The Best Formula Shortage Solution There Is
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Have you been affected by the formula shortage and you’re trying to figure out what your options are in order to get your baby the formula they need?
In short: my solution is European formula. It’s what I used for my baby before there was even a formula shortage. When I was struggling with my milk production and trying to get to the root cause of my low milk supply, it is what I had to supplement with. (If you want to learn about low milk supply causes, check out my PDF on it here.)
After using a U.S.-based formula that I wasn’t too happy with, I decided to do more research and was blown away by the difference that European formula made. It is really the top of the top in terms of quality, in terms of nutrition, and all the different things that can go into a European formula.
It’s not just because they’re “European” either; there’s actually valid points to be made as to why these formulas are top tier. Hopefully, you’ll be more at ease and reassured to use European formula as a viable option during this shortage despite people who say that you want to still use American formulas.
European formula isn’t a one-size-fits-all
First off, the formula in Europe comes in stages. Most of the brands will have different stages for different ages for your baby. Now, I don’t know whose idea it was to think that we could do a one-size-fits-all approach to formula here in the U.S. but if you think about it, what they need as newborns versus what they need when they’re nine months old is very different. Their nutritional needs, including the different macronutrients and micronutrients varies. This especially changes once solid foods are introduced.
So these stages are custom tailored to what your baby would need as they grow. and it’s something that evolves with them. The EU has actually standards for each of these age ranges, so you know that they are taking into consideration what your baby needs. Whereas the U.S. does not set standards around different formula nutrition for different developmental stages.
Is there really enough iron?
One of the biggest push backs that is highly debated is the iron levels within European formula. Let’s point out the FDA requires 0.15-3.0 mg of iron/100kcal in American formulas. (1) The European Commission requires 0.3 to 1.3 mg of iron/100 kcal for any formula for the zero to six months range (remember, they have different ranges for each of their stages). (2) Technically, the European Commission standards falls within the FDA standards, it just doesn’t go as high. The “more is better” approach is what’s often used when it comes to the American formulas.
Is it necessarily required though? Because if you understand that formula is designed to mimic breastmilk, then you would need to next compare how it measures up to the iron levels in breastmilk. Iron in breastmilk is anywhere in the range of 0.2-0.9 mg/L. (3) This is measured in liters because every mom’s calorie count of her breastmilk can also vary. So of course, it doesn’t 100% translate to the calorie metric that we were comparing previously, but essentially it does sit a lot closer to that European Commission range.
So the European Commission is making sure that your baby is getting enough iron since the amount would be similar to what your baby would be getting if they were exclusively breastfed.
Your baby is born with iron stores
Another reason low-iron formula is not a major concern is due to the fact that your baby is born with iron stores in their liver that meets their iron needs within the first six months. Notice how that would appropriately time with when you would introduce solids to your baby. Those iron stores will have carried your baby through that six month period and when you introduce solids you would do so with iron rich foods to counter the low-iron in breastmilk or formula. The subsequent European formula stages also account for this and increase their iron content as well as your baby grows.
Now, you would want this to be discussed with your doctor and it’s also important to note that these iron ranges are for a healthy, full-term baby. So there’s, of course, nuances with all of this. But the iron that is in breastmilk is pretty much on par to what the European Commission standards are, and that would be sufficient considering there are so many babies who are exclusively breastfed and don’t need iron supplementation.
Stricter requirements and standards
The European Commission is also known for having requirements and standards on certain ingredients and nutrients that we do not have in place in the U.S. A couple of examples of this would include rules surrounding sugar and lactose. The amount of sucrose and sugar (and just, honestly, junk) and that can go into some of the American formulas is really regulated and minimized in the EU. There’s a few exceptions of how much sucrose can be added in certain specialized European formulas, but most of their other formulas it isn’t allowed at all.
They also have lactose requirements (which is an important nutrient for your baby), whereas here in America, we don’t have a minimum amount of lactose required to be in our formulas.
Consistency is key
Like I said, we want formula to mimic breastmilk and when I had my son I started off using Enfamil because that’s what was given to me by his former pediatrician. He didn’t respond well to it; it was thick which kept him fuller longer (in a bad way) and it made him spit up all the time in large volumes.
When I realized that we were going to be on formula a little longer than I’d hoped (since I was trying to increase my supply), I decided I needed to do some research. I knew if I was going to be feeding my baby formula, I wanted it to be something that I was comfortable with. After deciding on our European formula, I was pleased to see that when I mixed it the consistency of the formula was so much better than the consistency of Enfamil.
