Best Organic Baby Formulas From Our Tests

To be labeled organic, a product must be certified by the Department of Agriculture. If you’re wondering how to tell whether a baby formula is truly organic, look for the green USDA Organic seal, which means the formula is made with 95 percent organic ingredients. 

Formulas that meet this certification by the USDA must be produced according to farming production practices that “foster resource cycling, promote ecological balance, maintain and improve soil and water quality, minimize the use of synthetic materials, and conserve biodiversity,” the USDA states on its website. 

That may mean using organic milk from cows that aren’t treated with growth hormones or antibiotics, have access to pasture for grazing, and aren’t fed genetically modified crops. It can also mean using plant oils and sugars from crops grown without genetic engineering, synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, and without using sewage sludge as a fertilizer.

It’s rare to find formulas that are 100 percent organic because the synthetic vitamins added to them to meet nutrition requirements are lab-made and not usually available in an organic form. When you look at an organic formula’s ingredients label, you’ll see that most are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins used to make up the sources of calories your baby’s growing body needs to thrive. At least 98 percent of what’s in formulas are these important macronutrients. The remaining 2 percent are vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) or additional ingredients like DHA, prebiotics, probiotics, nucleotides, and other “non-nutrients.” For a full breakdown of each of these extra ingredients, see our guide to choosing an infant formula.

The European Union has its own certification process for organic foods administered by the European Commission, which also requires a minimum organic content of 95 percent. All infant formulas produced in Europe must be organic. You might see “Bio” on the packaging along with the EU organic certification leaf symbol. Some European infant formulas have an even more stringent “biodynamic” certification through the Demeter Association, which requires going beyond organic certification standards to meet sustainable and biodynamic farming practices.

Since 2012, an international trade arrangement between the U.S. and the E.U. has allowed E.U.-certified organic products to be sold in the U.S., and vice versa. This means that products certified as organic in Europe may also be labeled and sold as organic here, with few exceptions. 

If you’re specifically looking for a European baby formula, it’s important to know that in order for it to be sold legally in the U.S., it must be registered with the FDA and is subject to the FDA’s requirements for formula nutrition and production. 

Consumer Reports has tested more than 90 baby formulas for contaminants. The organic formulas listed below stood out for their low risk of heavy metals, acrylamide, and BPA contamination. They’re listed alphabetically. 

Infant formula is one of the most tightly regulated foods on the market, and all infant formula sold in the U.S. undergoes regular quality and safety testing. 

But despite stringent oversight of many aspects of formula production, there are currently no federal limits on the levels of toxic elements such as lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, or contaminants like BPA, acrylamide, and PFAS. Consumer Reports scientists partnered with an outside lab to test dozens of samples of powdered, liquid, and ready-to-feed infant formula for contaminants in two rounds of testing. (You can see the full methodology for our most recent round of testing here, and the methodology for our first round of testing here.) Our test results highlight that there are safer alternatives when it comes to reducing your baby’s exposure to toxic heavy metals and other contaminants in infant formula, and that it’s possible to produce formula that doesn’t contain concerning levels of toxic contaminants.

Nutrition: Because all infant formulas registered with the FDA must meet strict nutritional guidelines, there aren’t major differences in nutrition between organic and conventional formulas. Some research has shown that organic cow’s milk may have higher levels of naturally occurring minerals, such as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and molybdenum, but may have lower levels of other minerals, such as copper, zinc, iodine, and selenium, than conventional cow’s milk. But both conventional and organic milk are fortified with additional nutrients to meet the FDA’s requirements. Organic cow’s milk may also have higher levels of fatty acids than conventional milk. 

Pesticide and antibiotic residue exposure: The most significant difference between organic formula and traditional formula may be in the levels of trace synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and antibiotics. Research shows that organic formulas contain lower levels of synthetic pesticides and herbicides than formulas that are produced conventionally, and we know that even low levels of pesticide exposure in infancy can negatively affect an infant’s neurological and behavioral development. But we still need more research on whether the potential risk of pesticide exposure from conventional infant formula is significant enough to affect infant development. A 2019 analysis of the contaminants in organic and conventional cow’s milk sold in stores found that residue of antibiotics was detected in 60 percent of the samples of conventional cow’s milk tested, whereas none were detected in the samples of organic milk.

Cost: If you’re feeding your baby formula, it’s likely that it will make up a significant portion of their diet in their first year of life. You’ll want to choose a formula that your baby tolerates well, is safe, and is affordable. Organic infant formulas tend to be more expensive per ounce than conventional formulas and may not be covered by supplemental benefits, like WIC.

Other elements of concern: In CR’s tests, not all organic formulas we analyzed had lower levels of heavy metals. Buying organic may mean that a product is lower in synthetic pesticides, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the formula is free from other toxic elements, such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, or mercury. Still, many of the organic formulas CR has tested had non-detectable levels of heavy metals, showing that it’s possible to make safer infant formula. 

See the full list of results from our independent lab tests on heavy metals and other toxic elements in infant formula here. If you have further questions about choosing an infant formula for your baby, your pediatrician is your best resource.