Is goat milk infant formula a safe alternative to cows' milk infant formula?

Abstract

Breastfeeding is the gold standard for infant feeding, but some mothers are unable to breastfeed for a variety of reasons. For these mothers, it is important to have a safe alternative. Goat milk has been used for many centuries, but although goat milk formula has been used extensively in other countries for many years, in the UK it has been the tradition to use cows' milk infant formula. In 2013, in England, the Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations were amended to allow the use of goat milk as a source of protein in formula milks from March 2014. Compared to cows' milk, goat milk has more similarities to human milk. The evidence-base demonstrates that the health and nutritional outcomes of babies fed a whole goat milk (80: 20) formula were equivalent to those of babies fed a whey-based (60: 40) cows' milk formula. Further, because goat milk forms softer, looser casein curds in the infant stomach, goat milk formula has certain digestibility benefits over cows' milk formula. Although goat milk formula can be either made with whole milk or whey-adjusted, there is no evidence to suggest any benefit in adding whey to goat milk formula. As a result, goat milk formula is not only a safe alternative but also has some advantages over cows' milk formula.