Below is an email I recently sent to a private client of mine. Since the number one question I receive is “What is the safest infant formula?,” I thought some of you might be interested in my analysis of the two safest brands of baby formula, HiPP vs. Holle (both from Europe). Note that whichever formula you choose, you should always use a water filter to remove chlorine (carcinogenic) and fluoride (linked with lowered IQ). (Here’s more on why you should get a filter and which ones I like.)
Dear E.:
So the bottom line is I would recommend Holle formula as the best option, but it’s not without some problems, unfortunately (yet again it becomes clear that nothing can compare with breastmilk). HiPP is superior in a few ways, but I’ll explain why ultimately I would go with Holle below.
Here’s what I considered when researching HiPP vs. Holle:
- Palm oil. Palm oil is an ingredient that a lot of people worry about (suspected to affect bone density), and both HiPP and Holle contain it. However, because they each contain a blend of other oils (like coconut and sunflower), I don’t think the amount is as concerning. They do both also contain rapeseed oil, otherwise known as canola oil, which is also somewhat controversial. It’s worth noting that Baby’s Only doesn’t contain palm oil–but it does contain soybean oil, which I don’t like, so not really a huge win.
- Aluminum issue. The HiPP ready-made formula is preferable to the HiPP powder because the latter has strangely high aluminum levels, although even the ready-man has borderline levels. (I can’t figure out why–possibly because it comes in aluminum pouches (within a cardboard box)). However, in general I actually DON’T like ready-made formulas because they contain soy lecithin (sometimes extracted with hexane…and soy is problematic anyway because of its estrogenic properties). On the other hand, the amount of lecithin is relatively small, and probably worth the trade-off. Note that the HiPP Growing Up milk in powder form actually has much lower levels of aluminum (but you can’t use that until after 12 months, and it does contain soy lecithin. Sigh). Bottom line here is go for ready-made or Growing Up milk if you do get HiPP, but with Holle you don’t have to worry about this.
- LCP oils. The addition of omega 3 and 6 oils in U.S. formulas is controversial because of the extraction methods (super complicated issue so I’ll spare you all the details). HiPP has these added oils, but I suspect the extraction methods are probably required to be cleaner in Europe. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to get to the bottom of this, so it’s a question mark and potentially another negative for HiPP. And studies show that the addition of the oils doesn’t improve the nutrition for babies anyway, so their absence isn’t really a negative for Holle.
- Organic practices. Both of these companies have been around for more than 50 years, and the dairy products from both come from grass-fed, organic cattle, certainly of a higher quality that anything you get here. Holle farms are certified organic and biodynamic–which I’ll simplify by saying is like organic-plus, with very strict standards from the processing all the way to the packaging. Another point in the Holle column.
- Sugars. All formula has a lot of sugar (breastmilk is naturally quite sweet), and HiPP wins in this category, as it uses lactose as a sweetener, which is the best option (and also the most expensive). Holle uses maltodextrin (a plant-based sweetener), although it seems to use less of it than most American formula brands. And here’s an update from July 2015: Lebenswert is a newish formula under the Holle umbrella. The Stage 1 Lebenswert formula contains lactose instead of maltodextrin, and Lebenswert is now available at here!
- Prebiotics. This is another win for HiPP. Holle doesn’t contain these, and it’s one of the big things found in breastmilk but missing from formula.
Bottom line: Both HiPP and Holle are superior to American formulas, in my opinion. They lack many of the concerning ingredients found in most formula you get here, don’t have white sugar or corn syrup in them, and also skip some preservatives and the carrageenan found even in other organic formulas. If it were my baby, I would probably choose Holle because of the aluminum issues with HiPP–which to me is more concerning than the maltodextrin (the only major downside to Holle). The lecithin, biodynamic farming, and LCP oil issues further put Holle in the lead. And if you choose Stage 1 Lebenswert, you skip the maltodextrin as well.
Stay sane,
200 comments
Farah Deeba
Hi all,
I am having my 2nd baby in a few weeks and actively researching on european formulas. I did earth’s best sensitive formula for my 1st and went through hell the first months until we figured out the ‘sensitive’ formula was easier on my little one’s tummy. Regardless, the sensitive still made him gassy and severely constipated on most days. (solid intro at 4.5 months helped).
I am leaning towards Holle goat milk formula and dont want to go that route if constipation is common. Any moms/dads currently using it have an opinion when comparing the goat’s milk to Holle organic cow’s milk infant formula?
