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Home > Safer Baby Supplies > HiPP Versus Holle: Which European Infant Formula is Healthier?
Holle Organic Infant Follow-on Formula

HiPP Versus Holle: Which European Infant Formula is Healthier?

January 30, 2018 | BY Maia James
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure page.

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:

  1. 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.HiPP-Organic-Organic-Growing-Up-Milk
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. holle-organic-infant-follow-on-formula-2-6mths-3x600gOrganic 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.
  5. 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 Little World Organics!
  6. 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.

In terms of where to by Holle (or HiPP): this is complicated since these formulas do not meet FDA approval. There are many online vendors (including Ebay sellers), but until I can vet that one (or several) are legit, I cannot make a recommendation on where you should purchase European formula. I hope to have this information available soon.

October 2019 update: I’ve vetted several places to purchase this formula, and am happy to have established affiliate relationships with the following sellers:

  1. BabyKind Market (no longer in business)
  2. Organic Start
  3. Organic Baby Food 24
  4.  Little Bundle

Stay sane,

Maia_signature

 

 

 

P.S. If you want to learn about goat milk formula (including one from Holle), click here.

Standard disclaimer: The advice and opinions presented here by Gimme the Good Stuff are based on our own research process as well as current scientific evidence. For medical advice, you should see a licensed medical professional. Statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any illness.


 Manufacturers change the ingredients in their products frequently; always read labels or call companies to verify.


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Filed Under: Safer Baby Supplies, Posts, Pregnancy, Childbirth, & Postpartum, Breastfeeding & Weaning, Newborn & Infant Concerns, Formula Feeding Without Stress, Products We Love Tagged With: European formula

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Comments

  1. Heather says

    February 12, 2017 at 2:06 AM

    Advising all mothers and fathers. Lebenswert (plus shipping)
    1.Organicbaby15—$25
    2.Organic munchkin-$30
    3. Formuland—– $39
    4. Beyond organic bby-$30
    List can going on but you already see the point.
    Plus with Organicbaby15 price can drop to $20 if you buy in bulks.

    Reply
  2. David N says

    March 25, 2017 at 3:38 AM

    Hi Maia,
    Not sure if this has already been asked and answered but regarding the companies that you have vetted: Little World Organics and Organic Munchkin. I was hoping to buy from Organic Munchkin however it appears that the company may have changed ?ownership (not sure), as the name changed to Organic Start. To your knowledge, can we still safely buy from Organic Start? I would get from LWO but they ran out of the formula I usually get.

    Looking forwarding to hearing from you!

    dave

    Reply
  3. Leslie Crevar says

    April 27, 2017 at 11:23 AM

    Just a quick question. Since you posted this recommendation have you seen any of the articles written up by Hipp explaining that the aluminum levels publication was faulty? Just asking because I really have no other choice but to use their Hipp HA as our little guys stomach is so sensitive he can’t even handle my breastmilk (dairy, grain,soy, and caffeine free) 🙁 I was just wondering if since you wrote the article you felt more comfortable with any research you had seen.

    Reply
    • Mom Mom says

      July 6, 2017 at 9:37 AM

      You can google to find the aluminum study and the levels in the study aren’t higher than what the UK mandates is acceptable. Aluminum naturally occurs in cow’s milk so it will be available to a certain extent. Here is some more information and a statement that is purported to be from Hipp: http://hippformulausa.com/hipp-formula-aluminum-study/ Also note that I looked at the study and Holle wasn’t one of the formulas tested so it is unknown what the concentration of aluminum is in that formula – could be higher or lower than Hipp.

      Reply
  4. Kerstin says

    May 3, 2017 at 1:43 AM

    Hello,

    your Page is great and i am so happy that i found here. I am looking for a better Formula instead of we are using right now. We are from Germany so my first thinking was buying some German Formular. I can´t breastfeed because of a medical issue so we have decide between Hipp Bio Pre Cobiotika or Lebenswert. My favorite was Hipp but than i read your Page. Your Page Hipp vs. Holle tells that there was Aluminium inside the Powder. I have read this a few times online but all of these Informations are older. Did you check the last few months if the Point with Aluminium still exists? We liked Hipp because it has DHA & ARA not with Hexane and just Lactose but the thing with Aluminium scares me!

    You wrote your Point 1 is Hipp (better the Dutch Version) or Holle Lebenwert. Why do you prefer the Dutch Version of Hipp. I just found the difference that the Dutch Version did not use Starch is that right or are there more differences? Is starch such a Problem in Formula, i thougt it just makes the Milk a Little bit thicker but not worser or?

    Reply
  5. natasha s. says

    May 15, 2017 at 7:25 AM

    Lebenswert stage 1 has skimmed milk. I have read this is not a good idea for formula. Do you have any advice?

    Reply
  6. Seemab says

    June 7, 2017 at 1:29 PM

    Holle and Lebenswert also come in pouches , do you know why those dont have high Aluminum? Has these two been tested for Aluminum? What is the difference between stage 2 Holle and stage 2 Lebeswert? Thanks

    Reply
  7. Anna says

    June 14, 2017 at 9:46 PM

    Hi there! Just wondering if anyone knows where I can order Liebensweet in Canada?

    Many thanks,
    Anna

    Reply
  8. Sheila says

    July 8, 2017 at 1:17 PM

    Hi,

    Thank you for this thorough review. I see that your bottom line recommends Holle over HiPP bc of the Aluminum issue and then the Lebenswert Stage 1 bc it eliminates the maltodextrin issue.
    But, what about Pre-biotics? Is the Lebenswert Stage 1 sufficient if we don’t supplement with pre-biotics? Do you have a suggested pre-biotic supplement?

    Thank you,
    Sheila

    Reply
  9. Ashley says

    January 5, 2018 at 11:12 AM

    I would recommend Holle cow milk formula. Holle is one of the best formulas on the baby food market and carry one of the strictest and highest organic certifications, Demeter. I would recommend either stage pre or stage 1, as both of them are suitable for babies from birth to 6 months. The main difference between the two stages is that stage pre contains lactose and stage 1 contains maltodextrin. OrganicBabyShop carry both stages.

    Reply
  10. Alphonso Jones says

    November 1, 2018 at 9:48 PM

    This is an affiliate link. Are you paid to recommend these suppliers?

    Reply
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