In February 2017, Zion Market Research revealed that the global baby food market is forecasted to grow at a 6.2 percent CAGR rate to hit $76.48 billion by 2021.
According to the report, part of this growth is fueled by working women who spent much of their time away from home. They tend to use baby formula products to ensure their babies have healthy and nutritious meals in substitute for breast milk.
As you can see, the figures of the baby food market are huge with hundreds of baby formula brands looking to scoop a share of the market.
With such a huge market, it essential to identify the safe products that won’t cause any harm or problem to your baby.
Luckily, we have gathered a list of the safer baby formula brands that you need to know.
Ready? Let’s go.
1. Holle
Established in 1933, Holle is a Swiss baby food company that manufacturers organic food products. It’s one of the top manufacturers and has been in operation for more than 80 years.
The company makes baby foods using products from Demeter, the world’s largest and only certification organization for Biodynamic farms and products. It makes organic milk formula products for babies at stage 1, 2, 3 and 4.
The main products the company makes include milk formula, porridge, milk cereals, junior mueslis, jars, and pouches.
Holle uses strict quality criteria that make it one of the safer baby formula brands. For example:
- Their raw ingredients do not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides
- They use organically grown foods
- Every product the company makes is checked
- It works in close collaboration with Demeter to ensure quality products
Some of its popular products include Holle Organic Infant Formula Stage Pre, Holle Organic Infant Formula Stage 1, and Holle Organic Infant Follow-on Formula Stage 2.
2. HiPP
HiPP is a German baby food company, and it was established in 1899. The company now boasts over 100 years in the market and has over 260 different products.
This brand has its own organic quality criteria known as the HiPP Organic Guarantee, which it claims to be stricter than EU organic. Every raw material gets inspected by the company’s staff, and products that fail to pass the test are not accepted.
HiPP analyzes raw materials for over 1,000 substances, and those that meet their requirements earn the HiPP Organic Seal of Quality. If you feed your baby with HiPP formula products, you are certain of:
- More vitamins
- No GMOs
- More antioxidants
If you are shopping for HiPP products in the market, you can opt for HiPP Combiotic First Infant Milk, HiPP Combiotic Follow-on Milk, and Hipp Combiotic Growing Up Milk.
3. Topfer
This is also one of the safer baby formula brands from Germany. Topfer was established in 1911, and it sources its milk from the Braunvieh cows of Allgäu.
The company uses modern technology and sensitive control systems to ensure all products meet their stringent hygienic and quality requirements. It also ensures that all their products meet the strict guidelines and rules of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).
Topfer also commissions independent bodies, such as MUVA, to assess and analyze their product quality. This is part of the company’s bigger effort to ensure all their products are safe and meet the quality assurance standards.
As a brand, Topfer strives to build long-lasting trust with parents to stage itself as the brand of choice for safe baby products.
Some of the company’s baby food products include organic infant and follow-on milk, HA infant formulas, organic kinder follow-on milk and milk-free infant formula.
4. Lebenswert Bio
Lebenswert believes that bio is the basis of quality baby food products, so it’s great for infant feeding.
The brand started in 2009 and uses lactose to make chemical free products that are safe for your little one. When you can’t breastfeed, this is one of the safer baby formula brands to get for your baby.
Lebenswert makes its products according to the guidelines provided by the Bioland Association. The company’s quality promises include:
- Guaranteed no use of GMOs or engineered ingredients
- No use of synthetic chemical fertilizers
- No food additives such as preservatives, colorings, and flavorings
- All foods are grown using natural compost
All their organic foods are certified to meet the strict requirements of agricultural products. Additionally, Lebenswert supports the animal welfare regulations to ensure they use quality raw materials.
5. Aptamil
Here is another great option for supporting your baby’s development. Aptamil has invested more than 40 years in research to understand the unique qualities of a mother’s milk.
The company uses their findings to refine their baby products to ensure they are as safe as the natural mother’s milk.
