Interesting reading

[WinkyWinkola]

The Ecologist

[alexpolismum]

I can hardly believe that formula is so unregulated as this article makes out, it just seems incredible. I thought there were strict requirements as to what it should include.

[jamila169]

if you look on a tin of formula only the whey,skimmed milk and veg oil parts are listed as such -the rest is a list of micronutrients and additives which can pretty much come from anywhere - the latest incarnation being bedtime milk which has corn starch in it ie. cornflour which is presumably to make the milk sit in the stomach longer so the baby doesn't feel hungry and wake up! imagine how much nutrition a baby could be missing out if as is probable, it's abused by giving it to very young babies to get them to sleep through

[edam]

these are the regulations governing what's in formula - see schedule 1 and 2. Although it does permit 'other food ingredients the suitability of which for particular nutritional use by infants from birth has been established by generally accepted scientific data'.

[alexpolismum]

perhaps it's the type of sugar kazbeth, maybe in breastmilk it's of an easily digestible kind

edam - do you think that 'generally accepted scientific data' sounds a little vague? Does this mean it has to have come up in a certain number of research projects, for example?

What age is bedtime milk supposed to be from? Actually, I've never heard of bedtime milk. Is it the same as hungry baby milk? (an odd name, as all babies seem to be hungry!)

[puffylovett]

excellent article, had a few facs in there that surprised me, that I didn't know.

like the table at the end which shows what is actually in breastmilk as opposed to formula.

didn't like that it calls formula junk food - for some mothers, they have no choice in the matter and could make them feel inadequate / guilty.

but all in all, a v interesting read.