Baby formula ingredient filters (want & avoid)

Iron-fortified, or the words “Infant Formula With Iron”

HealthyChildren says the Academy recommends iron-fortified formula from birth through 12 months when a baby is not breastfed or is only partly breastfed, and that low-iron formulas should not be used. MedlinePlus says to prefer an iron-fortified formula unless a clinician says otherwise. On the label, look for “Infant Formula With Iron,” which the FDA ties to at least 1 mg of iron per 100 calories.

The words “Infant Formula,” not a toddler drink

HealthyChildren says drinks labeled for toddlers, including follow-up formulas, are not infant formula. Do not feed a toddler drink to a baby under 12 months. The front of an infant formula says who it is for. If the package says toddler, it is a different product.

A named carbohydrate, often lactose

Lactose is the sugar in human milk. HealthyChildren says true primary lactose intolerance is rare in young infants, and that a lactose-free formula is a question for a clinician. Many parents look for lactose as the carbohydrate. That is a preference you can check in the ingredient list. It is not a claim that lactose makes a formula better.

A protein type you can name

HealthyChildren and MedlinePlus describe cow’s-milk formulas with intact protein, partly hydrolyzed protein, extensively hydrolyzed protein, amino-acid formula, soy formula, and goat’s-milk formula. Goat’s-milk formula is sold in the United States. HealthyChildren says babies with a cow’s-milk allergy should not be given other mammal milks, because the proteins can cross-react. Read which protein the label names. This page does not tell you which type to choose.

A nutrient panel you can compare with the FDA list

The nutrient panel on the can is the place to see what that formula provides.21 CFR 107.100is the FDA’s nutrient specification. TheFDA Q&Aexplains the consumer rules. Match the panel to the label in your hand.

Toddler products, when you are shopping for an infant

HealthyChildren says toddler drinks are not infant formula. They can differ in added sugar, salt, and protein, and the marketing claims are often unproven. If you are buying for a baby under 12 months, leave the toddler package on the shelf.

Low-iron infant formula

HealthyChildren says low-iron formulas should not be used. The same page says the iron in standard formula is not what causes constipation. If the label does not say “Infant Formula With Iron,” read the iron warning before you buy.

Homemade recipes, or a product that is not infant formula

This directory does not explain how to mix a homemade substitute. Preparation belongs on the can and on theFDA page for parents and caregivers. Follow the label and that FDA page.

Rice-derived carbohydrate, as a label you can see

Asampling study of infant formulas and first foodsreported higher arsenic in rice-fortified first foods, and higher arsenic in the non-dairy formulas it tested than in the dairy formulas. That is context for reading a label that lists brown rice syrup or rice starch. It is not a ban list, and it is not a finding about a brand this page does not name.

A heavy-metal test, with the lab and the date

Consumer Reports’ press release of March 18, 2025 describes tests of 41 powdered infant formulas. It reports arsenic and lead findings, and says most samples did not raise concerns. Read that release for the method, the date, and any concentration. This page does not turn the release into a ranking. Anarrative reviewdiscusses gaps in U.S. limits written for contaminants in infant formula. That is policy context, not a lab result for the can in your hand.

“Closest to breast milk,” and other marketing lines

Treat “closest to breast milk” as a marketing line. HealthyChildren warns that toddler drinks often carry claims that are not proven. A company sentence on a can is the company’s wording. It is not evidence by itself.

A switch for colic or fussiness, with no clinician in the conversation

MedlinePlus and HealthyChildren say fussiness is often not the formula. Soy is not proven for colic. A suspected milk allergy is a clinician’s question. The specialty path those pages describe is hydrolyzed or amino-acid formula, not a soy swap you choose from a shelf.

The American Academy of Pediatricsclinical report on soy protein formulasdescribes soy formula for galactosemia, for hereditary lactase deficiency, and for families who want a vegetarian formula. It does not describe soy formula as a routine answer for colic. It says these formulas are not designed for preterm infants. For cow’s-milk protein allergy, the report does not put soy first. It points to extensively hydrolyzed formula or an amino-acid formula. HealthyChildren’s choosing-a-formula page is the plain-language companion. This section does not name a formula to buy.