What I wish I had known about baby formula

I recently heard from other moms about how Americans are starting to use and import European formulas. Naturally, I wondered why so many people that already have readily available formula go through the extra effort and cost to get formula imported from Europe. There had to be something special about this formula.

My curiosity was going, and I started to do some research on these products. I ran into many great online stores that provided a lot of information. Amongst the many types of formulas. The one that seems to be the most popular and a household name for the EU consumer was HiPP Dutch. 

History 

HiPP was founded in 1899 by Joseph Hipp, a baker who prioritized his many children. His wife, Maria Oster, had trouble breastfeeding—so the father solved the issue. He was a baker and enriched the milk with rusk flour to make it more filling. His large family lived, and he had over seven children!

In 1970, the rusk flour for infants was still widely available on the German market. Georg Hipp decided to begin manufacturing this wholesome formula, and the HiPP brand grew larger. HiPP creates many products, such as juices, foods, meats, and whole-grain fruit pops.

While this was happening, Georg HiPP began to source from organic farms only. Now, the company’s priority still stays true to its mission statement—to produce healthy, tasty, baby formula from safe ingredients.

Why European formula?

One of the main reasons I found through my research to why Americna’s are moving away from their own products was primarily because they are looking for something more organic. American standards to label something as made with organic per the USDA is 70%. Meanwhile EU organic certifications are set at 95%. The HIPP Dutch formulas have 3 different stages, stage 1 for newborns 0-6 months, stage 2 (6-12months), and stage 3 (toddlers). HiPP also has a number of specialized formulas for specific diets and needs in their other collections. 

Another reason Americans are looking for European formulas is the main ingredient that seems to be a big issue, corn syrup. None of the organic European formulas have this ingredient, though some American ones do. 

It was interesting to read about the Hipp Dutch formula, it was rated the #1 Best Organic Formula: 

“The best overall organic baby formula. It has a whey-to-casein ratio that mimics breast milk, uses vegetable oils for fat, contains prebiotics and probiotics, and contains DHA/ARA. It’s also free of GMO ingredients, added sugars, starch, soy, and synthetic nutrients and preservatives.” – The Picky Eater Blog 

Conclusion

All of this information seems to be so wonderfully available to all of us, with just the touch of our phones, or our computers and it is so nice to be able to share with each other through our own experiences. I would have loved to have all this information so available before when my son was a baby. Now that my son is older, my focus has shifted more on activities to bond with him. 

All, in all, Hipp Dutch, from the plethora of options, has a great reputation not only with the EU, but also globally.