Best Organic Baby Formulas of 2024

Choosing the right baby formula can be tough. With so many options on the market, how do you sort through the benefits and characteristics of each product? One surefire method is to spend some time thinking through your own preferences and values as a consumer. For many parents, finding a quality formula with similarity to breast milk is at the top of the list! We’ve got the scoop (pun definitely intended!) on the top organic baby formulas available in the U.S. for parents who are looking for the best.

Milk Drunk’s Top Picks for Organic Baby Formula:

• Bobbie Formula
• Bobbie Gentle Formula
• Baby’s Only Organic Complete Nutrition Infant Formula
• Bubs Australia
• Earth’s Best
• Enfamil Simply Organic
• Happy Baby
• Kendamil Organic
• Similac Organic

What Does Organic Certification Mean?

Products must meet certain criteria to gain organic certification. These criteria, set out by location-specific regulatory agencies, include crop standards, animal welfare standards, and processing and handling standards. For an infant formula to be certified organic in the U.S, it must meet the following USDA guidelines:

• Any plant-derived ingredients must come from organic seeds
• No use of synthetic pesticides
• No GMOs
• No antibiotics or growth hormones
• Dairy cows must be out on pasture for the entire grazing season
• Product cannot commingle with non-organic products
• Product is made with a minimum of 95% certified organic ingredients

Note that European organic regulations differ from USDA regulations in one key area– antibiotics may be used where necessary. Any product that is cross-listed as both EU and USDA organic must be antibiotic-free, while those certified as only EU organic may contain ingredients derived from animals treated with antibiotics (via European Commission).

Products that don’t meet all of these guidelines may still use individual organic ingredients. These organic ingredients will be noted on the ingredients list but the product itself will not contain an organic certification seal.

Does Organic Matter for Baby Formula?

It is important to note that all infant formulas, whether organic or not, meet rigorous safety standards. In fact, infant formula is the single most highly-regulated food product you can buy! Even so, many parents are looking for a formula that is produced without antibiotics, hormones, or conventional pesticides. As more and more consumers choose organic for themselves (at the grocery store, for their skincare products, etc), finding an organic product for their baby is a natural fit. 

Beyond Organic: The Clean Label Project Purity Award

Did you know that there is a designation for products that meet quality standards above and beyond what’s required for organic? The Clean Label Project is an independent organization that evaluates products for substances that can’t be found on a product label. According to the Clean Label Project, these substances include “chemicals of concern, industrial and environmental toxins, and contaminants (like heavy metals, pesticide residues, and plasticizers) that have the long-term potential to adversely affect health and well-being.” The Clean Label Project Purity Award is the gold standard for products that surpass industry standards for safety and quality.

Best Organic Baby Formulas 

Bobbie Baby Formula

Pros:

• The only baby formula available in the U.S. with both USDA and EU Organic certification
• Clean Label Purity Award and Pesticide-Free certification
• Grass-fed dairy from small, organic, family-run American farms 
• Protein ratio is more in-line with mature breast milk
• Only U.S. product that meets EU requirements for DHA, a type of fat that supports brain development
• Available via subscription and at Target stores nationwide
• Simple, high-quality recipe with the essentials that a baby needs and nothing more
• No palm oil or soy allergens

Cons:

• Bobbie believes in a simple product that only contains what a baby needs so they left additions (like prebiotics) out. Prebiotics can be supplemented if desired in consult with your pediatrician.
• Not available at most grocery stores

Bobbie Gentle Baby Formula

Pros: 

• Only gentle, partially-hydrolyzed protein formula on the market to use exclusively lactose as the carbohydrate source
• No corn syrup, maltodextrin, or sucrose
• Partially-hydrolyzed whey protein
• The only gentle formula in the U.S. with both USDA and EU Organic certification
• Meets EU requirements for DHA and iron
• Available via subscription
• No palm oil or soy allergens

Cons:

• No prebiotics or probiotics
• Available by subscription or at Target

Baby’s Only Organic Complete Nutrition Infant Formula

Bubs Australia Baby Formula

Earth’s Best Baby Formula

Enfamil Simply Organic Baby Formula

Happy Baby Baby Formula

Kendamil Organic Baby Formula

Similac Organic Baby Formula

Choosing the Best Baby Formula

We have given you great choices for organic baby formula, but the choice is what works best for you and your family. Talk to your pediatrician if you have any questions or concerns. Once you’ve chosen your formula, here is a pediatrician’s guide to making a bottle of formula and the rules to know about how long formula lasts.

If you’re looking for different formulas, we’ve got the Best Baby Formulas and the Best Organic Formulas here for you, too.