Understanding the ingredients and the science behind your baby’s formula is super important. We’re parents too, we get it! Which is why we’ve put together this guide on the science behind Kendamil formula, so you can get to grips with what makes us unique and why so many parents are loving our recipe.
The heritage and expertise behind Kendamil
Let’s go back in time, 60 years in fact, when our factory here in Kendal, in the British Lake District, first opened its doors and the first can of baby formula came off the canning line. The factory has had a few owners since it first opened, with our CEO and founder Ross taking over the factory in 2015 to create Kendamil, along with his sons.
On a mission to create a formula made from high quality ingredients, Ross worked with our world-class team of experts to reassess how infant formula was being made. Many of the team working at our factory have been working there for over 30 years each, so their level of knowledge and experience in infant formula was crucial in creating the recipe you know and love today.
Having grown up on a farm and with a background in agricultural science, Ross also worked closely with the local farming community and our research and development team to understand the benefits of using traditional mammalian milk-fats in the Kendamil baby milk range.
Not being one to follow the crowd, Ross and the research and development team here at Kendamil continued on their quest to find the highest quality ingredients and to make a formula made with whole milk. This included avoiding the use of palm oil in all our products, using plant-based DHA instead of fish oil in our formulas and adding GOS and FOS to our recipes where possible. This also meant sourcing the fresh whole milk that goes into our cows’ milk formulas from Red Tractor certified family-farms here in the UK. To date we’re still the only baby formula in the UK made with fresh whole milk.
Kendamil formula ingredients: what are they?
All formulas must meet the nutritional guidelines set out by the EU Commission, so all formulas will contain fat, carbohydrate, protein, vitamins and minerals and a source of DHA. However, when it comes to the ingredients used, this is where things can differ. Here at Kendamil we don’t compromise on the quality of ingredients in our recipes and never will.
Whole Milk: the good stuff that all our formulas are made from, whether it be fresh whole cows’ milk or fresh whole A2 goats’ milk. All the milk we use in our formulas is sourced from family-run farms who grass feed their animals. There are many reasons why we choose to use whole milk in our recipe instead of the standard ‘skimmed milk’ you’ll find in most other formulas. Whole milk provides an important source of fat, so unlike other brands who use 100% vegetable oils to provide these essential fats, we only need to top up with some oils and would never use palm oil. Want to learn more about whole milk in baby formula, click here.
Plant-based DHA: most baby formulas in the UK contain fish oil to provide the required source of DHA. We choose to use a plant-based alternative, taking DHA from the source, microalgae. Not only is this great for our overfished waters, but it means our formula doesn’t have that fishy smell or taste and vegetarian families can enjoy our products too. Learn more about DHA here.
GOS & FOS: these are essential food sources for intestinal flora and while they are not a required ingredient in infant formula, there is some evidence that they may be helpful for your little one’s gut microbiota. You will find GOS and FOS in our Kendamil Classic Stages 1 and 2, while you will find GOS in Kendamil Classic Stage 3, Kendamil Organic Stages 1-3 and Kendamil Goat Stages 1-3.
Organic ingredients: our Organic formula range is made with organic ingredients, sourced here in the UK from farms who are certified organic by the UK Soil Association. Following strict criteria, all the organic farms we partner with avoid the use of herbicides and pesticides, and all their dairy cows are grass-fed, free to roam the beautiful British countryside.
Watch to learn more about the ingredients in Kendamil formula:
Kendamil formula safety standards
When it comes to the safety and quality of our products, we have stringent procedures and processes in place to make sure every tin of Kendamil meets a high standard.
How we process the fresh whole milk: At Kendamil, our baby formulas are made using whole milk sourced directly from the farms we partner with, who deliver their fresh milk to our factory on a daily basis. Before the milk is accepted on-site however, rigorous quality checks are conducted to make sure the raw milk is free from antibiotics. We also test the protein, fats, solids, pH and acidity of our milk to ensure it is nutritious and of high quality. Once delivered, we pasteurise the milk to remove any bacteria. We verify this by continuously monitoring the cooking temperature, as well as completing tests in our laboratory to double check that it is safe for use.
Additional tests throughout the process: Throughout the spray drying process (which transforms the wet milk into a dried powder) and the mixing and blending process (adding of minerals and other nutrients), our dedicated quality team conduct regular laboratory tests as well as further quality, nutritional and product safety testing, to make sure the product is meeting standards.
Final checks and batch testing: Once we have a finished formula powder we extract samples, which go off for further testing in the lab to verify the added minerals are all at the right levels and that the powder is dissolving nicely - this is done for every batch. The product then makes its way to the canning line to be packaged up for our families. We test 30 cans from every production batch for bacteria, testing to verify its safety. Only after successfully passing all these rigorous tests do we release the baby formula for families across the UK to enjoy.
When it comes to the safety and health of your little one, we take this very seriously. Ross and the team are putting your family at the heart of every ingredient chosen, every batch tested, to make sure that only the best leaves our factory. Taking high quality ingredients from the family farms we partner with, to create the formula you and your baby love.
