between organic baby formula and non-organic. Organic baby formula is made with fully organic ingredients. This is important because most baby formulas are cow’s milk-based. Conventional, non-organic cow’s milk is often sourced from cows who have been raised with hormones, antibiotics, steroids, and other harmful chemicals. These toxic chemicals can then show up in trace amounts in the formula. Although it may sound like only miniscule amounts, think about how small and sensitive a newborn baby is. Any amount of harmful ingredients can have negative effects on a baby and these chemicals can even counteract the healthy nutrients they’re supposed to be getting from their formula.

Although every baby is different, we know that feeding your baby some amount of breastmilk is one of the best health decisions you can make for them early on in life. Regardless of the unique choices that you make for your child, what’s most important is that you feel comfortable with what you choose to feed your baby.

There are many instances when formula is required for babies whether it be as a supplement to breastmilk or a full-on replacement. If you’re going to give your baby formula, you’ll want to make sure that you give them the absolute best option available. Luckily, healthy, organic baby formula is out there and we can help you find it. Today we’re sharing a little more information about organic baby formula and which brands are the best.