HiPP Versus Holle: Which European Infant Formula is Healthier?
Written by:
Maia James
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,
Maia, Founder & CEO
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200 responses to “HiPP Versus Holle: Which European Infant Formula is Healthier?”
Hi Maia,
We just started using the Premium Organic Infant Formula from the Honest company while we’re waiting for Hipp to be back in stock so we can order. I know it does not contain DHA, but they make a supplement you can add to the formula. However, the dosage goes by weight, and it starts at 10 lbs. Our newborn only weighs just over 7 lbs, so I’m not sure how much to give her or if it’s even safe for infants. Do you have any advice?Best,
-Robert
Congrats on your newborn! This is a question that I think is best answered by a pediatrician. Would love to hear the advice you receive if you would be willing to share. Thanks!
Has anyone actually asked your child’s pediatrician about using HiPP/Holle? If so, what was the response? I want to start using one of these for my baby, but my pediatrician has me fill out info about what we’re feeding her at every visit and I just don’t want a lecture about how it isn’t FDA approved.
Ginger, if it’s at all helpful–It’s my understanding that Euro formulas are only not FDA approved because they haven’t sought approval, not because they wouldn’t meet it.
Ginger.
When i told my doctor about Giving my Baby Holle FOrmula he had no clue . My doc just gave me the stink eye. At the end of the day its your baby and you know best. My little one just turned 9 months, hasnt gotten sick once and is super healthy. I dont know if its because of the formula or not but i would like to think so since its costing me a pretty penny to get her the best .
I was under the impression that you no longer needed to boil the water when making formula…but I look forward to hearing from some formula feeders on this thread!
Is this store a safe store. Another blog about these formulas said to order from bristore.co.uk. Also I got the UK version of hippvthis time and not the German and she’s been 24hrs since the change in formula and she’s been spitting up a lot more than usual. Guess that’s from the switch. She didn’t spit up at all on the German one though
Thank you for the in depth evaluation of these products. Using holle stage 1 and own a three step water filter (thanks gimmethegoodstuff). What is the deal with the instructions for boiling the water? Does this have to be done? and why or why not?
Correction heating the water to 50 degrees Celsius then cooling to 37 degrees Celsius.
I just received my Hipp infant formula in the mail and read the ingredients and nutrition facts and was shocked to see that it contains FLUORIDE!!! Beware…..
I am so disappointed?I used hipp with my 14 month old, but because of aluminum concern, I’m thinking of trying the lebenswert. I’ve read that it has less fat content though. Should this be cause for concern?
Hi Alder-
That would be a question for your pediatrician, but if it were my baby and he/she were a healthy weight, I wouldn’t be concerned.
I’m sorry but there is a lot of confusion on this site about Holle and HiPP. Both of these formulas are excellent, both sourced from organic European farms and both of these EU certified organic companies know exactly where their raw materials are derived. In fact, HiPP contracts with a very large network of European farmers, for example, that are all required to abide by the same EU organic standards.
Regarding the aluminum issue, this need to be corrected for parents. Aluminum in infant milk (and it is in ALL infant milk, aluminum is in almost all of our processed foods in small traces) is derived from the actual soil on which cows feed. It’s found in the earth’s crust and depends on the age of soil. This study only measured certain brands, did not measure Holle, and is only a single snapshot of one particular box from one particular cow. It doesn’t mean that all the formula contains the same levels. It certainly doesn’t mean that one brand of baby formula has more aluminum than another because of this. There is a very good and extensive review of the study that parents should have access to: http://hippformulausa.com/hipp-formula-aluminum-study/
Both of these formulas are excellent substitutes to US national brands? Why? Because they don’t contain artificial additives. It’s really that simple. We’ve had our baby on HiPP for over a year. When we switched from Enfamil (which I thought was the best found here) to HiPP, she changed completely. No more colic, no more digestive problems. Her poop turned yellow again.
All I can tell parents is, don’t get caught up in the banter. Try it and see for yourself!
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