ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA: A report released today by The Cornucopia Institute presents research indicating that new additives placed in infant formula are seriously endangering the health of some formula-fed newborns and toddlers.
The report, Replacing Mother-Imitating Human Breast Milk in the Laboratory, details research questioning the alleged benefits of adding "novel" omega-3 fatty acids, produced in laboratories and extracted from algae and fungus, into infant formulas. The additives raised health and safety red flags during preapproval testing while aggressive marketing campaigns by some infant formula manufacturers appear to have encouraged new mothers to give up nursing for the questionable infant products.
"When I worked in the hospital's neonatal ward, the nurses all called it 'the diarrhea formula'," says Sam Heather Doak, LPN, IBCLC, from Marietta, Ohio. "We've seen infants, tiny little humans, with diarrhea that just wouldn't stop after being given this formula." For infants, virulent and long-term diarrhea is considered a serious and life-threatening medical episode.
The infant formula referenced by Doak was supplemented with Martek Biosciences Corporation's laboratory-produced oils containing DHA and ARA. DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, and ARA, an omega-6 fatty acid, are naturally found in human breast milk and are considered important nutrients for rapidly developing infants.
But laboratory-produced DHASCO and ARASCO (Martek's names for their proprietary oils) are materially different from the fats found in a mother's breast milk. Martek's products are extracted from fermented algae and fungus, with the use of the synthetic solvent hexane, a neurotoxic chemical. They contain only 40 to 50% DHA and ARA, with the balance being sunflower oil, diglycerides, and nonsaponifiable materials. Some of these components are not found in human breast milk, and the triglycerides carrying DHA and ARA are not identical to those found in human breast milk-and have never been part of the diet for human infants.
Infant formula manufacturers suggest that DHA and ARA oils in formula are necessary to support proper development, yet serious doubts persist within the scientific community regarding whether these oils actually confer any long-term benefits to an infant's brain and eye development.
"It's true that DHA and ARA are important nutrients for developing infants-that's why they're found in human breast milk. But we have also seen that some infants are experiencing side effects like diarrhea from consuming the manufactured DHA and ARA oils in formula," says Jimi Francis, Ph.D., a biochemist specializing in DHA in infant nutrition at the Allie M. Lee Laboratory for Omega-3 Research at the University of Nevada at Reno. Also, humans are able to produce DHA and ARA on their own from other fats.
The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm and food policy research group and corporate watchdog, presented its report, in partnership with the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy, to government officials and medical professionals at the January 25th meeting of the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee in Arlington, Virginia.
"While infant formula manufacturers claim that these oils are perfectly safe and necessary for proper development, our report aims to provide a more balanced and detailed picture," said Charlotte Vallaeys, Farm and Food Policy Analyst with the Cornucopia Institute and lead author of the report. "We investigated how a toxic chemical is used as processing agents in the manufacturing process, the inadequate testing for safety, and most importantly, how some infants are experiencing serious adverse reactions from consuming formula supplemented with these oils," Vallaeys added.
"This report presents a disturbing look at the addition of novel ingredients into infant formula," says Marsha Walker, Executive Director of the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy. "The FDA has received scores of reports on the adverse effects of these ingredients, but, to date, the public's only access to these is through Cornucopia's Freedom of Information Act request. This report will help alert the health care community and federal agencies to some of the adverse effects of added DHA and ARA in infant formulas."
Cornucopia and the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy also announced that they are calling for a warning label on all formula containing DHA/ARA. The groups are petitioning the FDA for a label alerting parents of the range of possible complications from DHA/ARA-supplemented formula.
"Although many infants seem to be able to tolerate these materials, regardless of their efficacy, we know that some children face serious and even life-threatening impacts," said Vallaeys. "At a minimum parents need to be informed of the risks so they can immediately pull children off these designer formulas if health complications occur."
While FDA officials had previously noted studies that reported diarrhea, flatulence, jaundice, and apnea in infants fed DHA/ARA-supplemented formula, they nevertheless did not block the use of the oils. That action gave the green light for infant formula manufacturers to add the oils to formula. Today, Martek boasts that 90% of formula in the U.S. contains its patented DHA- and ARA-containing oils.
