Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Baby Formula: Brand Name vs. Store Brand

When my son was born last year, the thought of buying formula after breastfeeding was not a happy one. I wanted to make sure I gave him the best, but just found the price tag hard to swallow. After about 3 months of formula feeding, my sitter mentioned that her daughter who also had a tot my son's age started buying generic baby formula. Her daughter took it to the pediatrician and asked what the difference is. Guess what the answer was - NONE! After that, we were generic all the way!

I have read so many blog posts and articles about the equality of brand name formulas (like Enfamil and Similac) and generic formulas, but with the marketing of these brand names as "better" than generic, it's no surprise that common consumer doesn't think otherwise.

Recently, a landmark federal court jury verdict confirmed that Mead Johnson, the maker of Enfamil LIPIL Infant Formula, has engaged in false advertising by stating that store brand-infant formulas sold at Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens and other retailers, do not provide the same nutritional benefits as Enfamil.

The jury found that Enfamil advertisements were false and misleading, especially since store brand formulas have the same nutrients at the same levels as Enfamil. In the process, they have exposed the truth about infant formula: store-brand infant formulas are nutritionally equivalent to, and confer the same developmental benefits as, the more expensive national brands like Enfamil. Buying a heavily marketed formula from a big pharmaceutical company does not get you any closer to breast milk.

So what does this mean to Moms? It means we could have been saving up to $600 a year by using store brand formulas, which cost half as much as Enfamil LIPIL and other national brands. Luckily I made the switch and assumed the cost savings after just a few months. I felt it was SO important to pass this information along because as a mom on a budget- I know you need that $600 a year!

If you're looking for more back up information check out articles about Brand vs. Store Brand formula on these sites:

Baby Center
BNet.com
PBM Products (manufacturer of store brand formulas)

As an added bonus, Consumer Reports is giving away an excellent source of unbiased recommendations - the Consumer Reports Best Baby Products Book. This trusted manual can help any Mom navigate the world of baby products by recommending necessities that are safe, affordable and suit any lifestyle. This giveaway is all about spreading the word! Here's how to enter:

Initial Entry:
Leave a comment here - What's your take on this issue? Does the court ruling change your mind about buying store brand?

1 Extra Entry:
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Follow @MadMomMission on Twitter (comment here with your Twitter ID)

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Tweet this giveaway, include @MadMomMission and a link to this giveaway, and post a link to the Tweet here. (limit once per day)

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Blog about this contest with a link back to this Giveaway! Don't forget to put a link to your post here!

Giveaway ends January 11, 2010 at 7:00 pm EST. Thanks for entering and good luck!

5 comments:

Llama Momma said...

Yes, yes, yes!! When my twins were babies, I bemoaned the cost of formula with our pediatrician, and without missing a beat, he recommended Walmart's Parent's Choice. He said it was the same as the formula we were using. We switched them over a week later, and saved ourselves a small fortune!!

Amber Page Writes said...

I've been using Similac, only because I'm afraid that store brands could be made in China or something - and when mine was born Chinese formula was killing babies over there. Irrational, yes. But I haven't been able to get past it.

Mad Mom said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Didn't want to miss out! I'm definitely going to consider my options when it comes time for formula feeding. Thanks for passing this info on!

Mary

Mad Mom said...

Thanks to all who entered! One minute late for Mary - I'll let it slide this time!

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