The baby formula milk debate: cow milk, goat milk or soy milk?

The debate about milk certainly stirs the passions. At Bellamy’s Organic we get a lot of comments about goat and soy milk and how much better it is for babies. So is that right? And if that is right, why is baby formula still overwhelmingly based on cow’s milk after all this time? After all, there are plenty of goats about! And what about soy? We thought we should investigate.

The first thing we should say is that milk of any kind that is drunk normally by adults is not suitable for babies under at least 12 months. Newborn babies especially have very particular nutritional needs, best served by breast milk wherever possible.

Goat milk

Goat milk itself is low in folic acid and vitamins B6, B12, C and D.  Raw goat milk should never be given to babies and young children.

Modified goat milk is now available as an infant formula in Australia for babies from birth.  However, there has been quite a lot of investigation into goat milk baby formulas in Europe and you should be aware that currently the UK Food & Drug Administration (FDA) quotes an EU directive that states: “Goat’s milk-based formula should not be given to infants under 1 year”.

Some mothers feed their infants goat milk based formula on the basis that their child is “allergic” to cow’s milk. However The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) made this observation on the point: “…EFSA also concluded that there was no convincing data, either in the literature or submitted, to support the belief that the incidence of allergic reactions is lower when feeding goats’ milk based formula compared to cows’ milk based formula. EFSA published its opinion on 12 January 2006, confirming its previous view.”

There are two points to note here. First, in reality, the percentage of babies allergic to cow’s milk baby formula is about 1.8 to 3.4% and second at least two-thirds of children who are sensitive to cow’s milk will also be sensitive to goat’s milk.

Note, though, milk allergy and cow’s milk intolerance are different conditions. Some children are intolerant to the proteins found in cow’s milk, but they can ingest goat’s milk without any complications.

So, it’s a personal choice, but although the composition of raw goat’s milk is different to raw cow’s milk it’s no “healthier” on any published objective measure we could find, and certainly not when it’s in baby formula.

Soy milk

Soybean formulas are based on protein soy extracts supplemented with specific amino acids to make them close to that of human milk. The fat content is derived from vegetable oils, and carbohydrates are provided by cornstarch and sucrose. Iron, vitamins and minerals are also added.

During the last decade, many more women have chosen to use soy-based formulas for their babies, at their own discretion. The move towards soy based milks has probably evolved because of the misperception that it is ‘better’ than cow’s milk, or that it may help colic, or that the baby is unsettled and possibly intolerant, or allergic to a cow’s milk baby formula. The research to date does not support these claims and healthcare professionals’ usually only recommend soy milk formula in certain circumstances, for example if the baby has a metabolic disorder such as galactosaemia, or the baby truly has a cow’s milk intolerance.

In reality, as we said above, the percentage of babies allergic to cow’s milk formula is about 1.8 to 3.4%. Some babies, between 0.5% and 1%, are also allergic to soy milk formula. Also, soy formula should not be used as a method to treat colic or general fussiness unless recommended by a doctor.

Mothers who are into soy themselves perhaps have a natural tendency to feed it in the belief that it’s “better” or “healthier”. However, as a general rule soy formulas should only be used on the advice of a healthcare professional.  The UK Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says in a report from 2011 “Soy-based formula should not be used unless prescribed by a GP”. Enough said.

Cow milk

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says cow’s milk based baby formula remains the closest to breast milk, which is known to be the best source of nutrition for babies.

Using cow’s milk as a base, the balance of the two milk proteins (whey and casein) are changed to make the formula whey-dominant, like human breast milk.

Cow’s milk-based formula can be fed from birth with confidence (although breast feeding is best if possible) because all formula for newborns is required to provide the complete and total nutritional needs when fed at the correct levels.

Bellamy’s Organic baby formulas are made with certified organic cow’s milk.  Our cow’s milk comes from herds which are reared without the use of pesticides, antibiotics or artificial fertilisers. Only milk from cows which graze freely on lush certified organic dairy farms is used in our formulas.

Step 3 Toddler Milk Drink

Mindful Eating

If you’d like to know more about Bellamy’s Organic and the certified organic baby foods we make, click here.

The UK FDA report can be found at www.cot.feed.gov.uk/pdfs/tox201203.pdf

Important Notice

Thanks for reading our blog. We hope you found this information interesting. 

The World Health Organisation recommends that breastfeeding is best for your baby.

Having a balanced diet when breastfeeding is also important. Baby formulas should only be used after you’ve sought advice from a doctor or health practitioner.

A decision not to breastfeed can be difficult to reverse and introducing partial bottle feeding will reduce the supply of breast milk. It is also wise to consider the cost of infant formula.

If you use infant formula, all preparation and feeding instructions must be followed as per the manufacturer’s instructions. This is important for your baby’s health.

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