The Nutritional Value of Baby Formula

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the nutritional requirements of infant formula. These requirements are laid out, in detail, in the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Safety Act. The Act requires all infant formula manufacturers to fall within a specific nutritional range on vital nutrients. Because of this, parents can rest assured that no matter which formula brand they choose, their infants will receive nutrition similar to breast milk.

The FDA requirements measure the nutrition found in every 100 calories of formula. This number represents roughly five liquid ounces of formula. This provides an accurate comparison to breast milk, which, on average, contains 100 calories per five ounces.

Fat is essential to an infant's brain development. The FDA requires that formula contain no less than 3.3 grams and no more than 6 grams per unit. This is similar to, but sometimes lower than, breast milk's average of 6 grams per unit.

Infant formula must contain at least 1.8 grams, but no more than 4.5 grams, of protein per unit. Protein is used in muscle development, and proper protein intake ensures appropriate motor skills. The amount of protein in formula is often higher than that in breast milk, which contains an average of 1.5 grams per unit.

DHA and ARA are fatty acids found in foods such as fish and eggs and are believed to promote brain and eye development. Because they are usually found in breast milk, the FDA labeled them as "generally recognized as safe" but has not set minimum or maximum requirements. Most formula manufacturers include these fatty acids in varying quantities.

Infant formula must contain a minimum level s of key vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, iron and Vitamins A, D and K. Most of these nutrients have only a minimum required amount, but a few, which pose a possible toxicity threat, have a defined maximum allowable limit.

The FDA requires infant formula to clearly present a "use by" date on the package. This date does not denote when the product is no longer safe. Manufacturers use this label as a measure of how long the formula will contain minimum nutritional requirements. Even though the formula is probably still "safe", parents should not feed that formula to their infants past that date.

When comparing breast milk to formula, it is important to remember that the nutritional value of breast milk varies greatly, depending upon the diet of the mother. The nutrition found in formula is not an exact substitute for breast milk, but provides an "on average" substitute that meets an infant's dietary needs.

Specific information on the FDA guidelines taken from the FDA's Infant Formula Consumer Information page.

Average quantities in nutrients in breast milk taken from CalorieKing's nutritional examination of human breast milk.