![\"\"](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Best-European-Formula.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nBaguettes from France are just better.\u00a0 The sausage (and beer!) from Germany kicks my supermarket\u2019s butt. The pasta in Italy is far superior to the elbow noodles in my pantry. The port wine from Portugal \u2026 you get it\u2026..<\/p>\n
European Formula. Most people think of baby formula from Europe in the same way \u2013 that it\u2019s far superior to US formula.\u00a0 When I probe parents who want this often-illusive European formula about why<\/em><\/strong> they prefer a European brand \u2013the answers is usually some form of:<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s better regulated\u201d or \u201cthe ingredients are cleaner\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Both of these answers are true from a certain perspective. But honestly, it\u2019s real real hard to find clear information about what makes European formula different from (or better than) US formula.\u00a0 There are lots of blogs that give generic differences (like packaging) and hit on the organic issue.\u00a0 But no one seems to be discussing differences in regulatory guidelines or required ingredients or how to get is safely \u2013 pretty big issues!<\/p>\n Well, we are gonna crush that topic.\u00a0 In this article, I am going to:<\/p>\n 1) <\/u>Farming Practices<\/u><\/p>\n The short summary is: generally speaking, the EU farming practices are just better from an animal standpoint.\u00a0 The governing body of European formula regulation is the European Commission (equivalent to the FDA in the US).\u00a0 They require that there be no detectable levels of pesticide residues<\/em><\/strong> in any infant formula. This means that all European formulas are organic from a pesticide perspective.<\/p>\n Many of the EU formulas are made from milk cows living on a Demeter farm.\u00a0Demeter is like organic++.\u00a0 It means the farm is \u201cbiodynamic\u201d \u2013 so no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers or GMO technology.\u00a0 The farming practices are sustainable, and the cows graze and consume their natural food source, which is grass. This makes for some healthy and happy cows! Grass-fed cows produce milk that may have additional benefits to infants<\/a>, compared to cows raised on corn (like most in the US).<\/p>\n In the US, we now have two formulas that use milk from organic and grass-fed cows to make the formula (these are Bobbie and ByHeart formula).\u00a0 Hopefully we\u2019ll see more US formulas like this in the future.<\/p>\n Lastly, farms used to produce ingredients for European formulas get major points for sustainability.\u00a0 This really doesn\u2019t affect the nutrition the infant receives, but is worth mentioning since it is important to many families. Because many of the farms are biodynamic, they are also carbon-neutral, and you\u2019ll see that phrase on some European formula\u2019s packaging.\u00a0 Secondly, a few of the companies go out of their way to acquire palm oil from sustainable sources \u2013 which is not the norm for US formulas<\/p>\n 2) Goat Milk Formula Is A Thing!<\/u><\/p>\n The EU is ahead of the US on the goat milk formula front.\u00a0 Goat\u2019s milk is fully approved as a base for infant formula and widely available in the EU.\u00a0<\/p>\n The main brands are Holle (a German company) and Nanny Care and Kendamil (British companies).\u00a0 If you want to get cracking learning more about goat milk formula, here is a video I made comparing goat milk protein vs cow milk<\/a> protein in formula.\u00a0 And here is an article comparing Holle vs Nanny Care vs Kabrita goat milk formulas<\/a>.<\/p>\n Goat milk formula hit the US market in 2022 when foerign formulas got temporary approval due to the infamous formula shortage.\u00a0 Some of these European goat milk formlas are still available, but its unclear how long they will be able to stay.\u00a0 In big news, in 2023, Kabrita announced they will be releasing the first FDA approved US goat milk formula! It\u2019s very exciting to see a long-term goat milk option become available to US parents!!<\/p>\n 3) European Formula Comes in Stages (This is BIG)<\/u><\/p>\n The EU handles formula totally differently than the FDA. In the US, the FDA regulates \u201cInfant Formula\u201d which is formula made for infants from birth \u2013 12 months.\u00a0 The EU separates their formulas into 2 distinct stages:<\/p>\n The important thing to know is that: if you choose a European Formula, it\u2019s pretty dang important to get the right stage for your baby\u2019s age<\/em><\/strong>! The nutrition is much more tailored for specific age groups. This is quite different from US formulas, where I consider the whole stage approach to be mostly marketing and not really important<\/a>.<\/p>\n Stage 3 European formulas are what we\u2019d call \u201ctoddler formulas\u201d.\u00a0 I\u2019m not going to cover those here since this article would be considered a book at that point.<\/p>\n The European Commission regulates European formula, like the FDA regulates US formula.\u00a0 There are a lot of differences in the requirements and nutrients that you need to know about before making a switch.<\/p>\n First (as just mentioned), Europe does formula in stages.