The European formula was much thinner and it was a lot more like the consistency of breastmilk. When feeding your baby you don’t want a thick milk. It can keep them fuller longer (sometimes too long) and can minimize how often they have hunger cues, which isn’t good for increasing your supply and isn’t natural to your baby’s feeding needs either. Plus, there’s the fact that it’s heavier on their stomach and that makes it a lot harder for them to digest.
Their little bodies don’t need more work put on them, especially if your baby is having any underlying conditions or difficulty with gaining weight. Using a formula that makes it harder for them to digest is going to add more work and burn more calories, so we just want to minimize the extra unnecessary stress on their bodies.
“Organic” is relative to each country
Organic standards are higher in Europe compared to here in the U.S. Even though it says “organic” on the label, there are still certain pesticides and fertilizers that are allowed in USDA-approved organic foods that you wouldn’t expect to be in there. This is where the formula in Europe (and not just formula but all European, organic products) tend to be a higher quality.
Also, know that the farming practices are usually much more sustainable, much more cleaner, and just all around better compared to the practices that we have here in the U.S. which produces a higher quality organic product as well. The quality of the farming practices determines the quality of the animals, and the quality of the animals determines the quality of their animal products, including the milk in formula.
Europe’s standards are not inferior to America’s
I also find that the FDA (and other large entities) is a big reason why we are really pushing for moms to get U.S.-based formulas. I’m not a doctor and this is not medical advice; this is my own research. But because I’m not a doctor, I also am not obligated under any board or institution to follow their guidelines and to tell you the stuff that they’re being fed.
Doctors are great and are exactly who you should turn to if you have any concerns with your baby, including special circumstances. I’m just saying there’s an agenda sometimes from the boards they are required to practice under. Formula companies in the U.S. are a very big (almost like an) oligarchy where they have a lot of legal power over protecting themselves and their financial interests. It just gets a little questionable in the ethics department.
I don’t think that we should ignore the FDA — it’s important to acknowledge that some standards are better than none. We want to have regulations, we want to have certain sanitary practices, but we can’t act like other countries who are also first world countries are inferior to the U.S.
It’s not the 1900s anymore; many countries have exponentially advanced their practices too. We are looking at other countries who are on par with the U.S., who also have high regulations and standards for their people. It would be different if we were looking at formula from second and third world countries but, there’s absolutely no reason why the European formulas cannot stand on par with American formulas in terms of safety and regulation.
Source European formula from a credible distributor
Where you buy and source your European formula is really important because you don’t want it to have poor storage, shipping, and warehouse distribution. It can get a little concerning when you have all of these different moving pieces and you don’t really know how long your formula has been sitting on a shelf in a warehouse. This can really make a difference on how fresh it is and risk of a past expiration date.
The one place that I would always buy my formula from was from a distributor called Formuland.
Fast shipping speeds are what you need right now
One of the great things they do is free shipping and expedited shipping. So if you need to have your formula stat, it can be done. I found that they were always super on it and I would get it within a day or two of ordering. To get the free shipping there is a minimum purchase order amount. The fast shipping is next business day so that is super helpful when we are dealing with a shortage.
Leverage Formuland’s formula comparison chart
I want to also point out that on their website they have a comparison chart of the different formulas they offer. It is super helpful for anybody who is looking for certain criteria or certain conditions that you need your formula to meet.
Ok, but how expensive is this stuff?
I found the price to be fairly comparable to local formula for me. Let’s be honest, formula is expensive no matter where you buy it. Unless you’re on some type of subsidized program or assistance, there is really no cheap formula out there.
I found for it being from Europe and it being organic, that the price was only a couple bucks more than what I was paying for here locally. That was one of the things that to me, I was very shocked at and found super relieving to see.
The one thing I really love and thought was super cool about this company is the fact that they have a reward system. With every purchase you make, you earn points, and those points you can actually take money off of your next order with. Over time you can save a few bucks here and then and may even end up paying store prices for top tier formula.
Buy with delays in mind
I personally would always order with about a month’s supply. Of course, if you’re just trying a new formula, make sure it sits well with your baby before you buy in bulk. But once you find one that works for you, I’d recommend getting a month’s supply so that way even if there is an import delay or an order gets backed up because it’s coming from overseas you’re good.
Citations
- Department of Health and Human Services. (2022, March 29). CFR – Code of Federal Regulations Title 21. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Retrieved May 27, 2022, from https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?cfrpart=107&showfr=1
- Official Journal of the European Union. (2016, February 2). Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016 | 127. Europa. Retrieved May 18, 2022, from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32016R0127
- Dewar, G. (n.d.). Nutrients and calories in breast milk: A guide for the science-minded. Parenting Science. Retrieved May 27, 2022, from https://parentingscience.com/calories-in-breast-milk/