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For parents who opt for formula feeding, whether as a supplement or as the main source of nutrition for their baby, choosing the right formula can be a stress-inducing decision. Organic baby formula has gained significant popularity in recent years, driven by concerns about potential additives in other formulas and the desire for a natural and healthier alternative.
A good organic baby formula will be made with organic milk from cows or goats (unless you’re going with a soy formula due to allergies). It will contain fatty acids that your baby’s developing brain needs like DHA and ARA. It should also have a whole host of other supplemental minerals and vitamins that your baby needs for a complete nutritional meal.
We’ve collected the best organic baby formulas made in the U.S. and Europe to help you find a healthy, wholesome choice for your little one. Read on for our top picks, starting with a quick look at why organic baby formulas are a healthier choice than conventional baby formulas.
Why is Organic Baby Formula a Healthier Choice Than Conventional Formula?
There are many reasons that organic baby formula is a healthier, more wholesome choice for your baby than non-organic formula. Here are some of the main ones.
Stricter Regulations and Quality Standards
Organic baby formula is subject to rigorous regulations and quality standards that conventional formulas are not. It is produced in compliance with specific guidelines established by organic certifying bodies such as the the USDA in the U.S.
Organic certification guarantees that the formula is free from synthetic pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and artificial additives, providing reassurance to parents regarding the formula’s quality and safety.
No Harmful Additives
Conventional baby formulas often contain additives such as artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners. These additives may have health implications for infants, including allergies and digestive issues. In contrast, organic baby formulas tend to be free from these synthetic additives, relying instead on natural ingredients for flavor and nutritional enhancement.
Organic baby formulas are formulated with high-quality, organic ingredients. These formulas commonly include organic milk or plant-based alternatives, derived from organically raised animals or plants. The organic production methods also prioritize animal welfare and the use of natural feed, resulting in milk that is free from antibiotics, synthetic hormones, and pesticide residues.
Reduced Risk of Hormone Disruption
Conventional dairy-based formulas often derive their milk from cows that have been treated with synthetic hormones to increase milk production. These hormones, such as recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), may have potential health implications and can disrupt the delicate hormonal balance in infants.
Organic baby formulas, on the other hand, use milk from cows that are not treated with synthetic hormones, reducing the risk of hormone disruption in your baby’s developing system.
You should still always check any baby formula that labels itself as organic is USDA Certified organic before purchasing. Food manufacturers can pretty much slap the “organic” label on anything they make, so it’s important to double check that you aren’t buying a “greenwashed” product.
Ingredients to Avoid in Baby Formula
Organic baby formulas are made primarily of cow’s milk, soy, or goat’s milk, and are then supplemented with enriching minerals and vitamins your baby needs to grow. Conventional formulas, though, often contain unhealthy ingredients. Here are some that you’ll want to avoid:
- Syrups and starches: Conventional formulas tend to include unhealthy ingredients that are cheaper to use, like corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and maltodextrin. Instead of corn or rice syrup, look for the inclusion of lactose in your organic baby formula, which is a more expensive but healthier ingredient for babies. Maltodextrin is a cheap starch may affect the balance of healthy bacteria in your baby’s gut.
- Carageenan: You’ll also want to avoid carageenan in your baby formula. Carageenan is not allowed in European formulas, as it has been linked to intestinal inflammation in young babies.
- Palm oil: Palm oil can cause digestive issues in babies’ guts, and is better avoided, although it’s used in many baby formulas today, even some organic ones. Palm oil is also a very environmentally destructive crop, and very little of it is grown sustainably.
- Soy proteins: These are also best avoided if you can. According to some studies, high amounts of soy, which contains phytoestrogens, may negatively affect baby girls later in life.
- Hexane: Some formula makers also use hexane, a petroleum byproduct that is also a neurotoxin, to extract the DHA and ARA that provide essential fatty acids. However, hexane can leave byproducts in the baby formula, which we want to avoid at all costs. Always look for “non-hexane extracted” fatty acids as a label on your organic baby formula to avoid exposure to these byproducts.
