Did you know that there are over 50 different baby formulas on the market that parents in the U.S. can choose from? If you’re trying to narrow down your options and are looking for a recommended organic formula, two popular baby formula brands with organic certification are Baby’s Only vs Kendamil.
Wading through nutrition labels to try to figure out which brand of formula is the right one for your kid can be a challenge, especially when you’re knee-deep in diapers to change and onesies to fold.
We’ve got the lowdown on these two formula brands, Baby’s Only formula and Kendamil formula, to highlight the most important similarities and differences between them to make your choice a little easier.
About Baby’s Only Formula
Baby’s Only has been around for over twenty years. They actually developed the first organic formula for toddlers in America before adding organic infant formula to their repertoire. They now have a variety of formulas available, including a goat’s milk formula with DHA/ARA, a Gentle Dairy Formula, a Sensitive DHA/ARA Formula and one made of plant-based pea protein. For infant nutrition, there’s a Premium Infant Formula and a Gentle Infant Formula, designed for easier digestion.
Baby’s Only Ingredients
Parents love Baby’s Only organic baby formulas because they are modeled after breastmilk. This means that the carbohydrate source comes from lactose, and whey protein is added to make the protein composition similar to breast milk. Ingredients like corn syrup, maltodextrin, and palm oils are left out of their formulas in favor of high-quality, nutrient dense options.
Baby’s Only Pricing and Availability
Another highlight of Baby’s Only is the economical price point. A 21 ounce can of their Premium Infant Formula will run you about 20 bucks with subscribe and save, which works out to around 95¢ cents per ounce, making Baby’s Only one of the most affordable organic formulas in the U.S.
You can find Baby’s Only in stores and through an online subscription.
About Kendamil Formula
As a result of a formula shortage in 2022, the FDA began to allow the import of more foreign-manufactured formulas into the U.S. and Operation Fly Formula helped to get them quickly onto store shelves.
These initiatives have helped parents maintain access to nutrition for their formula-fed babies and give them more options when it comes to formula brands. Another reason parents in the U.S. have started looking across the pond for European-style formulas is because they typically contain lactose as the primary carbohydrate source instead of vegetable oils.
Kendamil hails from the United Kingdom and takes its name from Kendal, where their factory headquarters is based. Milk in Kendamil Organic Formula comes from grass-fed cows living on local, Red-Tractor Accredited dairy farms in the UK. Kendamil is also the only infant formula brand that uses natural whole milk.
Kendamil Ingredients
Kendamil uses organic whole milk as its primary carbohydrate source and a blend of organic sunflower oil, coconut oil, and rapeseed oil for its fats. They also use marine algae instead of fish oil for vegetarian-friendly omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Kendamil Pricing and Availability
Kendamil is more expensive than Baby’s Only. Their 28.2 oz can is $39.99, making it around $1.42 per ounce (vs. 95¢ for Baby’s Only)
Can be purchased from online retailers or in stores.
Which formula is right for different needs?
To help parents make the best choice for feeding their baby, we’ll look at how these two formulas stack up for specific needs or situations.
Comparing baby formulas: Baby’s Only vs. Kendamil Organic
While Baby’s Only and Kendamil Organic each bring their own unique characteristics to the infant formula market, they do have several similarities.
These include the following:
- FDA Compliance: Both brands meet FDA nutritional requirements for infant nutrition.
Organic: Both brands are certified organic – Kendamil is certified by the EU Organic Certification and the UK Soil Association, and Baby’s Only is USDA-Certified. - Whey:casein ratio: Both brands have the same whey:casein ratio as breastmilk, which is 60:40, though how they get there differs a bit. Kendamil’s ratio is maintained due to their whole milk base, while added whey protein makes Baby’s Only ratio the same as breast milk.
- Lactose: Both infant formulas use 100% lactose as the carbohydrate source.
- Vitamins and minerals: Both infant formulas provide all essential vitamins and minerals at levels that have been shown to support growth and development during the critical early stages of life.
- Palm oil: No palm oil is found in either Kendamil or Baby’s Only infant formulas.
- GMOs: Both companies use only Non-GMO certified ingredients.
- Gluten-Free: Both brands of infant formula are gluten-free.
These two infant formulas also have distinct differences, such as:
- Non-fat Milk vs. Whole Milk: both infant formulas are cow’s milk based, and are organic. However, Kendamil uses whole milk, while Baby’s Only uses a nonfat milk blend of organic oils for fats (instead of fats from whole milk) to better mimic the fatty acids of breastmilk and to support calcium and fat absorption.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Kendamil includes Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids (from algae). Baby’s Only does not contain Omega 3s.
- Third Party Certifications: Baby’s Only has received the Clean Label Project Purity Award.
- Fats and Oils: Kendamil contains a blend of sunflower, coconut and rapeseed oil. Baby’s Only contains a blend of sunflower oil, safflower oil, organic soybean oil, and coconut oil.
- Prebiotics and Probiotics: Kendamil formulas include GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides) which help with digestion and HMOs (Human Milk Oligosaccharides) which help shape a baby’s gut bacteria and developing immune system.
- Calcium: Baby’s Only Organic Premium Infant Formula contains 78 mg per 100 calories. Kendamil Classic contains 65 mg per 100 calories. Both meet the minimum specification for calcium set forth by the FDA.
- Manufacturing: Kendamil is manufactured in the UK and Baby’s Only is made in the United States.
Baby’s Only Formula vs Kendamil Formula
Both Baby’s Only and Kendamil formulas are great options for parents looking for a routine infant formula with organic ingredients for their healthy, full-term infant.
Both formulas meet the FDA’s requirements for nutrients, contain lactose as the primary carbohydrate source, and have a whey:casein protein ratio that closely mimics breast milk.
Ultimately, both of these organic formulas are good, so you’re pretty safe with either Baby’s Only Formula or Kendamil Formula for your formula-fed baby.
Baby’s Only is a good choice if you want something formulated in the United States, and since Kendamil is about $0.47 more per ounce, Baby’s Only is also a more economical choice.
Also check out: Formula Feeding Basics: What to Do and What You’ll Need