\u00a0 Secondly, they also have some special requirements for partially hydrolyzed and fully hydrolyzed protein formulas<\/a>, since these formulas have a different protein base than just straight cow\u2019s milk proteins (1, 2).\u00a0 The FDA doesn\u2019t distinguish between types of formulas like this \u2013 there is only one set of requirements for all cow\u2019s milk formulas \u2013 and these requirements are for any baby between the ages of birth to 12 months (3).<\/p>\n There\u2019s lots of minor differences in the minimum and maximum ranges set for various vitamins and minerals.\u00a0 But, I\u2019m just going to give you the major differences that differ between how US and European brands have chosen to adhere to these guidelines (so basically, the differences that matter).<\/p>\n 1) Iron<\/u><\/p>\n Apparently Americans and Europeans have very different opinions on how much iron should go in baby formula (and how tight men\u2019s jeans should be\u2026 but I digress).\u00a0 Here are the limits set by the two governing bodies:<\/p>\n The US range is just much larger than the European range.\u00a0 But here\u2019s where the real difference comes into play.\u00a0 Most US formulas all seem to follow the classic \u201cmore is better\u201d approach and add iron closer to the upper end of the range.\u00a0\u00a0 For example, here are the iron concentrations in the major US brand formulas:<\/p>\n Notice that all<\/em><\/strong> of these US formulas have iron concentrations well above the maximum allowable concentrations set by the EU for babies 0-6 months<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 In fact, my lab published a study showing that 96% of formula purchased in the US (pre COVID and shortage) had iron concentrations above the EU maximum allowable iron for Stage 1 formula (5).\u00a0 This is one of the biggest differences between the continents! You will obviously find different opinions on who is right and should discuss it with your pediatrician.\u00a0 But here\u2019s what matters.\u00a0 If you are using a European formula, you really need to be using a \u201cfollow-on\u201d formula (stage 2) once your baby is between 4 \u2013 6 months of age to be sure they are getting enough iron in their diet. Focusing on iron-rich solid foods will also help!\u00a0 It\u2019s a good conversation to have with your pediatrician who will know all of your unique baby\u2019s risk factors for potential iron deficiency.<\/p>\n 2) Sugar and Lactose<\/u><\/p>\n I prefer to see lactose as a startign carbohydrate in formula (and prefer to not see sugar (or sucrose) listed, if possible)<\/a>.\u00a0 I am happy to say that Europe agrees with me! European cow\u2019s milk formulas with intact proteins (which is most formulas) cannot have any sucrose at all!\u00a0 Formulas made from hydrolyzed proteins are allowed to have a little sucrose, but no more than 20%.\u00a0 PLUS the European Commission sets a minimum concentrations of lactose so that all formulas have to have at least 30% carbohydrate from lactose.\u00a0 The FDA doesn\u2019t have any such requirements \u2013 regarding sucrose, or %lactose. Lots of the \u201csensitive\u201d formulas in the US would violate this %lactose rule. So there\u2019s that \u2026.<\/em><\/p>\n 3) DHA<\/p>\n In 2015, the EU passed regulation requiring DHA (a long-chain fatty acid) to be added to all infant formula and all follow-on formula to at least 20mg\/100kcal (which is super high (4))! They had until 2020 to put this into effect. DHA is not required in US formula, almost all formulas add it. Even though DHA is not required, if it is added to formula in the US, it must be accompanied by ARA (another fatty acid) to help optimize baby\u2019s fatty acid metabolism. ARA is not required to be added to European formulas, although many companies do add it. What\u2019s this mean? It means that EU formulas have way more DHA than US formulas. In fact, of all formula purchased in the US between 2017-2019, ZERO formulas had enough DHA to meet EU minimums (5). <\/p>\n While this is intersting, I personally don\u2019t think this is the most important thing to consider for a healthy term baby. You know I prefer you focus on the protein<\/a> and carbohydrate <\/a>sources to maximize your baby\u2019s comfort. THEN you will sleep better and have enough bandwidth to start worrying about DHA<\/p>\n 4) Other Ingredients<\/u><\/p>\n 1) Third Party Suppliers are not regulated!!<\/span><\/p>\n European formula is technically \u201cillegal\u201d in the US since it is not FDA regulated. The only (temporary) exceptions are those formulas that were imported during the shortage (list here<\/a>). These do NOT include HiPP and Holle. All other EU formulas are considered \u201cgray market\u201d. It\u2019s important to consider the risks involved with going with one of these brands \u2026 discussed below:<\/p>\n 2) Accurate Information is hard to come by!<\/u><\/p>\n Well \u2013 obviously this article rocks \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 But, accurate lists of ingredients are hard to find! I often have to rely on third party websites to find ingredients, or try to translate foreign labels into English.\u00a0 None of this is ideal!\u00a0 It\u2019s important to know that what you get is what you think you are getting!\u00a0 A good supplier will help with this (more on that below).\u00a0 Also, the EU recently passed regulation that will require more foreigner-friendly labeling for us American parents since there has been so much exporting of European formula over the last few years.