Product Frequently Asked Questions
We know there can be many questions when it comes to what you feed your baby. We have answered some of the questions you may have about our products below.
Ingredients and dietary requirements
The presence of fish oils in some of our formulations prevents us from labelling them as vegetarian.
Rennet is an animal sourced enzyme, which is used as a processing aid in some of our formulations to separate whey and casein proteins. As a processing aid, rennet is not an ingredient and there should not be any rennet present in the final product. We source whey and lactose from a variety of suppliers some of which use vegetarian rennet while others use the traditional source of rennet, which is sourced from cows. Therefore we cannot guarantee that all the whey and lactose produced is from a vegetarian source.
Also, our Vitamin D3 is derived from sheep wool.
The reason Aptamil® cereals are not suitable for vegetarians is because the whey powder may have been produced using an animal enzyme called rennet. As a processing aid, rennet is not an ingredient, and there should not be any rennet present in the final product. However, we cannot guarantee that all the whey powder produced is from a vegetarian source.
Omega-3 is a family of fats, including long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPs).
DHA stands for docosahexaenoic acid. DHA is a type of Omega-3 LCP.
Preparation and storage
Our preparation instructions are in line with the Department of Health and NHS Guidelines in terms of making up safe feeds.
The guidance advises you to boil 1 litre of fresh tap water. Then leave the water to cool for no more than 30 minutes, so that it remains at a temperature of at least 70°C.
This is the ideal temperature to make up a feed, as any bacteria present will be killed and the powder will also mix effectively.
Making up Specialist formulas - Specialist formulas often have different mixing instructions; it is important that the parent reads the instructions carefully and follows them, as using another method of preparing my affect the ability of the product to mix effectively.
Our preparation instructions are in line with the Department of Health and NHS Guidelines in terms of making up safe feeds.
The guidance advises you to boil 1 litre of fresh tap water. Then leave the water to cool for no more than 30 minutes, so that it remains at a temperature of at least 70°C.
On average it will take a full kettle around 30 minutes to reduce down in temperature to 70 degrees Celsius. This is the ideal temperature to make up a feed, as any bacteria present will be killed and the powder will also mix effectively.
We cannot recommend storing pre-prepared bottles of baby and toddler milks in the fridge, as we follow the guidelines set out by the Department of health that feeds are made fresh on demand as per the guidelines on the pack, and used within 2 hours.
Baby or toddler milk stored in the fridge is susceptible to bacteria growth which could cause illness.
Once the powder has been added to the hot water, the feed will be suitable for use for 2 hours. After this time any leftover product will need to be discarded.
We cannot recommend that Aptamil® formulas and powdered formulations are frozen, as we have not tested the products' safety or efficacy after freezing.
We would advise following the exact instructions on pack about preparation and storage.
When follow-on or toddler milk are an ingredient in a recipe, this meal may be frozen.
We are sorry that this has happened despite the care we take in our factory to ensure that all packs contain a scoop. We have an automated scoop dispenser and each pack is examined by a camera that will reject any 800g pack that doesn’t contain a scoop. Please contact us and we can arrange to send out a replacement scoop.
We take meticulous care in all our factories, production lines and warehouses but we have no control over the handling of our products once they leave our warehouses. A swollen carton or spoilt product indicates that the packaging must have become damaged at some point, allowing the entry of air. As soon as the product comes into contact with air, it will start to spoil. Please contact us and we can arrange for the return of the carton or bottle. We can then examine it to see if we can determine the nature of the damage.
It is important that all our products are made up according to the instructions on the pack. We do check the mixing properties of all of our powdered products before they are released for sale from our factory.
If you are making up the baby formula milk/ toddler milk in line with the pack guidance and are still experiencing difficulties, please contact us for further advice. We may wish to arrange for the return of the pack so that we can carry out a thorough check in our laboratory.
Choosing baby and toddler milks
It is always best to speak to your Healthcare Professional with regards to which product is best suited for your little one. They will be best at advising you on this.
Some parents will choose to move straight over to the different formulation, however, some do prefer to move over gradually. Gradually moving to the different formulation allows little one’s digestive system to adapt to the product’s compositional profile.
Ready to drink
Yes, in the UK you can take baby milks including ready to drink bottles on board a plane, although the baby may need to be present. You can find out the exact government guidance here.
Many airports around the world make allowances for families travelling with baby food and baby milks, although you may be asked to taste the liquid to prove it is harmless when passing through security.
However, not every worldwide airport permits you to fly with baby milk, there are some countries which ban all liquids and gels. If in doubt, call your airline and ask before you fly.
Yes, they can be served safely both chilled and at room temperature. The temperature at which you decide to serve it will depend on your (and your baby’s) preference, as well as what is most convenient for you at the time.
Some parents notice a slight difference in the look and smell of Ready to Drink formulation compared to a feed that has been prepared from powder, due to different processing methods used in production. However, there shouldn’t be a great deal of variance.
Store unopened bottles in a cool, dry place.
Once opened, unused Follow On Milk/Toddler Milk still in the bottle must be refrigerated immediately. The 200ml and 1 litre can be kept for up to 24 hours in the fridge.
Unfinished feed/drink in the beaker should be discarded within 2 hours.
It is completely safe to use powdered and ready to drink formulations in combination with one another, however please do not mix them together in the same bottle to make a drink. Please follow the feeding guides on the back of the packs.
There are small differences in the formulations due to differing processing methods at the factory. Please be assured that the powder and ready to drink equivalents contain the same core recipes and are safe to be used in combination.
You can find out where to buy our products by visiting our product section in the navigation, finding your desired product and then clicking 'Where to buy' which will show you a list of your nearest retailers.
Aptamil Organic Discontinuation FAQs
We constantly review our ranges and will be discontinuing Aptamil Organic in all retailers. We can reassure you that we will be keeping stock until December 2023 on Amazon to ensure parents can continue the journey.
All retailers will stop selling Aptamil Organic at different times throughout 2023, so you might be able to find products in some retailers longer than others.
It is completely safe for you to change your little one’s formula immediately. We offer a range of formulas which may suit parents and their child. It is safe for parents to change their child’s formula if they are on a non-specialised formula milk, and they should be able to transition to any of our non-specialised Aptamil formula milks without concern.
However, every baby is different, and some babies may experience settling issues when changing formula milks due to slightly different tastes, textures and composition. This is normal and any symptoms should be minimal (such as changes in stool frequency and colour).
We recommend allowing some time for your baby to settle with a new formulation, however if you have any concerns please discuss with your healthcare professional.
In order to minimise any settling issues, parents might prefer to do a gradual transition. Gradually moving over may allow time for your little one to adjust onto the new composition of the formula milk, and this can be particularly relevant for changing onto milks which have a different composition profile.
To transition to a new formula milk gradually, you could replace one bottle of your baby’s current formula milk with one bottle of your baby’s new formula milk each day, keeping all other feeds to the previous one. Continue this way, keeping the number of feeds with the new formula each day until the feeds are with the new baby/toddler milk.
It might be a good idea to introduce the new feed when your little one is not too tired or irritable, but it is worth exploring to see what works for you.
We have reviewed our ranges and chosen to de-list the Aptamil Organic range so that we can focus on other recipes at this time.
Please rest assured our Aptamil Organic formulations are safe to use still and each recipe meets our strict quality standards.
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact the careline below!
Need some help?
You can get quick answers to common questions in our FAQs.
Alternatively, if you need help with general pregnancy or baby advice, or maybe on using or ordering our products - our expert team are always on hand to talk about feeding your baby.