ArticleNutrients2023
Iron and DHA in Infant Formula Purchased in the US Fails to Meet European Nutrition Requirements.
Article in Nutrients, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Article
- Evaluation of Mineral Content in Preterm Human Milk and Infant Formulas in Qatar: Assessing Compliance With Dietary Recommendations and Label Accuracy.Food science & nutrition · 2025Article
- Sweetness Ratings of U.S. Infant Formulas.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Gastrointestinal tolerability of organic infant formula compared to traditional infant formula: A systematic review.World journal of clinical pediatrics · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Requirements for iron and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content of infant formula varies by country. Powdered full-term infant formula purchase data from all major physical stores in the US between 2017-2019 were obtained from CIRCANA, Inc. Iron and DHA composition and scoop sizes for each formula were obtained from manufacturers. The equivalent liquid ounces of prepared formula were calculated. Average iron and DHA content were compared between formula types and to both US and European formula composition requirements. These data represent 55.8 billion ounces of formula. The average iron content of all formula purchased was: 1.80 mg/100 kcal. This iron concentration is within the FDA regulations. However, it exceeds the maximum allowable iron concentration of infant formula (Stage 1) set by the European Commission of 1.3 mg/100 kcal. A total of 96% of formula purchased had an iron concentration of >1.3 mg/100 kcal. DHA is not a required ingredient in US formulas. The average DHA content of all formula purchased was: 12.6 mg/100 kcal. This DHA concentration is far below the minimum required DHA concentrations of infant formula (Stage 1) and follow-on formula (Stage 2) set by the European Commission of 20 mg/100 kcal. These are novel insights into the iron and DHA intake of formula-fed infants in the US. As international infant formulas have entered the US market due to the formula shortage, parents and providers need to be aware of regulatory differences in formula nutrient composition.
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Registered trials
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