Whether formula feeding or combo feeding was your plan from day one, or you just turned to it in a moment of sheer exhaustion after one too many 3 a.m. breastfeeding sessions — the reality is that many parents rely on formula at some point in their baby’s first year.
According to the most recent CDC Early Childhood Nutrition Report, nearly 23% of infants in the U.S. require formula supplementation within the first two days of life, and by six months old, 72% are fed some amount of formula. But choosing a brand amid a sea of options can feel daunting, especially in the wake of recalls and supply-chain concerns.
Knowing standards need to be higher, new players like Little Spoon are entering the market with a focus on radical transparency. The brand known for its organic baby and toddler purees, meals, and snacks launched its own organic whole milk infant formula on March 17, bringing its strict rigorous safety protocols to the category.
But what should you really care about when shopping for infant formula? Here are six questions all parents should ask to feel confident in what you’re feeding your little one.
1. What’s actually being tested — and how often?
The FDA regulates infant formula in the U.S. and sets stringent requirements for approved ingredients and recommended nutrients, as well as safety standards like annual inspections of manufacturing facilities and required testing for Salmonella and Cronobacter. Even with these guardrails and despite efforts to improve testing safety remains a primary concern for families; a one congressional report revealed that a number of top baby food brands contained “dangerous levels of inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury.”
Little Spoon’s formula adds extra layers of testing beyond what’s mandated by federal requirements. Every batch is screened for over 500 toxins and contaminants including lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, pesticide residues, pathogens, and spore-forming bacteria and if a batch doesn't meet Little Spoon’s standards, it’s not sold. Crucially, while the FDA requires annual inspections, Little Spoon conducts over 2,000 documented safety checks on every batch.
2. Are the testing results available to the public?
Formula manufacturers aren’t required to publish their testing results publicly, but some brands voluntarily share results on their websites, while others have third-party certifications from the Clean Label Project, which independently tests for certain environmental contaminants. Little Spoon formula has earned Clean Label’s First 1,000 Days Promise, Pesticide-Free Award, and Purity Award. In addition, Little Spoon is the first infant formula brand to publicly define safety limits and publish batch-level test results on its website — including exact heavy metal levels for added peace of mind. Little Spoon also voluntarily conducts Sulfite-Reducing Clostridia (SRC) screening at levels 10x stricter than global safety benchmarks to help prevent botulism-causing bacteria growth.
3. What kind of milk is it made from?
Traditionally, infant formulas have been made with skim milk, with plant-based oils (like palm, canola, coconut, and sunflower) added in order to provide the necessary fatty acids to support baby’s growth and development. In recent years, more brands have been introducing whole milk based-formula, which requires less added oils due to whole milk’s higher fat content. Whole milk also contains milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), a complex layer that surrounds fat droplets in milk. Studies suggest that MFGM supports cognitive development, immune function, and gastrointestinal health. Little Spoon’s formula is made with whole milk, and is designed to mimic the protein and fat balance of breast milk with a 60:40 whey to casein ratio.
4. Where is the milk sourced?
The quality of the milk begins with the quality of the cow's life. Little Spoon’s organic whole milk is sourced from grass-fed cows in New Zealand, a country that banned the use of growth hormones on dairy cows and has strict “grass-fed” criteria, including freely grazing on pasture at least 340 days a year.
5. Which certifications matter?
“Organic” is a term often used, but not always understood. To meet USDA Organic standards, a formula must be made with at least 95% organic ingredients and produced without GMOs, antibiotics, or artificial growth hormones. Organic infant formula means it’s manufactured from milk sourced from dairy farms that don’t use artificial growth hormones or antibiotics and where cows roam freely outdoors, there are no GMOs, and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Little Spoon formula is both certified USDA Organic and certified to EU Organic Equivalency Arrangement. It is also Kosher Dairy Certified, if that is important to your tot and family.
6. Is the formula reliably available?
There’s nothing quite like the panic of scraping the bottom of the formula can only to realize that there’s no spare can in your pantry. When picking a formula, you should consider whether it’s reliably in stock at nearby stores, available to order online with quick shipping times, or better yet, comes with a subscription so you never have to remember to restock (because the brain fog of that first year is so real). Little Spoon formula utilizes the same subscription model as its baby and toddler food — along with a supply guarantee — marking one thing off your to-do list and ensuring you aren’t left at the mercy of empty store shelves.
Editor’s Note: At this time, Good Housekeeping has not conducted independent testing of Little Spoon’s formula with parents and infants.
