Bobbie Labs intros Bobbie Organic Gentle baby formula
Bobbie Labs, the research and development hub of formula brand Bobbie, is unveiling a new infant formula—the second since the company’s launch in 2021.
Bobbie Organic Gentle, slated for a late Spring 2023 due date, will be the first and only American-made, EU-style organic product with 100% lactose instead of other carbohydrates like corn syrup, the company said.
"Lactose is the primary source of carbohydrate found in breast milk and provides energy to fuel growth, yet nearly 90% of all tolerance formulas in the U.S. use corn syrup solids, rice syrup or corn derivatives like maltodextrin as a carb source," the company said.
Bobbie’s vice president of regulatory, Christina Berberich, worked with Perrigo to develop the product with Bobbie’s Organic Gentle Infant Formula.
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“I have worked with infants and infant feeding for nearly 20 years, and I’ve seen firsthand how gentle and tolerance formulas have relied on ingredients like corn syrup as a cost-effective alternative to lactose,” Berberich said. “Emerging research has found however that formulas with non-lactose-based carbohydrates have potential impacts on gut microbiome development, blood sugar alterations and excessive weight gain in toddlerhood. As moms and as scientists, knowing a better option existed fueled the creation of this groundbreaking gentle formula that we’re proud to bring to American parents and babies who deserve better.”
“This new gentle formula is formulated with 100% partially hydrolyzed whey proteins instead of intact whey and casein protein and contains 100% lactose. This means that the protein is smaller in size and easier to digest and contains lactose over sweeter carbohydrate alternatives since the majority of infants can tolerate lactose, the major carbohydrate found in human milk,” said Anthony Porto, Bobbie Labs chief medical director.
“New research shows that babies fed any lactose-reduced infant formula with corn syrup solids have a 10% higher obesity risk at two-years-old, with associations remaining at four-years-old—it is our duty to provide a better formula for American parents and their babies,” said Dina DiMaggio, Bobbie Labs medical research director.
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“We established Bobbie Labs to evolve infant feeding while shaking the formula stigma within the research community and beyond. Our Organic Gentle Formula is just one way we’re already bringing this mission to life. Parents no longer have to compromise between a formula their babies tolerate and the ingredients they want,” said Laura Modi, CEO and co-founder of Bobbie and mom of three. “But as always, Bobbie supports the individual choices made by parents surrounding feeding. There is no such thing as a bad formula—and we firmly believe that we can innovate and provide new options while simultaneously supporting what is accessible, affordable and available to parents based on their unique circumstances.”