Frequently Asked Questions

What is the advantage of European organic infant formula?

Our products are certified organic products made from 99% organically grown ingredients. Holle & Lebenswert only use cow’s milk from cows raised on biodynamic farms in caring environments. This results in a top-quality organic infant formula that complies with the strictest European standards, giving your baby the best that formula can provide.
European certified organic products have to be free from GMO (genetically modified organisms) and also do not contain added fluoride, corn- or rice syrup, chemical additives, added sugars, preservatives or colorants.

What is the expiration date of the formula you offer?

The actual expiry date of each product is stated in the product description.
On the product itself, you find the expiry date written at the bottom of the box in European format DD/MM/YYYY ( Example: 01.04.2020 = 1st April 2020 )

Why are different Stages of formula available?

European infant formulas are divided into different stages. There are Stage 1 and PRE formulas specifically designed for the first months (as of birth) and follow-on formulas (Stage 2 & 3) for babies that are already getting a complementary diet.
Stage 1 and PRE formulas are designed to fully meet the baby’s needs for the first six months and can, therefore, be used as the only nutrition during that period.
The PRE formulas contain, like breastmilk, only natural milk sugar (lactose) as carbohydrate. They don’t contain starch or maltodextrin.

A follow-on formula (Stage 2) can be served if the baby is at least 6 months old and already gets complimentary food.
The energy content of a follow-on formula hardly differs from Stage 1 or PRE formulas in order to meet the latest EU standards.
Nevertheless, there are important differences, especially with regard to nutrients for which a significantly higher demand exists when the baby is already 6 months or older. Follow-on formulas also have, compared to Stage 1 or PRE formulas, a higher iron content.

A Stage 3 formula can be served if the baby is at least 10 months old.

Why is maltodextrin used in infant formulas?

Maltodextrin is derived from starch. The bigger starch macromolecules will be split into smaller units which makes maltodextrin easier to digest than starch. This is important for babies during the first months not having the capacity to digest complex carbohydrates.
Maltodextrin is very often called as “sweetener” , but there are different qualities available. Holle uses maltodextrin made from cornstarch without having a sweetening effect. The slightly sweet taste of the formula comes from the natural milk sugar (lactose). As infant formulas have a higher content of lactose than cow milk, they also taste sweeter than cow milk.

Are your products irradiated?
Infant formula or cereals are not subject to irradiation. None of our products shipped to overseas are getting irradiated no matter to which country they will be shipped.

Why does the formula contain palm oil?

European formula producers use a blend of vegetable oils from rapeseed, sunflower, and palm oil in order to achieve a fatty acid pattern which is very similar to that of breast milk. Each of the oils used is characterized by an individual fatty acid profile and in combination, they give a spectrum of fatty acid that is optimized to meet the nutritional requirements of infants.
Palm oil is important in formulas because it provides palmitic acid, which is also prevalent in breast milk. Palm oil is the vegetable oil that is rich in palmitic acid and is actually the best choice to use. The palm oil used in our formulas is only palm oil of the highest quality in order to meet the high standards of sustainability and safety.

What does HA (hypoallergenic ) formula mean?

HiPP HA ( hypoallergenic ) formulas are the latest generation of formulas designed to the particular nutritional requirements of infants being at risk of developing allergic reactions. An infant is considered to be at risk of developing allergic reactions when a direct family member (mother, father, siblings) already has an allergy.
The milk proteins of this formula are divided into small fragments (hydrolyzed) which leads to much fewer allergic reactions of the immune system compared to the formula with normal cow milk proteins.

What is PRE formula?

People often think that PRE formulas are for premature babies but that’s not correct.
A PRE formula contains no other carbohydrates than lactose ( no starch or maltodextrin ).

What is the expiration date of the formula you offer ?

The actual expiry date of each product is stated in the product description.
On the product itself, you find the expiry date written at the bottom of the box in European format DD/MM/YYYY ( Example: 01.04.2020 = 1st April 2020 )

Is it necessary to boil the water?
Any kind of infant formula is never sterile. Boiling the water is important as it sterilizes the infant formula as well as the water and kills any microorganisms that may be present in the formula. Therefore please follow the preparation instructions strictly.
Prepare a fresh bottle for each feed. Bacteria can grow rapidly in formula milk kept at room temperature and can grow slowly in the fridge.

How do I prepare the formula?

Just click on the product and you’ll find the preparation instructions for this particular product including the nutrition facts.
Furthermore, you’ll also get the preparation instructions after purchasing by email together with your shipping details.

How long can I use the formula after a pouch has been opened?

Please consume the Holle & Lebenswert formula within 2 weeks after opening the pouch. HiPP recommends not to store an opened pouch for more than 3 weeks. After that time please discard the formula and use a new pouch. We recommend storing formula in an airtight container.

