Are you wondering if organic baby formulas are worth it? Parents constantly keep looking for the best options for their babies, especially when it comes to nutrition. This is all justified, but recently we have seen a huge uptrend for the European organic baby formulas, which tend to cost quite a bit more – the question is: Is organic baby formula worth it?
The U.S. versus European baby formula
I recently did some digging and took notes to compare one to another. As mentioned previously, there is a fairly notable price difference (especially if we include the overseas shipping – there’s your first difference! Just kidding.).
When it comes to baby formulas from Europe, the manufacturers really excel at using only top-grade ingredients. The standards (Organic Certification standards for example) are way more strict compared to the guidelines set by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Whether it is just the organic content ratio in the formula, farming principles, and sustainability, or using sweeteners and artificial elements.
If we look at the number of researches done in the U.S. and EU in regards to the baby formulas – the EU has way more testing and constant quality checking. Truth is, U.S. FDA doesn’t really regulate the baby formula industry the way the EU does. In Europe, constant ingredient, composition, and nutrients check is a standard.
Comparing ingredients
When we compare the ingredient lists between the two, U.S. manufacturers tend to use a lot of glucose, sucrose, different kind of corn and starch syrups, and fructose. Why? I think it is only to make the formula taste better and also increase the caloric value. Numerous studies indicate that high sugar and carbohydrate intake can lead to some serious health issues (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, problems with digestion, and nutrient absorption in general). Unfortunately, that’s not all the bad stuff you could find from U.S. baby formulas – soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, carrageenan – some of those ingredients mentioned are banned in European baby formulas.
Manufacturing and farming practices
Manufacturing and farming seem to differ a lot as well. It is a pity, but American soil really seems to be contaminated (even the organic farming practices) with toxic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, heavy metals, and a recent discovery by the FDA: DDT. This sounds super scary, given how those “findings” can influence an adult’s health, not to mention a developing baby. In comparison, Europeans use biodynamic organic farming, which takes sustainability and long-term organic, clean, production into account.
European baby formulas are more “individual”. What do I mean by that? Well, when your baby is experiencing acid-reflux, is fussy, gassy, or has an upset stomach overall – they have you covered. Instead of being cheap and keeping down the manufacturing costs, EU baby formula makers use quality ingredients (lactose over dextrose for instance).
Conclusion
The only pro for the U.S. baby formulas is the price – but are organic baby formulas worth it in a long run? It is your baby’s health after all. We could also mention, that it is faster to purchase local baby formulas from the supermarket, instead of ordering online. The good news is, that you can choose Express Shipping, which will guarantee delivery within 5 days (for bulk orders they even offer free shipping).
All-in-all, I think it is safe to say, that there is a difference and it is not just the price. Quality comes at the price and quite honestly, I don’t think (whenever possible) we should make any cutbacks when it comes to our baby’s health, and that extends to organic baby formulas too.