Advertisements touting DHA/ARA-supplemented formula as "closer than ever to breast milk" have sparked another action from Cornucopia and the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy. The two groups have jointly filed a petition with the Federal Trade Commission alleging that formula companies are engaged in misleading advertising. The ads appear based on shaky scientific evidence.
"Adding these two fatty acids to formula does not make it 'close to breast milk,'" says Jennifer Thomas, M.D., a pediatrician practicing in Racine, Wisconsin. "Breast milk has nutrients, live cells, and bioactive compounds that are absent from formula," she added. "These advertisements make it a lot harder for me, as a pediatrician, to convince new mothers to breastfeed if they have seen advertisements or labels implying that formula is just as good as breast milk.
The Cornucopia Institute is especially concerned that these additives are now sold in certified organic formula, a practice that appears to violate federal organic regulations. "This marketing gimmick has no place in organics," said Mark Kastel, Cornucopia's Codirector.
Federal regulations, Kastel explained, specifically prohibit the use of hexane-extracted ingredients in organic foods. Cornucopia has filed a Freedom of Information Request looking at how the USDA appears to have collaborated with lobbyists for Dean Foods and others in secretly allowing these materials.
The full report can be viewed on The Cornucopia Institute's web page at:
http://cornucopia.org/DHA/DHA_FullReport.pdf
MORE:
Product Safety Since its introduction six years ago, the majority of formula in the United States is now supplemented with "novel" omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, produced in laboratories, extracted from algae and fungus. Currently, formula manufacturers do not provide any information, on labels or their web sites, on the possibility of adverse reactions in some infants.
The Cornucopia Institute is urging parents of infants who have reacted negatively to formula with DHA and ARA to report these adverse reactions to the FDA's Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program. Reports can be submitted online by following this link: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/medwatch-online.htm.
The Cornucopia Institute is collecting this data as well and is encouraging parents who feel their children have been negatively impacted by formula containing DHA/ARA, or health care providers who suspect that the formula has caused health problems, to send their reports to the organization at cultivate@cornucopia.org.
Organics In 2006, a compliance officer at the USDA dismissed a formal legal complaint alleging that hexane-extracted algal DHA and fungal ARA oils were illegally added to organic infant formula. This ruling, the latest in a series of industry-friendly interpretations of the organic standards, appears to be in conflict with the law passed by Congress and in violation of the Organic Food Production Act of 1990.
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is charged by Congress to recommend changes to the national organic standards and the list of allowed materials/ingredients, with input from the public. USDA officials must consult the NOSB in matters of this nature. This dismissal of the complaint was considered by some to be equivalent to a green light to formula manufacturers to add a hexane-extracted, unapproved substance to organic products.
The Cornucopia Institute believes that such clandestine changes of the organic rules, subsequent to secret negotiations with industry lobbyists, were illegal and is presently researching avenues for redress.
Hexane-extracted algal oils, known as "Life'sDHA®," have also made their way into organic milk and organic nutrition bars. Dean Food's Horizon brand and Stremicks, for example, now sell milk with hexane-extracted algal DHA oils.
All the organic infant formula products and milk in question are certified by the nation's largest USDA accredited certifier, Quality Assurance International (QAI).
"When I buy organic milk, I expect to pay a little more because I want safe and wholesome food without chemicals or processed with toxic substances. I expect the government to respect and enforce the organic rules, and it upsets me that they are allowing Horizon milk to call itself 'organic' when it has these illegal, hexane-extracted ingredients," says organic consumer Emily Ladow Reynolds, from Boston, Massachusetts.
See the full report at : http://cornucopia.org/DHA/DHA_FullReport.pdf
Infant Formula Manufacturers Again u... 
dquixote1217
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Infant Formula Manufacturers Again under Ethical Cloud
The Cornucopia Institute, JANUARY 25, 2008
- Re: Infant Formula Manufacturers Aga... Sunshine P
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This is a reply to # 1,096,674Great, thanks for that. That is exactly what I wanted. I will read the full report too, this evening. My Wife will want to read it too.
So…..what are the choices for bottle feeding babies?
Can anyone recommend a decent baby book, that talks about formula milk and baby nutrition?
Are these books any good? Both my Martha Sears.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316779245/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencod...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/000719823X/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencod...
