I was trying to re-order again in bulk from Amazon when I noticed for the first time the controversy over DHA/ARA extraction by the use of toxic hexane of which Hain Celestial which manufactures Earth’s Best is guilty of. To understand my utter complete fury, you must know that I live in Singapore and I quite literally pay international shipping for every can of this formula (and wade through customs declarations, tests and tax levies) to bring this milk to my son. In Singapore, this can of milk is also available but in highly limited quantities and even more princely prices (yes, even after the tax, customs and shipping, it still costs less than US$68 which is the going price per can here). Calls to Hain Celestial customer service drove me further up the wall when first, a lady said the hexane was only in trace amounts and less than what the FDA approved. Then, reaching another lady an hour later, the story was different. She said that the hexane solvent method was the only method approved by the FDA to extract the DHA/ARA from non-toxic algae and soil fungus. A third occasion and Hain’s customer service informed me that there should be no hexane detected in the product but on further probing admitted that she was not aware if the formula had undergone independent third party tests.

To me, this is crazy. The formula was marketed as a pure organic product and we pay premium prices (especially me!) for a premium product. To find that that they have taken such short cuts is completely unacceptable and the worst thing is that, it turns out that most of the other organic formula companies do this exact irresponsible thing and keep quiet about it. The only company that does not is Baby’s Only – it uses a water based process to extract their DHA/ARA from eggs(compare this to Hain’s claim that the hexane method is the only one approved by FDA and one wonders why Baby’s Only hasn’t been hauled up by the FDA yet). My son is going on that pronto once I can get a shipment to Singapore. Unfortunately, Baby’s Only is not available in Singapore (not even at princely prices) and my son is going to have to continue ingesting his Earth’s Best formula in the interim.

I spoke with their consumer relations department and asked them to update their website since the misinformation is misleading to consumers. The change in ingredient profile to include syrup solids is disappointing. I am now researching other formulas.

Seems are some issues with DHA/ ARA additives.
EB’s Ingredient List below… have you looked at Baby’s Only?

Earth’s Best: Earth’s Best <[…]> is the leading organic baby food manufacturer. The company is owned by Horizon (which is owned by Dean Foods ) and offers both dairy and soy based organic infant formulas. Earth’s Best uses organic lactose from cows, so if you are concerned about your baby having problems with lactose intolerance, this formula might not be the best option.

Baby’s Only: Baby’s Only from Nature’s One <[…]> comes as both dairy, lactose free, and soy organic formulas. Baby’s Only uses brown rice syrup, a higher quality and more complex carbohydrate, when compared to lactose. It’s also less likely to cause an blood sugar spikes or problems with food allergies.

Earth’s Best – Organic Infant Formula with DHA & ARA – Ingredients
Organic Reduced Minerals Whey, Organic Vegetable Oils (Palm Or Palm Olein, High Oleic (Safflower Or Sunflower),Coconut, Soy), Organic Nonfat Milk, Organic Lactose, And Less Than 1%: Crypthecodinium Cohnii Oil (Docosahexaenoic Acid), Mortierella Alpina Oil (Arachidonic Acid), Soy Lecithin, Minerals: (Calcium Chloride, Calcium Hydroxide, Cupric Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Bicarbonate, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Hydroxide, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Selenite, Zinc Sulfate), Taurine, Vitamins: Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Beta-Carotene, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Choline Chloride, Cyanocobalamin, Folic Acid, Inositol, Mixed Tocopherol Concentrate, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol), Vitamin E (Dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate), Vitamin K (Phytonadione), Nucleotides: Adenosine-5′-Monophosphate, Cytidine-5′-Monophosphate, Disodium Guanosine-5′-Monophosphate, Disodium Inosine-5′-Monophosphate, Disodium Uridine-5′-Monophosphate.

Baby’s Only Lactose free – Ingredients
Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Milk Protein Concentrate, Organic High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Organic Soybean Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Monopotassium Phosphate, Calcium Phosphate, Potassium Citrate, Organic Soy Lecithin, Organic Vanilla, Dimagnesium Phosphate, Sodium Chloride, Calcium Ascorbate (Vit. C), Calcium Citrate, Choline Bitartrate, Taurine, Ferrous Sulfate, Inositol, Natural Vitamin E Acetate, Zinc Sulfate, Niacinamide, Vitamin A Palmitate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamin Hydrochloride (Vit. B1), Copper Sulfate, Riboflavin (Vit. B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vit. B6), Folic Acid, Phylloquinone (Vit. K1), Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenate, Biotin, Vitamin D3, Cyanocobalamin (Vit. B12).
Pediatric Health News
BPA & Melamine is Undetected in Nature,s One® Products
Infant Formula
USDA Cracks Down on Synthetic DHA Fatty Acids in Organic Milk <[…]is moving to eliminate two synthetic additives widely found in organic baby formula and organic milk..

DHA and ARA Risk for Infants Report <[…] – details research questioning the alleged benefits of adding novel omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, produced in laboratories and extracted from algae and fungus, into infant formulas. The report presents disturbing research indicating that the new additives placed in infant formula are seriously endangering the health of some formula-fed newborns and toddlers.

Mercury in Corn Syrup […]
Baby,s Only Organic® & PediaSmart® do NOT Contain Corn Syrup.

Parenting.com – Ask Dr. Sears […] – should infants receive vitamin supplements? Well, that depends. This article by Doctor Sears reviews what may or may not be necessary for a breast fed infant or a formula fed infant.

