Infant Formula: An Analysis of the Contents of Plant-Based vs. Whey-Based Formulas (P11-056-19)

Abstract

Objectives•Assess the nutritional and environmental consistencies and differences between plant-based (soy) infant formulas and whey-based infant formulas•While the nutritional contents are similar, there is significant variability in the levels of heavy metal in soy-based infant formulas than whey-based infant formulas Methods•Clean Label Project utilized the Amazon.com best sellers list to identify and purchase the top selling infant formulas in America from national and local grocers and e-retailers.•Clean Label Project had the products analyzed by an accredited analytical chemistry laboratory for antioxidant activity, nutritional content, and over 130 industrial and environmental contaminants and toxins including heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury) and endocrine disruptors (BPA, BPS).•The samples were blinded prior to testing by the laboratory to avoid any real or perceived perception of bias•Analytical chemistry instrumentation including ICP-MS, LCMS-MS, and GCMS•A variety of statistical applications were used to identify data trends Results•The nutritional content was largely consistent•Infant Formulas consistently yielded high test results for antioxidant activity (a product trait not typically marketed in the category)•Soy-based infant formulas had higher quantities of heavy metals than whey-based infant formulas Conclusions•Additional studies are needed to assess the health outcomes from children raised on plant-based vs. dairy-based infant formulas to assess any correlations to the higher quantity of heavy metals•The nutritional benefits of antioxidants in infant formula should be highlighted as a beneficial product attribute by brands Funding SourcesClean Label Project is a 501c3 which gets its funding from donations, it’s Amazon.com affiliate and Smiles beneficiary status, it’s third party certification service offering, and private grants.