My second is on the way and I want to be prepared. Pasteurised / homogenised Cow’s milk is off the menu that’s for sure.
Sunshine
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”I was surprised by the effectiveness of it, and I wasn’t hungry.”
- Re: Infant Formula Manufacturers Aga... dquixote1217
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MoreThis is a reply to # 1,096,852
I am sorry to say that your question is outside my area or knowledge. Perhaps un-pasteurized goats milk if mother's milk is not available? I would for sure avoid the soy products. Most soy products are evil gmo concoctions (except maybe the fermented ones) from a very well heeled an industry. Same goes for corn and canola. And they are in EVERYTHING!
In case you missed it, here is the post I made relating to baby bottle safety:
Research Biased on Harmful Chemical in Baby Bottles, Cans, 100s More Ite...
DQ
- Re: Infant Formula Manufacturers Aga... Sunshine P
16 y
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This is a reply to # 1,096,918
Thanks for the link. Yes, I did miss it. I’m just starting out on this research. I think I know the answer, but I need to be able to convince my wife. A simple “You Will Breastfeed Our Child” is not gonna work ;-) and anyway; I want to know why we can or why we can’t.
I know all about how cow’s milk is harmful to humans, only too well:-( I know what they have done to soya too and that is even worse than cows milk. I assume all formula babies milk is toxic junk too. Maybe goats milk is ok????, but needs to be raw, unpasteurised, but I’m guessing…need to read up some more about it, hence the questions.
I have not managed to get unpasturised milk in my area either. Its against the law in the UK! Imagine that!
I’m half way through the full DHA/ARA report. What a mess your society is in! what a mess! Imagine that, giving babies this gunk. Well I don’t have to imagine it….its happening right now.
Sunshine
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”I was surprised by the effectiveness of it, and I wasn’t hungry.”
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This is a reply to # 1,096,959I suggest taking a look at the Baby Nutrition, Pregnancy/Birth and Parenting forums here - and like anything here at CZ, including what I write, do your own research before blindly taking any suggestions.
Since your wife is the one who will actually be carrying and having the baby, I strongly suggest that you make your research a joint effort and not try to tell her what to do. For some odd reason, a lot of women are not exactly thrilled by a guy having his 15 seconds of contribution and then trying to dictate the rest of the entire process. Don't fall into that trap and possibly introduce resentments into what should be the ultimate expression of love and creation. Take her hand as a partner and try to gently steer her towards a healthy solution.
The good news is the fact that she IS married to you and IS having your child indicates that you do have some powers of persuasion.
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- Re: Infant Formula Manufacturers Aga... Sunshine P
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- Ingredient list for Similac grzbear
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- Food for the pregnant mother, newbor... sandover
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This is a reply to # 1,096,852Advertisement
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”I was surprised by the effectiveness of it, and I wasn’t hungry.”
Hi Sunshine,
http://www.westonaprice.org/children/index.html
That's the index for articles on pregnancy/lactation nutrition for mom, on homemade formula for moms/babies when nursing has not worked, and on what to feed as "first foods" for an infant/toddler.
You can find fresh-milk sources at
http://www.realmilk.com
for your state. Some states don't allow milk sales so a nearby state is your best option. I have used both fresh goat and cow milk and both are great for little ones (and their "big ones" too -- I love it).
Soy formula should be considered poison. I'd feed my children heroin before I would feed them soy formula. Nobody should eat non-fermented soy products and it is no coincidence that it is placed in food for those unable to complain about it. Doctors who recommend it and stores that sell it, not to mention companies that make it, are all engaging in criminal activity.
Apple cider vinegar applied externally, and probiotic (we use Megaflora) internally (1/2 capsule per day in a bottle) will help with eczema. At 5 months our twin daughters got croup and I dutifully took them to the doctor, where one of them got a shot of steroids (in retrospect, it was completely unnecessary as her sister had already gotten over the croup without the shot). Shortly afterward, she developed a little spot of skin-something on her upper back. We did the ACV -- diluted with water -- and Megaflora and it went away within a couple of months.
