FDA mandates higher nutrition & safety standards for baby formula

We have previously written that when it comes to protecting Americans from dangerous and defective products, the greatest scrutiny should be given to products intended for children. Whether the danger comes from an unsafe toy that poses a choking hazard or a crib that could collapse with a baby in it, these products need to be taken off the market before children are injured or killed.

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it will be implementing more stringent rules to regulate infant formula. The rules are designed to ensure both safety and proper nutrition.

The FDA implemented these rule changes after studying infant formula for nearly two decades. Formula manufacturers are already required by law to include a specific set of nutrients in their products. But the FDA says that the new rules will require companies to prove that they are indeed including these required nutrients in their products.

Additionally, the FDA has also implemented rules to make sure that formula products are properly tested and are free of pathogens including salmonella before they can be distributed. As many readers know, certain pathogens that would normally cause illness in adults could be fatal to infants.

Breastfeeding is still recommended over formula for infants of a certain age. But for a number of reasons, breast milk is not an option for some babies. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that any and all brands of formula are safe and that they provide babies with the proper nutrients they need for growth and development.

Source: NBC News, “FDA Announces New Rules on Infant Formula Safety,” Feb. 6, 2014