Are There Health Implications for Soy Infant Formula […] – recent research from the University of Arkansas supports findings that soy formulas support normal growth and may have bone health benefits

what i dont get is how Earths Best still has this in its formula – it was banned in April by gov..and side effects have been documented since 4/09

Also learned that USDA Organic – means minimum 95 % organic ingredients – not 100%

from […]

Over the past few years, infant formula manufacturers have raised their prices after adding Martek oils to their products. With the exception of some prescription formulas, available with approval from pediatricians, only one over-the-counter formula is available without synthetic DHA/ARA, Baby,s Only, an organic product manufactured by Nature,s One in Columbus, Ohio.

After today,s official announcement by the USDA, all other organic formula manufacturers will need to remove Martek,s oils from their products, Cornucopia,s Vallaeys stated.

In the meantime, The Cornucopia Institute also has filed petitions with the FDA requesting that their Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) designation for the Martek oils be revoked.

When Martek,s additives were originally granted GRAS status, it was with extreme reservations on the part of the FDA review panel because of adverse reactions to these oils said Valleys. When we reviewed FOIA documents, we were astonished to find that none of the infant formula manufacturers had complied with the FDA,s request to monitor adverse reactions and perform post-market surveillance of these materials.

The manufacturing process for Martek,s oils likely includes genetically engineered organisms and neurotoxic synthetic solvents, which are both explicitly banned in organic production. According documents submitted by Martek to the FDA, the process to make their oils includes growing algae and fungus in a medium that is made primarily of dextrose derived from corn, yeast extract or a hydrolyzed vegetable protein, which is usually derived from soybeans. Given that the vast majority of corn and soybean products in the food supply are produced through genetic engineering, the likelihood that Martek,s DHA and ARA oils are grown in a medium of genetically engineered organisms is almost certain. The use of genetic engineering is, of course, strictly prohibited in organics.

UPDATE – Ok we are 10 days in and our twins are much much happier. We did 3 days of half and half and decided to fully switch to Baby’s Only. The intense screaming after eating has stopped and now both our girls are more regular. They go once every one to two days vs every 5 to 6. Much less fussy and happier overall. Was it the formula change or just a stage they went through? Maybe a little bit of both, but there is no doubt I’d never use Earth’s Best again….nothing worse than seeing both your daughters screaming after eating especially when you thought you were buying something good for them….they need to remove that crap from this product.

4/14/11 It is cheaper to get get the smaller can on subscribe and save rather than this one!
25.75oz can with subscribe & save is 0.772/ounce (4 can pack) at 79.57/case (on subscribe and save)
31.75oz can is 0.858/ounce (4 can pack) at 109/case

– Dissolves horribly. I have to prepare bottles ahead of time, refrigerate them, then warm them to use it. My baby would take a bottle at room temperature, but if I did that there would be clumps of formula left behind.
– Has corn syrup in it (listed as Organic Glucose Syrup Solids). Ok, so it isn’t GMO corn syrup, but who cares? There is no reason to include this except to save money. It is a cheaper carbohydrate source than lactose, so they can use less lactose (lactose being something that actually has nutrional value).
-Has Palm Olein Oil in it. Again, it is organic, but so what? Another cheap ingredient (this time a fat source). Palm Olein oil has been shown to block absorption of calcium in the body. Oh good, because the first year of life isn’t a crucial time for bone development or anything. Even Similac won’t use it. Here is a link to study by the American Acadamy of Pediatrics from 2002(!) showing infants fed formula with palm olein oil had lower bone density than those without, and yet Hain doesn’t care enough to stop using it: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/111/5/1017
-Has Martec DHA/AHA in it. This is a genetically modified product and the fact that it has been allowed in organic food is just an example of how powerful lobbyists are. If they have to use chemical neurotoxins to get the DHA/AHA, I’d rather just do without, thanks. I know of no studies that show the level of DHA/AHA in baby formulas do anything positive for a baby’s brain development. There have also been reports of babies experiencing stomach upset from DHA/AHA in formulas. It is hard to get this feedback though since almost every formula has Martec’s DHA/AHA in them now.
-It smells like death and when my baby burps in my face I gag a little.

I never planned on even trying this formula, but Baby’s Only constipated my baby like no tomorrow. Even with the arsenic ridiculousness, I’d still use Baby’s Only if the Brown Rice Syrup didn’t make him scream every time he had a bowel movement. And Similac Organic has no lactose and is filled with table sugar. Organic formula options in this country are horrible. (I am unable to exclusively breastfeed due to medication)

Everything worked out fine for about 4 weeks. Our son would spit up to some extent after almost every feeding, but we attributed it to HIM having some issues, not the formula. As he started to better “communicate” with us, we realized that he would cry nonstop during his feedings, which didn’t seem normal. He would continue to suck, but would sob through his eating. It was heartbreaking. We burped him incessantly, thinking it may be gas, but it wasn’t. He wouldn’t sleep because he was so fussy, and nothing would calm him. He had a dirty diaper only once a day (sometimes even less), and they would often be harder than we would have expected.

After doing extensive research, we started our little one on Gerber Good Start Protect. It contains only whey protein and not casein, which is known to create curds in baby’s tummy (in ANYONE’S tummy, really). It also has probiotics (like breast milk). When we gave him his first bottle of the new stuff, he saw the bottle and started to pout, and once he started drinking, you could almost SEE the relief on his face. He did not fuss at all through his feedings, and he was instantly happier and calmer. My smiling, beautiful boy was back! After almost 9 days of naps of an hour or less, he got back to his regular 2-3 hour naps and better sleeping at night.

While I want my son to have the most wholesome ingredients possible, I believe sometimes the way those ingredients are mixed can be a negative, and I think that may be the case with this formula. We’ll continue with our Gerber Good Start, and as much breast milk as possible.

The cans do not say anything like new formula or give you any indication of this. Whey is no longer the first ingredient, and Corn syrup solids is very high on the list.

Very shady practices by PBM. Beware.