If I get pregnant again I will eat more raw eggs and drink more fresh milk, supplement with iodine, and concentrate on organ foods and high-quality meats in general in the last trimester especially (and in that "4th trimester" -- the first three months after they are born!).
The WAPF website provided me with the greatest amount of useful information -- another website that is helpful is Nina Planck's:
http://www.ninaplanck.com
She is great on why we should steer clear of what she labels "industrial foods" and stick close to saturated fats and traditional whole foods.
Thanks, all, for an interesting thread...
Laura
- Re: Food for the pregnant mother, ne... Sunshine P
16 y
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MoreThis is a reply to # 1,099,967Ah ha, wonderful Sandover, great post thank you.
Now, I do trust the WesternaPrice people, they have a lot of wise things to say. I keep meaning to read his original book, because his words come up repeatedly in the reading that I’m doing, but it’s a bit a tomb stone that book! I will get around to it eventually.
I have printed off most of the stuff from the WAPF link and I will read at my leisure, but I notice Sally Fallon wrote some of the articles ……. She knows her stuff big time. Her book “Nourishing Traditions” is a very good way to live life.
I wholeheartedly agree. Soya is now a poison, shame really as I used to like those fresh soya beans with my mercury toxic tuna.
I’m in the UK and I still can’t find any raw milk.
I love ACV ;-)
Sunshine
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- Re: Infant Formula Manufacturers Aga... dquixote1217
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- Breast milk 'may be allergy key' grzbear
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This is a reply to # 1,096,674Advertisement
Bio Cleanse Detox Kit
”I was surprised by the effectiveness of it, and I wasn’t hungry.”
A bit of common sense is needed here...
Breast milk 'may be allergy key'
A study may have discovered why breastfeeding might help protect children against allergies such as asthma, scientists have said.
The French research, published in Nature Medicine, shows female mice exposed to allergens can pass them directly to their offspring in milk.
This allows the newborns to become "tolerant" of the substance.
the rest
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7208941.stm
Another thing to consider here is the historical nutritional health\balance of the parents, grandparents, etc. etc, and of course, the ever present environment.
grz-
- Re: The autoammunie system passes pr... popoe
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This is a reply to # 1,097,395from allergies, past illness that mother and otherr family members in the mothers direct line of progenators has lived through in the recent past 100 years or so
- Re: The autoammunie system passes pr... Sunshine P
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This is a reply to # 1,097,419Dquixote1217 “I strongly suggest that you make your research a joint effort and not try to tell her what to do.” – oh yeah, ain’t that a fact! I’m looking for information to help my wife understand. I already know what the solution is, but my wife needs to learn & figure it out herself. She will not just take a pronouncement from me;-) she will be doing most of the hard work afterall.
Did you read the full report about formula milk? Very interesting indeed, thanks for posting it. I wonder if anything will happen with what they discovered/revealed. I suspect it will just be swept under the carpet………and conveniently lost.
Hi Grizzlybear, thanks for that.
- Re: The autoammunie system passes pr... dquixote1217
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MoreThis is a reply to # 1,097,532Advertisement
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”I was surprised by the effectiveness of it, and I wasn’t hungry.”
And here is another reason, just posted:
http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1098229
- Re: The autoammunie system passes pr... Sunshine P
16 y
5,681
This is a reply to # 1,098,234Thanks for that ingredients list.
Looking at all these incredible ingredients scares me. No way on earth would I drink that muck, let alone let a baby drink it. The bulk of the ingredients are “46pct corn syrup,14.7pct soy protein, 11pct high oleic safflower oil, 10pct sugar, 8pct soy oil....” and I would not eat any of them.
No….no way……no way would I drink that crap
What does that make me? When I refuse to drink, and allow my family to drink, what is considered normal? A health freak? Brainwashed? Sane? Insane?
Exclusively breastfeeding seems to be the only way to go.
Sunshine
- Re: The autoammunie system passes pr... Sunshine P
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- Re: The autoammunie system passes pr... dquixote1217
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- Re: The autoammunie system passes pr... popoe
16 y
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- Re: Infant Formula Manufacturers Aga... smartchick01
13 y
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This is a reply to # 1,096,674Has anyone investigated that this may be the cause of autism in children?
- Re: Infant Formula Manufacturers Aga... Sunshine P
16 y
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