Aptamil uses fresh cow’s milk that comes from cows reared on high welfare farms. The milk undergoes physical, chemical and microbiological tests for moisture, fat, and protein to ensure it meets the company’s quality requirements.
They add supplements to the products that are tailored to different stages of your baby’s development.
Aptamil also carries a number of routine tests throughout the production process and even after packaging just to ensure high-quality standards for all their products.
Some of the company’s products include Aptamil Profutura milk, Aptamil with Pronutra+ milk, and Aptamil Specialist milk.
6. Kabrita
Kabrita is also one of the safer baby formula brands that are recommended for your child.
Established in 1897, Kabrita is a Dutch brand with over 100 years in the market. Unlike other brands that use cow milk, this brand uses goat’s milk to make their products.
According to the company, there are great alternatives available than cow milk. Kabrita notes that goats milk is easy to digest and gentler than that of a cow.
The milk is sourced from a selected group of 55 Dutch goat farmers that adhere to the quality standards of Hyproca Nutrition.
This brand is also a member of the NGZO, the Dutch goat milk dairy association. So, it adheres to the strict quality system called ‘Kwaligeit’ (‘Quali-goat’).
All Kabrita products are also tested by an independent organization, the Dutch Controlling Authority for Milk and Dairy Products (COKZ), to ensure the best quality.
The goat milk baby formulas made by this company include Kabrita 1 Infant, Kabrita 2 Follow-on, and Kabrita 3 Toddler milks.
How to choose the right baby formula
This article covers the safer baby formula brands, but it is also important to choose the right option for your little one.
Cow’s milk formulas
Most baby formulas are manufactured from cow’s milk and there also other products designed for premature infants.
For newborns, you can use first milks, which are whey-based milks and usually contain both whey and casein at a ratio of 60:40. First milks are great for babies from the time they are born to about a year.
Opt for casein-based milks if your baby is aways hungry. Casein usually takes longer to digest than whey, so these milks will keep your baby full for longer.
If you are switching your baby’s milk, take the time to read the instructions and only use the scoop that comes with the new milk.
When you baby is over a year old, you can drop formula milk and start using cow’s milk.
Goat’s milk formulas
These formulas are made to the same quality standards as cow milk products. However, you should not use Goat’s milk infant formula and follow-on formula if your baby is allergic to the proteins in cow’s milk.
This is because both milks have the same proteins, so your child is likely to get allergic reactions when using goat’s milk, too.
You can also shift from formulas to goat’s milk when you baby is above the age of one year.
Older babies
If your baby is six months old and above, he or she needs more of iron for steady development. At this age, the recommended baby formula brands are those that make include follow-on milks, goodnight milks, and growing up milks.
However, keep in mind that other formulas already contain iron. So, these products are not nutritionally essential for your little one as they have no added value.
There are also certain types of milk that you should avoid giving your babies when they are below one year old. These include dried, condensed and evaporated milk. Cow’s or goat’s milk are also not good during this time.
Baby formula brands – The takeaway
When it comes to feeding your young one, taking precaution is an important aspect of proper care. Typically, you need to choose safer brands that are popular for making quality baby food.
In as much as many mothers would want to substitute breast milk with formulas, manufacturers have always advised proceeding with care. Breast milk is still the best meal for your baby. However, women with health issues are usually encouraged to use baby formula.
When choosing or switching a baby formula, it’s wise to talk to a health professional to help you pick the right choice for your little one. This is necessary to understand how your baby is likely to react to the formula.
During feeding, do not “water down” the formula as it will lead to reduced nutrients. Also, over-consumption of water in babies can lead to seizures and brain damage due to electrolyte imbalance.
Always keep your child’s feeding tools clean, and sterilization is recommended.
Baby formula brands are striving to make quality products that provide your baby all the essential nutrients for proper growth and development. All you must to do is to find the right option for your younger one.
The right formulas will always work well.
