There are two main reasons for EU and Australian manufactured formula being healthier and safer for your baby.
1. Higher standards for formula ingredients
EU and Australia regularly update and constantly enforce formula ingredient regulation compliance to ensure the latest food tech standards for infant health and safety are met. The FDA has not reviewed and updated baby formula ingredient requirements since 1998.
Many common ingredients found in US formulas are banned in Australia and the EU, such as GMO’s, corn syrup, rice/glucose syrup, fructose, or table sugars.
Due to the high prevalence of heavy metal contamination of soil and water across the US, most US produced baby formula is found to have potentially harmful levels of contaminants, including heavy metals like lead and arsenic
2. Higher and stricter qualification criteria to meet the organic certification standards
The farming standards required for organic certification are higher in the EU and Australia.
The organic standards in the EU and Australia guarantee that the formula is free of hormones, GMOs, added sugars, artificial preservatives, antibiotics and pesticides.
HiPP and Holle meet even higher standards, such as Demeter and Biodynamic standards respectively.
Table Summarizing the Differences between EU and US Baby Formula
| Feature |
European Baby Formula |
US Baby Formula |
| Fat Source |
Natural milk fats with minimal vegetable oils
|
All milk-based formulas generally remove milk fat and add vegetable oil
|
| Carbohydrate Source |
Lactose is the primary carbohydrate. At least 30% of the carbohydrates found in baby formula must come directly from lactose
|
No set minimums for carbohydrate source so many formulas contain corn syrup, glucose syrup solids, or other processed sweeteners as a primary carbohydrate source
|
| Heavy Metals Regulation (such as lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium) |
The EU has strict heavy metal limits for baby formulas and food, continuously updated and monitored.
|
FDA action levels are higher than EU limits and testing is not mandatory.
|
| Iron |
Lower iron levels, closer to breast milk, focused on bioavailability
|
Generally higher iron levels without regard to absorption efficiency
|
