Organic Formula (re: Earth's Best) Question

aggielauren

Before I write this, I want to say that I'm not trying to start a debate over organic v. non-organic formula. I just have a question...

I started using Earth's Best Organic a few months ago (before that I used either Similac Sensitive or Up & Up Sensitive). I order it from Amazon because I can get the 4 pack of it cheaper than I can buy it anywhere. I just went to order some more and decided to look at the reviews. A woman posted in January that she found out Earth's Best was using Hexane to extract the DHA/ARA in the formula. She called them and basically it was confirmed to her but she was told that was the only way the FDA approves extraction. She then found out that Baby's Only Organic doesn't use that form. The Baby's Only is labeled as "Toddler" formula but she and two other people who commented said they called Baby's Only and the formula is exactly the same as infant formula but they want to encourage breastfeeding for the first year so they call it Toddler. Another person commented and said that by calling it Toddler Formula, Baby's Only is able to side-step two important FDA regulations so her pediatrician told her not to use it.

The reason I switched to organic formula is because of the DHA/ARA issue. If that's true about Earth's Best, I don't want to buy it anymore. I would switch to Baby's Only, but I'm confused about what the person said about side-stepping FDA regulations.

Does anyone know anything about this or heard of it? I'm really confused now and not sure if it's even worth it to keep buying organic?

vmm0016

I used to work for Hain Celestial and it is true they are FDA approved.  I would think that Baby's Only is marking it as Toddler so they don't have to get the FDA approval that Earth's Best has to do.  I personally would just use regular and not organic because I think for a lot of companies it is such a scam!  You really have to watch the wording on items...any company can say "Made with Organic..." and it only has to be something crazy like 3-5% organic for them to say it is made with Organic whatever.  Working for Hain Celestial opened my eyes at what companies will do to make a profit!

RaeAnt

The DHA/ARA is exactly why we stop using most commercial formulas. We checked out the Baby's Only as well(Dh loves finding everything he can about something) especially science related) and took everything to our Pedi. She took the info we presented and did research and then called us back and said that it's perfectly fine.

As for the organic part, yes, that was a plus, but we didn't choose it because of that. We chose it because it didn't have the added DHA/ARA, which from what DH found he certainly didn't want his child consuming it due to the chemicals used to break down the seaweed/algae.

Just because the FDA approved it currently doesn't mean it's really safe. It just means there hasn't been enough proof to this point to say otherwise. The product is still chemically derived.

aggielauren

Thanks, y'all! I guess I won't be spending the extra $$ on Earth's Best anymore!

sunshine_77

i don't know the answer to your question, but this is my take on earth's best organic....

I feed all organic food, however when looking into organic formula i found that similac organic has the highest added sugar content!!! and Earth's best is packaged in metal cans which contain trace amounts of bpa! so....i thought, hormones in milk, vs bpa in formula? who knows which is worse, but decided to go with just regular formula...

aggielauren

That's a good point, sunshine. I do organic food as well is another reason I wanted to go to the organic formula. I actually also found that out about Similac in doing research about organic formulas. I hadn't thought about that with the bpa in the metal, though!

liv97

RaeAnt:

Just because the FDA approved it currently doesn't mean it's really safe.

i can't tell you how much i agree with that sentence.   i wish everyone would understand that. 

 we stopped using earth's best bc of the hexane, and we've been using baby's only for a couple months now.  someone awhile ago posted that their pedi said it was too concentrated for infants, but i checked with our pedi, our osteopath, and they both checked with friends, who said it is 100% safe for infants.  

MariDave01

Hello RaeAnt:

I am writing you particularly after reading the posts about organic formla, and saw that you and your DH had done your own extensive research (as I) on the use of DHA in baby formula. I have 4wk old and after comparison, I was convinced that Baby's Only was the formula I (we) wanted to swich our LO to.However my pedi stated tha she likes the use of DHA in formula (idk her awarness of the process in which it is extracted) and said that I should stick with a formula that has it. She also indicated that b/c it is identified as a "toddler" formula she did not recommended for our 4wk old. I am not sure of her knowledge of the this perticular formula, but after reading all that I have about Baby's Only, I believe that it is / can be used for infants, as it meets the nutritional values of infant formla and adhers the the Infant formula act. Additionally I saw that Natures One has an egg base DHA suppliment that can be added, to insure the fatty acid additive of other formulas. Any thoughts, comments and suggestions will be greatly apprechiated as I am looking to swich ASAP currently using similac advance non-organic .. 

kellyfromcali

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Lindsay2907

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