Vegetarian Baby Milk and Holle Infant Formula

UPDATE - 10TH AUGUST 2015. Organic vegetarian baby milk and infant formula is now available from birth onwards. After approval by the European Food Safety Agency goats milk based baby milks and infant formula are now approved for sale within the EU and have enabled holle to produce the only approved organic vegetarian baby milk on the market. Click to read more on this important update on vegetarian baby milks.

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I receive several enquiries every week asking whether the Holle organic baby milks are suitable for vegetarians, so I thought I would publish a quick article letting everybody know the situation. It is currently impossible to source vegetarian baby milk derived from cows milk. The only fully suitable vegetarian baby milk is the Holle Organic Goats Milk Formula, which is also the only certified organic goats milk for babies on the market. Whenever I talk to Holle about this situation they tell me that they would desparately like to make their baby milks and formulas suitable for vegetarian babies and families. As a caring and ethical company they have enormous sympathies with animal welfare issues. The organic full cream milk used in Holle baby milks and formulas comes from cows raised biodynamically in the organic fields and pastures of Germany and Austria. The superior quality of their infant formulas derives from the traditionally high quality farming and the expert care the animals receive, as well as the naturally lush vegetation available to the cows.

Vegetarian Baby Milks - The Difficulties

As a company, Holle has a policy of working to make their baby milks suitable for vegetarians and, as such, do not add any fish oils to their baby milks - unlike some other baby milk companies. However, they are not yet able to source sufficient quanitities of whey powder, which they are required to add by the strict EU baby milk and formula regulations, from strict vegetarian sources. Whenever they can source the whey from vegetarian sources they do so, but it is currently almost impossible to get vegetarian whey powder in the amounts baby food manufacturers would need to offer a consistent supply. The company is constantly talking with its trusted biodynamic and organic farmers and suppliers as to how to work towards a more reliable supply of vegetarian whey powder for use in its baby milk. As soon as we hear any news we will post further articles on this blog and update our product descriptions.

Your Views on Vegetarian Baby Milks

I also pass on all your enquiries about vegetarian baby milks to Holle so that they continue to realise the importance of this issue to many mums and dads. So, if you would like to leave send me a message I can guarantee that your voice will be heard.