Find the Formula That Works for Your Baby
Every baby is different, so not every formula is going to work well for your newborn that works for someone else’s baby. For babies with allergies, you may even need to look for a hypoallergenic formula that will be more sensitive on their stomachs without triggering an allergic reaction.
There may be some trial and error involved to see which formulas your baby takes to best that doesn’t upset their stomach or trigger any allergies you may not yet know about. If you do think your baby is experiencing an allergic reaction to their formula, reach out to your pediatrician immediately to figure out what’s going on.
Best Organic Baby Formulas Made in the USA
Here are the best organic baby formulas made in the USA, followed by our top picks for formulas made in Europe. Why Europe? Well, European certification bodies have stricter guidelines for the ingredients and production practices of organic formulas than in the United States. This is why many American parents are now opting for EU certified organic baby formulas made in Europe instead of American-made formulas.
We’ve included both options to help you find the best formula for your little one, starting with these four formulas made in the USA.
1. Bobbie Organic Infant Formula – Top Pick
Bobbie organic infant formula stands out from the competition with its USDA Organic certification and EU organic certification. It is made from zero non-GMO ingredients and does not contain corn syrup, palm oil, or maltodextrin. It is designed to be gentle on babies’ tummies, mimicking the 60:40 whey to casein ratio found in breast milk.
Bobbie’s formula is made from organic, grass-fed cows sourced from small, family-owned farms across the country, in partnership with Organic Valley farms. Bobbie exceeds US requirements by including 20mg/100kcal of DHA for brain and eye health in babies, meeting the stringent standards set by the European Union (EU).
Bobbie’s formula meets the most stringent of qualifications in order to attain that European organic stamp of approval. You can also find it at Target, which makes it very easy for a lot of American parents to find.
2. Happy Baby Organics Formula
Happy Baby Organics is known for its organic baby food, but they also offer USDA certified organic baby formula. Their formulas are carefully crafted with high-quality ingredients to provide optimal nutrition for infants.
They offer a sensitive version of their formula, as well as the standard one that attempts to mimic the composition of breast milk. It’s particularly convenient that American parents can find Happy Baby formulas in Target and on Amazon.
Note that these formulas do contain palm and soy oils, which some babies may be sensitive to. However, they extract fatty acids such as DHA with a water-based method, rather than using hexane, which is reassuring.
3. Baby’s Only Organic Infant Formula
Baby’s Only is USDA certified organic and made in Ohio. It is designed to be close in nutritional value to breast milk, and is made without artificial growth hormones and with calcium and vitamin D to help your baby grow. This formula does not contain palm oil. It does, however, contain soybean oil.
Although it contains choline, this formula does not seem to contain the fatty acids DHA and ARA (although their toddler formulas do), so you might want to add a supplement if you go with this formula. Nature’s One also offers a goat milk toddler formula and a cow’s milk toddler formula with DHA/ARA.
Baby’s Only formulas do not contain any palm oil or corn syrup, and they do not use hexane to extract the DHA and ARA for their toddler formulas, which they get from egg yolks.
Best Organic Baby Formulas Made in Europe
European formulas are made with stricter standards and often contain more wholesome ingredients than American ones, which may influence your decision over which organic baby formula is best for you.
4. Kendamil Organic First Infant Milk – Top Pick
Kendamil is a British formula company that, unlike other formulas that use skimmed milk, uses whole milk sourced from local British farms. This formula is free from soy oil and palm oil, which are commonly found in many other formulas. The cows providing the milk for Kendamil are pasture-raised and enjoy a grass-fed diet. This ensures the highest quality source of the milk they put in the formula.
As for those important fatty acids for baby’s brain development, Kendamil incorporates coconut oil instead of palm oil. Their formula contains DHA, ARA, and prebiotics that are extracted without the use of hexane. Kendamil also makes a goat milk version for babies with cow milk allergies.
This formula is certified organic in Europe and avoids all the concerning ingredients (including starches and corn syrups) found in many other formulas. This one checks all our boxes for a healthy organic baby formula!
