Enfamil Formula: Newborn

Consumer Health Advocacy: Product Analysis

Mead Johnson is a major manufacturer of infant formula both domestically and globally with its flagship product being Enfamil. The company had global sales of $2.83 billion in 2009 with two-thirds of its revenue coming from outside the United States where declining birth rates have led to a reduced market share.   The company was gaining a presence in such emerging markets in the People's Republic of China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam and was starting to develop a presence in India. Enfamil, the company's flagship brand commanded 11.7% of the $22.3 billion market for infant formula worldwide in 2008.[1]  [Source: Wikipedia]

Infant Formula, while being a necessary replacement when breast milk is not available, has been associated with a wide range of adverse health outcomes in infants. We have cataloged  over 41 studies on the potential dangers of infant formula feeding in infants here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/category/toxic-ingredients/infant-formula.

Why is infant formula associated with increased morbidity and mortality? We believe that many of the ingredients in these products are not always biologically appropriate, and due to the fact that many are byproducts of the mining and chemical industries, may act as endocrine disruptors or metabolic poisons. For example, vitamin A acetate is produced through "total chemical synthesis" through a petrochemically dependent process. It has been linked to birth defects, and so may be very different from the type of vitamin A (e.g. retinol) found in natural carotenoids like beta-carotene (technically two linked retinol molecules).

Below you will see the ingredients linked to our Problem Substances and Natural Substances database. We hope this information encourages reform in the infant formula industry and that more suitable ingredients are used to reduce the known risks associated with the ue of infant formula as presently formulated.

For Additional Hard-Hitting Product Analyses Click Here.


IngredientsToxicity LevelCumulative KnowledgeAbstract Count
Nonfat Milkpossibly47560
Lactosenot determined
Vegetable Oilnot determined
Palm Oleinnot determined
Coconut Oilnone341102
Soy Oilnot determined
High Oleic Sunflower Oilnot determined
Whey Protein Concentratenone721148
Galactooligosaccharidesnot determined
Polydextrosenot determined
Less than 1%: Mortierella Alpina Oilnot determined
Crypthecodinium Cohnii Oilpossibly21
Soy Lecithinnone299
Vitamin A Palmitatepossibly63
Vitamin D3none111011611
Vitamin E Acetateprobably9115
Vitamin K1none961154
Thiamin Hydrochloridenone33579
Riboflavinnone40468
Vitamin B6 Hydrochloridenone968134
Vitamin B12none1421211
Niacinamidenone36363
Folic Acidnone1281200
Calcium Pantothenatenone12423
Biotinnone11417
Ascorbic Acidnone58451372
Inositolnone12716
Calcium Carbonatepossibly19821
Calcium Phosphatepossibly64
Magnesium Oxidenone2442358
Ferrous Sulfatedefinitely223
Zinc Sulfatedefinitely54
Manganese Sulfatedefinitely21
Cupric Sulfatedefinitely5419
Potassium Iodidenone16031
Sodium Selenitedefinitely2316
Potassium Citratepossibly11
Choline Chloridepossibly00
Potassium Chlorideprobably707
Sodium Chloridepossibly143
Nucleotidesnot determined
Cytidine 5'-Monophosphatenot determined
Disodium Urdine 5'-Monophosphatenot determined
Adenosine 5'-Monophosphatepossibly21
Disodium Guanosine 5'-Monophosphatepossibly42
Taurinenone24671
L-Carnitinenone50884

Do you have a consumer product you would like us to evaluate? Submit it to [email protected]

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