For detail on this:

The FDA requires a minimum of 2.7% of the fat in infant formula to be linoleic acid. LA is needed as a precursor to arachidonic acid (ARA), which is essential especially for infants.

2.7% is fair, given that grass fed beef fat is 1-3% LA and cow’s milk is 1-5%-2.5%. Human breast milk is a rabbit hole…because of the modern, LA heavy diet that skews the studies higher. However, US infant formula ranges from 10-25% LA, around an order of magnitude from what is needed. Hmm 🤔

So ok, that’s not exactly a ban on non seed oil formulas right? Well, the one formula AFAIK that doesn’t include seed oils (which have other issues besides high LA btw) is Serenity Kids Toddler formula, a cow’s milk based formula. Instead of seed oils for LA and ALA, they add ARA and DHA, which would be made from the LA and ALA precursors in seed oil formula. SKT should also have some LA 1-3%, but maybe not enough ALA, which is why they add ARA and DHA to cover it.

Now, it just-so-happens that the one seed oil free formula on the market has YET to be approved (after years) as an *infant* formula. Toddler? Fine. But infant? No. So many parents I’ve talked to are apprehensive to use it for infants because it specifically doesn’t say *infant*, it says *toddler*. The distinction between those two words is the core of the issue.

So when I say that the FDA *requires* seed oils for infant formula, no they don’t technically but, there is essentially a de facto ban on seed oil free infant formulas in the US. If you zoom out and look at the seed oil influence over the food industry, medical complex, university/research, and regulators, plus that 10-25% LA in formulas, then you’ll see what’s actually going on.

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