5. HiPP Dutch Stage 1 Baby Formula
This popular Dutch organic baby formula stands out among other baby formulas as another excellent choice. It has been carefully formulated to replicate the whey-to-casein ratio found in breast milk, ensuring optimal nutrition for your little one. The formula utilizes vegetable oils as a healthy source of fat and includes beneficial prebiotics and probiotics for digestive support.
This formula is free from GMO ingredients, added sugars, starch, soy, and synthetic additives, prioritizing your baby’s well-being. It can serve as an excellent supplement to breastfeeding due to its resemblance to breast milk. HiPP offers a range of formulas, but the HiPP Dutch variant is widely regarded as the top choice from the HiPP brand.
This formula adds DHA and ARA, essential fatty acids for brain development, with the use of hexane to extract them. It’s worth noting that if you have concerns about the hexane extraction method used to obtain DHA and ARA in HiPP organic baby formula, the company assures us that any traces of hexane are completely removed and undetectable in their products. Since they are subject to strict European standards for testing, this seems pretty likely to be true.
6. Loulouka First Infant Milk
Loulouka Organic Infant Formula Stage 1 is a nourishing option for infants from birth to 6 months. It is made with the finest organic Swiss cow’s milk and includes essential nutrients for healthy development.
The formula has Omega-3 (ALA) and Omega-6 fatty acids (extracted without the use of hexane), along with coconut oil for optimal absorption of nutrients. It is EU organic certified and manufactured in Switzerland.
Loulouka prioritizes using high-quality ingredients, and their production facility follows strict organic standards, ensuring a sustainable and pesticide-free approach. The formula is free from GMOs, soy, palm oil, added sweeteners, colors, preservatives, maltodextrin, nuts, and eggs.
However, it’s not suitable for vegetarians, as its fatty acids are derived from fish oil. After the 6th month mark, they recommend switching over to Loulouka’s Stage 2 formula.
7. Lebenswert Organic Baby Formula
Lebenswert sources the milk for their formula, partnering with Bioland certified organic farms in Germany and Austria. Bioland farms adhere to an even stricter standard than the EU organic certification. They employ biodynamic farming practices that prioritize animal welfare and environmental sustainability.
The formula itself is crafted using organic skim cow’s milk, whey, vegetable oils, and lactose, without the inclusion of artificial sweeteners or GMOs. It’s packed with essential nutrients such as vitamins A, D, and E, minerals, and vital fatty acids like DHA and ARA.
Note that their DHA is added from a non-hexane extracted source (organic fish oil), so this formula is not vegetarian friendly.
8. Jovie Organic Goat’s Milk Formula
For babies with cow milk allergies, Jovie makes a popular goat’s milk formula that’s nourishing and made from organic ingredients. The ingredients in this goat milk formula are non-GMO, and the formula is fortified with beneficial prebiotics.
The formula’s whey-to-casein ratio closely resembles that found in breast milk. This formula is free from glucose syrup solids, starches, maltodextrin, palm oil, soy oil, and GMOs.
This goat milk contains fatty acids (sourced from fish) that are not extracted with the use of hexane. They also make a stage 2 goat milk formula for older babies.
The Benefits of Organic Baby Formula
Organic baby formula offers several health benefits and provides parents with a trusted and reliable alternative to conventional formulas. They follow stricter regulations, avoid harmful pesticides, and use wholesome ingredients. Plus, they have a reduced risk of hormone disruption.
For all these reasons, opting for an organic baby formula can help ensure that your little one receives the best possible nutrition while minimizing any potential health risks that conventional formulas pose. Now that’s something we can all raise a baby bottle to and toast!
Read more: Check out our guides to the best non-toxic baby feeding and nursery products for your little one!
- Non-Toxic Baby Bottles
- Non-Toxic Pacifiers for Babies
- Guide to Organic Diapers
- Organic Diaper Creams
- Organic Shampoo and Body Washes for Babies
- Organic and Natural Body Lotions for Babies
- Non-Toxic Nursery Rugs
- Non-Toxic Cribs and Organic Crib Mattresses
- Non-Toxic Baby Toys and Bath Toys
- Organic Baby Pajamas and Crib Sheets
- Best Non-Toxic Car Seats without Flame Retardants
