Yahoo Finance Australian company launches 'world's first' plant-based baby formula
An Australian company has launched the world’s first baby formula made entirely from organic and plant-based ingredients.
The formula called Sprout, which will have a line suitable for toddlers and infants, will launch in health food stores, independent supermarkets and pharmacies in NSW and Western Australia in late May.
Gold Coast founder Sel Berdie expressed confidence in his product being well received in the two states, and planned to launch nationwide and internationally in the future.
“We are very pleased to announce our distribution agreements with Global by Nature and Total Health. In these two distributors we have found partners that are incredibly passionate about our products,” Mr Berdie said in a statement.
“WA and NSW were identified as a key market for us, and we couldn't be happier with the fit we've found in [Global by Nature in NSW and Total Health distributors in WA].”
The company claims its products, which includes its kids snack bars launched last year, have been approved by paediatricians, dieticians and food technology experts.
Business manager Nadia Schilling said the product had been subject to standard testing and certification requirements to ensure its safety.
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“Australia and New Zealand have the highest standards worldwide in regard to infant formulas and children’s products,” Ms Schilling told Yahoo News Australia.
“Sprout Organic’s infant formula meets the required FSANZ standards and has been verified to this by one of the largest food legal groups in Australia.
“We are also members of the Australian Infant Nutrition Council and signatories to the MAIF agreement, all of which require a strict safety eligibility of our products.”
While the product is far from the first plant-based formula, it’s the world’s first 100 per cent plant-based, organic and vegan-certified infant formula.
The product is made using rice starch rather than soy - a common allergen and not recommended for children younger than six months.
Ms Schilling said rice starch was safe for infants to consume from birth, and was common in European countries.
General manager at distributor Global by Nature, Ryan Mclintock, claimed Sprout was “building a whole new form of inclusivity in the sector”.
“We are always looking for innovative and delicious ways to surprise and excite our customers, and Sprout’s healthy and tasty kids snack bars and genuine innovation in infant formula is exactly that,” Mr Mclintock said.
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