Palm oil in baby milk? Let's talk about the effects

At Kendamil, we truly care about the healthy development of babies. That’s why we do not use palm oil in any of our products - and we never will.

Many brands are now faced with having to change recipes, because of the reality that using palm oil as one of their ingredients isn’t the best choice for babies or the environment. 

Palm  oil is an approved ingredient in baby formula, however there is some research out there that suggests it might not be the optimum choice.
Studies have also shown that baby milks containing palm oil prevented absorption of good fats, as well as important minerals like calcium. Studies have also found that the consumption of palm oil can lead to problems later in life like reduced bone mass and reduced bone density. (2)

There’s also the impact on our little one’s digestive system. Some babies may pass harder stools when they drink formula containing palm oil, and can even become constipated. This happens when palmitic acid (a fatty acid that comes from palm oil) binds with the calcium, forming insoluble soaps and undigested particles in the baby's gut, which then get excreted from the baby’s body in harder stools. (3)

Because of these concerns, strict maximum levels of palm oil have been placed on infant formula and follow-on formula. First Steps Nutrition Trust, a leading nutrition charity, sent out a newsletter in June 2021 with a study stating "the removal of palm oil from infant milks and baby foods would be a prudent response." The study also acknowledged Kendamil for being palm oil-free and we’re pleased to see more and more formula companies choosing to go palm oil free.

There’s also the damage that the production of palm oil does to our environment. You might recall Iceland brought the ethical concerns of palm oil to the British public’s attention a few years back. WWF has also widely criticised the use of palm oil and labeled it as one of the main driving factors behind deforestation, climate change and stated that it affects the habitats of already endangered animals, like orangutans.

The purpose of baby formula is to closely match each component of breast milk - which is the GOLD standard for feeding your little one! Breast milk is made up of fats, protein and carbohydrates. It’s the fat (or lipids) that give our little ones over half the amount of energy needed for healthy development. But, there is more to lipids than just giving our little ones energy. These lipids are essential fatty acids (EFA’s) that aid tissue growth, cardiovascular health, brain development and function. They’re the building blocks of life and essential for neurodevelopment. Babies are born with 100 billion neurons in their brains - twice as many as adults! These neurons are manufactured from lipids (good full cream milk fats!), and in their first three years the brain will grow faster than any other body part. (4)

🤔 So why do some formula companies use palm oil? 🤔

Palm oil is used in some baby formulas as part of their 100% vegetable fat recipe to provide palmitic acid. This is because their recipes use skimmed milk not whole milk, so there are none of the healthy fats you find in whole milk. This is why we use liquid whole milk in our Kendamil recipe! We also include some important vegetable fats in our recipe alongside the fats from our whole milk, to make sure that your baby is getting all the good fats and nutrients that they need! 

🥛 Why Kendamil will never use palm oil in any of its products 🥛

Kendamil is the only baby milk made in Britain today and we source all our cow’s milk from Red Tractor and Organic farms, right here in Britain. Why? Because we believe that we have some of the world’s best dairy farms and we’ve heard the overwhelming feedback from our customers about our whole milk recipe.