Also, this is the pdf version posted on the Holle website about their ingredients and i do not see Iron or Eisen listed on it. Not sure if its my pregnancy brain! http://www.holle.ch/data/catalog/documents/packshots/milchen/ZM1/web_HOL-41880_Pck_Relaunch_Ziegenmilch_D_F_RZ_AM1.pdf
Robert
Hi All,
For anyone in Los Angeles using organic formula (Holle, Hipp, etc.) and dealing with the hassle and stress of when to re-order to make sure you won’t run out before your shipment arrives, etc. (since Holle and Hipp are not available anywhere nearby) . . . look no further. I stumbled upon MY ORGANIC FORMULA, and they are awesome! Without exaggeration, I placed my order and the same day (30 mins later) my shipment arrived! I was totally blown away. I believe they offer free shipping, but if you want it the same day they offer expedited service for a nominal cost, and you can even watch the delivery truck online on it’s way to you in real-time! They also provide you with the driver’s cell number in case you need to get in touch.Ari
Has anyone tried mixing the Hipp hypoallergenic formula with the Holle Lebenswert forumula? I’m thinking that might help alleviate some of my baby’s has issues
Ashley
So many sketchy retailers it seems. I have a girlfriend in Germany who buys everything from a German supplier, and so do I. I get the Lebenswert 1. Shipping is about €32, and each box is €7.99 I think. In the end it cost me $13 a box when I buy 15. The website is http://www.naturkost.com
It’s in German, and the site will translate some but not everything! I ordered late July and it should be here soon. If anyone uses this site let me know (ladamrell@msn.com). Maybe I can order some stuff with you. I forgot to get some banana cereal ?
chen
My aunt has been ordering from them with no complains. They are really quick and have most of the time Holle formula in stock. Because of the really high prices I would reccomend the shop www.neogno.com, which ships Holle formula directly from Germany. I always had newest batches comparing to those my aunt received. The only dissadvantage is the ammount of time it takes to receive the parcels. So I had to order 1,5 weeks in advance and before I went out of formula.
Chen NY
Chen
Though the comment is really old I would like to comment because I had some bad experience with ordering Holle from various stores. This way other parents can spare a lot of trouble stress and sleepless nights.
To all parents out there, have faith and raise your lo with â¤â¤â¤ Chen NYOur little one suffered in constipation issue previously. After doing lots of research with my husband we found out that in many cases the formula caused the issue. Holle and Hipp were 2 of the most recommended to switch to by other moms who had similar issues, all over the web. I first wanted to try Holle because they seem to have better organic production practices and because there was an article about aluminium in Hipp formula some time ago.
We finally ordered 2 boxes from ebay to give the Holle formula a try. It was a life saver. Our lo just loved Holle. No digestion problems anymore. No pooping problems. No more tummy upset. Finally a happy baby at home. In my opinion the formula smells fresh and clean almost smells like breastmilk and not cheesy like US formulas. Taste is really good too.
Due to financial constraints we had to find a cheaper source to feed our lo. We tried all 3 German stores that sell and ship Holle to the US. All 3 have prices that are really good compared to the overpriced US vendors. The main issue when ordering abroad is the time it takes for the parcel to arrive. So we had to contact the support and ask them how to proceed. Not all of them are competitive and do care about the customers. We had the best experience with www.neogno.com where the support is great. We had been waiting for 3 weeks for a parcel to arrive and wrote them an email that our formula was running out and explained that we couldn´t afford to order new at this moment. Supprisingly we had to pay just half of the cost and we got an expess shippment with 3 Holle formula boxes for our baby until the big order arrived. We have ordered 5 times in total and everything was well packed including free gifts in the parcel. Thank you again neogno.com for your customer oriented The main reason for taking so much time to write this review, besides the health of my baby, is that I dislike profit-oriented companies. A shop from Germany tried to sell to my husband Holle together with Aptamil which they recommended as organic and much better than Holle. The reason was Holle not being in stock. After writing Aptamil an email we found out that they don´t even produce an organic formula.
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Kayla
I am interested
Maia James
I haven’t done a full review of Topfer, but the two look similar overall (outside of the maltodextrin). If it’s a health concern, I would ask your pedi for advice.
Jillian
Topfer Organic Infant Formula Lacatant Bio Stage Pre doesn’t contain maltodextrin. Would you recommend it over Lebenswert Stage 1? I’ve been supplementing with Lebenswert Stage 1 since my son was 3 months (he’s 8 months now), but I’m wondering if I should switch to Topfer for the next 4 months? Your input would be appreciated!