Childhood Nutrition Experts Demand FDA Regulation of Toddler Milk Labeling

Baby formula companies are pushing branded milks known as "toddler formula" to parents looking to boost the nutrition of their young children. But these products can be highly misleading.

A petition signed by 30 health and nutrition experts, including child health advocates and researchers from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut, pressed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to pass stronger regulations for these products and how they are marketed.

Toddler formula is intended for older babies and toddlers between the ages of 9 months to 3 years. But while the labels may look nearly identical to those on infant formula, the contents are quite different.

Is Toddler Milk Nutritious?

Toddler formulas can contain unhealthy ingredients like corn syrup solids and vegetable oil, despite colorful labels promising “30 nutrients for healthy growth” and “19 nutrients for growth such as calcium, vitamin D and zinc.” Health and child nutrition experts have taken issue with these and similar claims, stating, “Current labeling of toddler milks confuses consumers and misleads parents to believe these drinks are nutritious and necessary for young children.” 

“Parents are told that toddler formula is there to ‘fill in the nutritional gaps’ for picky eaters, but there is no reason this is necessary,” says Samantha Radford, PhD, a chemist specializing in exposure science and owner of Evidence-Based Mommy. “Toddler formula is basically fortified powdered milk.” 

This may come as surprising news for many parents, especially those who have come to trust the quality of infant formulas. Strictly regulated by the FDA, infant formula strives to mimic the healthy compounds found in human breast milk. But those regulations don’t extend to toddler formulas, a fact most parents simply don’t realize. 

Health Experts Speak Up

A special article by researchers at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, published in the journal Nutrition Reviews, addresses these misconceptions about the nutrition in toddler formula. Researchers assert that formula marketers do not have the best interests of toddlers in mind, and prey on parents’ vulnerability as they try to provide the best nutrition for their kids. 

The article states, “Toddler milks contain more sodium and less protein than whole cow’s milk, and the added sugars in these products are not recommended for children younger than two years. However, the marketing for these sweetened milk products positions them as a solution for caregivers concerned about their toddlers’ nutrition."

In addition to the lack of nutrition toddler milks provide, another concern is that parents may mistakenly purchase toddler milks for infants due to deceptively similar labeling. That would be dangerous since infants' immature digestive systems cannot handle cow's milk, which toddler formula contains in a powdered form. 

AAP Recommends Avoiding Toddler Milk

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises parents to skip the toddler formula stage altogether, calling toddler milk “unnecessary and potentially harmful to young children.”

Instead, the organization encourages parents to offer only cow’s milk and water as beverages during the first two years of life (once breastfeeding or bottle feeding comes to an end). “Otherwise,” says Radford, “kids fill up on sweetened beverages like toddler formula, and as a result, they're less likely to experiment with healthy foods.”

Easing the Transition

Once you think your toddler is ready to make the transition from breastmilk or formula to cow’s milk (do not give cow's milk to babies under 1), it’s fine to take things slow.

• Offer milk in a special cup to make it exciting, and even if your toddler resists, just keep trying each day without forcing the issue.
• Start with yogurt rather than milk (since it has already been partially digested by bacteria during the fermentation process).
• Hold off on cow’s milk and offer water instead, especially if you’re still nursing on occasion or if your toddler enjoys other sources of dairy, like yogurt or cheese.