\u00a0 This is awesome!\u00a0 <\/p>\n 3) All Countries in Europe Are Not The Same<\/u><\/p>\n HiPP formula has manufacturers in 3 different countries: The United Kingdom, Germany, and The Netherlands. All make HiPP Stage 1 and Stage 2 formulas.\u00a0 While they are similar \u2013 they are not the same!!! HiPP Stage 1 from the Netherlands & Germany has a probiotic while UK HiPP Stage does not. The Dutch HiPP is soy-free whereas the German and UK HiPP are not.<\/p>\n So, it\u2019s important that you know which specific country you would like to order.\u00a0 And it\u2019s equally important to use a supplier that will not just lump all HiPP formula together and allow you to specify the type you want.\u00a0 Otherwise, your baby could end up going through many inadvertent formula switches, which can be stressful!<\/p>\n 4) Pediatrician comfort<\/u><\/p>\n Some US pediatricians are just uncomfortable using European formula.\u00a0 This is for a variety of reasons. The biggest is: European formulas adhere to EU standards and are approved in Europe \u2013 so they do not go through the FDA vetting process and are thus NOT FDA approved \u201cinfant formulas\u201d in the US. Your relationship with your pediatrician is sacred! You guys need to be a tight team. So be sure to have the discussion with your pediatrician.\u00a0 Show them this article if helpful! But just be sure you are using a formula that you are all comfortable with.<\/p>\n So, you\u2019ve made the decision to use a (non-shortage approved) European Formula.\u00a0 Now you\u2019ve got to go about the terrifying task of ordering it over the internet. There are lots of suppliers online. There are also a lot of horror stories online about 4-week shipping times, orders that were never filled, and damaged packaging arriving.\u00a0 This is scary because it\u2019s your baby we\u2019re talking about!\u00a0 So here are the things to look for in a formula supplier\/vendor to feel comfortable getting started.<\/p>\n We\u2019re finally here! Now that you have all the background, we can actually talk about the differences between the major European brand offerings: HiPP, Holle, Lebenswert and Kendamil.<\/p>\n We do have legally available US (and Aussie) formula still available in the US right now due to the shortage. These are a great legal alternative to third party EU formula suppliers. Here\u2019s a link to the ingredient breakdown of all those formulas<\/a>. (You\u2019re welcome love!)<\/p>\n\n
\n
Differences between USA and European Formula Industry:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/cows-cow-203460_1280-300x225.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/goats-682x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
Differences between USA and European Formula Regulations:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Depositphotos_32749269_original-300x223.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
What You Need to Know Before Importing A European Formula:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Depositphotos_102982410_original-300x200.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nWhat To Look For in A European Formula Supplier:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Depositphotos_61300799_original-300x200.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
European Formula Brand Breakdown:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"Holle](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/holle-PRE_1024x1024-300x300.jpg\")
Holle PRE<\/td>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/holl-1-122x150.jpg\")
Holle \u2013 1<\/td>\n![\"Holle](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/holle-2-122x150.jpg\")
Holle \u2013 2<\/td>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/hipp-UK-1_1024x1024-300x300.jpg\")
HiPP \u2013 1 (UK)<\/td>\n![\"HiPP](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/hipp-hungry-UK_1024x1024-150x150.jpg\")
HiPP \u2013 1 Hungry (UK)<\/td>\n![\"HiPP](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/hipp-uk-2-122x150.jpg\")
HiPP \u2013 2 (UK)<\/td>\n![\"HiPP](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/hipp-dutch-1-122x150.jpg\")
HiPP \u2013 1 (Dutch)<\/td>\n![\"HiPP](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/hipp-dutch-2-122x150.jpg\")
HiPP \u2013 2 (Dutch)<\/td>\n![\"HiPP](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/hipp-German-pre_1024x1024-150x150.jpg\")
HiPP PRE \u2013 (German)<\/td>\n![\"HiPP](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/hipp-German-1_1024x1024-150x150.jpg\")
HiPP \u2013 1 (German)<\/td>\n![\"HiPP](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/hipp-German-2_1024x1024-150x150.jpg\")
HiPP \u2013 2 (German)<\/td>\n![\"Lebenswert](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Lebenswert-1_1024x1024-150x150.jpg\")
Lebenswert \u2013 1<\/td>\n![\"Lebenswert](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Lebenswert-2_1024x1024-150x150.jpg\")
Lebenswert \u2013 2\u00a0<\/td>\n![\"Kendamil](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/kendamil-stage-1-organic-first-infant-formula-1-246x300.jpg\")
Kendamil \u2013 1<\/td>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/babyformulaexpert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/kendamil-stage-2-organic-follow-on-milk-237x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n