finally, a clean baby formula
it wasn’t my plan to be writing this blog post at 6:17 am on a wednesday morning.
but as many of you probably already know, there is a formula crisis going on right now in the united states mostly thanks to the good ol’ FDA. and I received an email from my friends at serenity kids last night FULL of knowledge and information that was too important not to share.
serenity kids is — hands down — my favorite baby food brand out there. their dedication to clean ingredients is unmatched. just like cleaning and beauty products, there are a lot of companies out there who might say what they’re selling is healthy, but it’s chock full of sugar, seed oils, and other processed ingredients that might not be setting the best foundation for our children’s health.
one problem that soooo many mom’s run into is finding a “clean” baby formula. harper is still nursing, but my story with margot was different. we started supplementing with formula at around 6 months and by 9 months our breastfeeding journey came to a quick and complete halt after I came down with a nasty case of the shingles.
and so started my hunt for a formula that wasn’t full of crap ingredients like industrial seed oils and synthetic folic acid. spoiler alert — that didn’t exist. at least not in the united states at the time. Europe had some great options (their food standards are some of the strictest in the world) however buying “black market” formula was a pain in the butt, and the FDA actually cracked down on this option in 2021 making it nearly impossible for parents to purchase it anymore.
this past February, Similac issued a recall for their formula, which has caused a severe shortage and led to many retailers rationing the amount of formula families can purchase…a very scary feeling when you’re a parent who relies on formula to feed your baby.
but here’s the good news of it all…serenity kids has an amazing formula — their A2 Whole Milk Formula — that I want to make sure all moms know about. one of the first things you’ll probably notice is that it is marketed as a “toddler formula,” here’s why:
the FDA regulates infant formula per the Infant Formula Act of 1980, which is rooted in 50-year-old science. to get your formula infant certified, the FDA requires infant feeding studies that take many years and millions of dollars to complete (side note: the FDA also knew about the cronobacter outbreak at Similac’s factory back in September and failed to inform the public. multiple infants died from this outbreak, which is absolutely heartbreaking).
compare the rigorous (see: ridiculous) infant formula certification in the US to Europe’s and you’ll find that Europe does not require infant feeding studies at all partly because they are considered unethical. their infant formula requirements and regulations are updated every few years meaning they have their fingers on the pulse of the most recent science and ingredients and overall their formulas are some of the cleanest out there.
all of that to say, even though legal red tape prevents serenity kids from marketing their formula as infant formula: the serenity kids A2 “toddler” formula is completely safe to feed to even the youngest of babes — not just toddlers. and it is the ONLY formula I will feed my children if we end up in that situation again. the serenity kids formula contains a macronutrient profile (high-quality proteins, fats, and carbs) and fortifications (HMOs, nucleotides, and prebiotics) that make it more similar to breastmilk than any other formula out there.
it is the ONLY formula that does not have industrial seed oils and synthetic folic acid, and it is one of very few that is grain-free and contains organic, A2 whole milk. it contains the 29 key nutrients required by the FDA for infant formula plus premium ingredients that make it more similar to the European formulas mentioned above. and it is manufactured using Good Manufacturing Practices which is another requirement of the FDA for infant formulas.
infant studies for serenity’s formula are still being completed, so it will be a while before the formula becomes infant certified. however, I would absolutely be more comfortable giving this to my infant over any other formula on the US market.
unfortunately, old regulations and outdated science are once again doing more harm than good to our children.
I never felt good about the formula I gave to Margot, and I am so glad this option now exists. if you want to talk to your child’s healthcare provider before trying this formula, here’s a reference sheet to address any questions or concerns they might have.
if you’re a first-time customer, you can use my code ADDI15 for 15% off of your first order! and if you’ve purchased from serenity kids before, you can get formula for 15% off by using the code 15FORMULA.
as always, my goal is to shed light on this situation and share clean alternatives. I want us all to feel GOOD about the way we’re nourishing our children, and serenity kids’ formula and baby food is a step in the right direction.