Can I mix the formula with breastmilk instead of water?

We do not recommend to mix formula with breast milk or adding formula to breastmilk.
The formula is designed to be mixed with water in order to make sure that your baby gets the right amount of nutrition per feed.
Furthermore, you would waste valuable breastmilk if your baby cannot finish the bottle.
If you use formula as a supplement, we suggest to give breastmilk first and after that formula as a supplement.

How many fl oz or liters can I get from one box of formula?

This depends on the brand and stage you actually want to use. Below please find the approximate qty. per box.
Holle Stage 1 / Holle PRE / Holle goat = 100 fl oz / 3 litre
Holle Stage 2 – 4: = 140 fl oz / 4.25 litre
Lebenswert 1-3 = 115 fl oz / 3.50 litre
HiPP Combiotic 1-3 = 140 fl oz / 4.25 litre
We have also stated in our product descriptions how many fl oz or liters you can approximately get.

How long can a prepared bottle be kept at room temperature?

Please discard any prepared or ready-to-feed formula which has been exposed to room temperature after 1 hour.

Can I prepare a bottle feed and store it in the fridge for later?

It’s always the best to prepare a fresh bottle of formula each time you feed your baby.
However, we know that there may be situations where a feed needs to be prepared in advance.
The safest way to do this is to prepare individual bottle feeds and put them in the fridge at a temperature of 41°F / 5°C or less immediately after you’ve prepared them.
Use them within 12 hours after they were put in the fridge and discard any feed which has not been consumed within 12 hours.

How do I heat up refrigerated bottle feeds?

Take out the bottle of mixed formula from the fridge just before you want to use it.
To heat it up, place it in a bowl filled with warm water or use a bottle warmer.
Don’t heat it up for more than 15 minutes.
Check the temperature of the bottle feed by dripping a little onto the inside of your wrist. It should feel lukewarm, not hot.
Discard any feed that your child has not taken within two hours.
Don’t use a microwave oven to heat up bottle feeds. Microwaves do not heat evenly so that there’s a high risk of scalding the mouth of your child.

How can I prepare a formula while traveling?

We always recommend to prepare a fresh feed as you do it at home once it is needed, but that’s not always possible.
Journeys less than 2 hours
Prepare feeds as usual before you leave and put them in a fridge at 41°F / 5°C or less.
Just before you leave home, take out the prepared feeds from the fridge and put them in an insulated cool bag with ice packs.
When arriving put the feeds back in the fridge and heat them up once they are needed.
Please make sure that these feeds will be consumed within 12 hours after preparation.

Journeys longer than 2 hours
For journeys longer than 2 hours or when you don’t have the possibility to keep the feeds cold, it is not safe to prepare feeds in advance.
The safest way is to prepare a fresh feed using water which is hotter than 158°F / 70°C.
If you don’t have access to hot water during your journey we suggest to fill boiled water in a thermos flask and seal it. It remains above 158°F / 70°C for several hours. You can use the water to prepare a bottle feed when it’s needed.
We suggest checking in advance how long your thermos flask keeps boiled water above 158°F / 70° C!
Please wash and rinse the thermos flask with boiled water before filling it with the boiled water you want to use to make the feeds.

Why are there different sizes of measuring spoons?

The size of the flakes of infant formula may differ from batch to batch resulting in different specific weights per batch. In order to make sure that a measuring spoon always carries the right amount of formula, the spoon which is included box is in accordance with the specific weight of the formula you’re actually using.
Is therefore indispensable that you always use the spoon which is included in the box of formula.you’re currently using.
This guarantees that you prepare a bottle feed with the right amount of formula.

Which payment options do you offer?

You can use Paypal and pay by Credit Card. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Amex

What happens after placing an order?

You’ll get an order receipt confirmation immediately after placing your order.
Please check the details received; in particular your comment in case you have sent one with your order.
If there are any discrepancies, please contact us immediately.
Should you not receive our order receipt confirmation please check your spam/junk folder first – otherwise contact us.
Your order gets usually shipped the same or next business day and you’ll get an email with tracking details.

I haven’t received a tracking number!

We ship all orders without any exception via trackable shipping methods and confirmation with the tracking number will be sent to you by email.
In case you haven’t received our shipping confirmation please check your spam/junk folder first – otherwise, contact us.

How can I dispose of the padding material?

The packaging chips we use are made entirely from cornstarch and can be disposed of with the normal household trash or with the organic waste.

Can I customize my order?

Of course, you can! A lot of our customers simply tell us by email what they require. For example 4 boxes of Stage 2 and 4 boxes of Stage 3 instead of 8 boxes of the same stage.