What is Organic Infant Formula?

Organic infant formula is formula made to certain standards that justify it being labeled organic. In simplest terms it may lack ingredients that have been treated with a variety of pesticides or other chemicals that can be present in other formulas that are not organic. People interested in organic foods in general are trying to avoid trace amounts of pesticides or chemicals that may remain in treated foods. Organic infant formula starts this process early, by making sure any formula fed baby doesn't ingest these elements, which may be unsafe.

Those who prefer organic food may believe that breast milk meets the same standard of "organic," but for obvious reasons, breast milk is not organic. If moms consume food with any types of pesticides they probably have trace levels of these chemicals in breastmilk. An argument could be made that from an organic standpoint only, organic infant formula is the superior food.

Of course, one of the main ingredients in formula is the water that is added to mix it. It’s unclear that organic infant formula stays organic once this mix is complete. Using filtered water may help eliminate some impurities, but probably not all chemicals will be eliminated. On the other hand, not compounding the issue of slightly impure water with trace pesticides can be a good thing.

Containers used for formula should be considered. There is concern about some chemicals given off in plastic baby bottles that may pose harm to children. Parents might want to search for containers made without these chemicals or they might consider using glass bottles instead.

Like all types of formula, there is difference in quality of ingredients in organic infant formula. Some companies may take shortcuts and use undesirable ingredients like corn syrup. Understanding ingredients on the label helps people decide which formulas are best. Ask pediatricians for advice on any necessary ingredients, and don’t forget some infants may have special feeding needs. They might not tolerate cow’s milk and could require a soy formula, instead, for example.

The last thing to reflect on about organic infant formula is that the term organic is flexible and often regulated by region. This can mean definitions of organic vary, but there are only a handful of companies that make organic formula. Each company’s definition of organic may derive from where they’re physically located. While generally the term means no pesticides, there are many allowable pesticides and chemicals within many regulatory definitions of organic. If looking to avoid specific pesticides, contact with the company making the formula may be the best way to determine which chemicals are used.