Are European Baby Formulas Irradiated?

What is food irradiation? At the very basics, food irradiation is an industrial-scale process that uses radiation to kill bacteria and sterilize certain types of food.

Food irradiation is thought to improve safety and extend food products’ shelf life by effectively destroying organisms responsible for spoilage and foodborne illness. This radiation process may inhibit the sprouting or ripening of some spores and has been used to control insects and invasive pests.

Food irradiation is permitted in over 60 countries, and about 500,000 metric tons of food are processed in this way annually- all over the world; of course, this includes the European Union and the United States.

It is important to note that the regulations for how food is to be irradiated and the foods allowed to go through the process vary significantly from country to country.

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the use of irradiation on overseas, imported foods. Three sources of radiation are approved for the irradiating process: X-rays, Gamma rays, and Electron beams. Even though the FDA claims that irradiated food is safe, several studies have shown radiation’s adverse effects on our food supply.

Austria, Germany, and other countries of the European Union, irradiation is limited to dried herbs, spices, and seasonings and only at a specific dose. Families can feel confident knowing that European baby formula is not allowed to be susceptible to this process in any amount.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from the EU to the USA enforces admissibility requirements for various regulating agencies. 

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialist will conduct a visual and physical inspection of each order, determine if the baby formula is compliant with the agriculture admissibility requirements or needs further inspection, and will ensure your infant’s formula will make it safely to the US without passing through any unnecessary radiation. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced guidelines that outline increased flexibilities regarding the importation of European infant formulas to further the availability while protecting the health of infants.

Understanding the importance of the times, European infant formulas have announced long-term plans to help American babies receive nutrition by ramping up distribution.

European brands are diligent in ensuring all infants, no matter where they live, have a baby formula that supports their developmental and digestive needs and provides options for all families and all nutritional choices.

Farm-to-bottle, EU infant nutrition regulations have a system of checks and balances ensuring that there is never a trace of pesticides, chemical additives, or toxic ingredients. Of course, this includes no irradiation that may cause unsafe byproducts.

Strict regulations and standards ensure that each European baby formula only uses clean, pure ingredients manufactured and produced to guarantee that the animals, land, and community are all respected.

European baby formulas find the ingredients left out as important as those included. EU regulations insist that infant nutrition contain more organic and natural ingredients.

European formulas are thoughtfully tailored to your infants’ developmental stages and digestive needs. Proteins are suited for even the most sensitive babies, and micro and macronutrients are balanced for physical and cognitive maturity.

Worries like gassy tummies, colic, and constipationare soothed with the right European formula, including hypoallergenic options. Babies and toddlers with allergies can count on easier-to-digest proteins of goat milk baby formulas and non-lactose vegan infant formulas.

Unlike most American formulas, European-style baby formulas also contain natural prebiotics and probiotics that can help support a baby’s beneficial gut bacteria and healthy growth.

Of course, what makes European nutrition unique is strict standards and stringent regulations, including organic formula.

European baby formulas are produced using organic farming practices with all infants' physical growth and cognitive development at the forefront. Adhering to firm standards set by the European Commission (equivalent to the FDA in the US), little ones have ensured only clean, pure ingredients are manufactured and produced in an ecologically responsible manner.

Your infant’s nutrition is our number one priority at The Milky Box. We care about each detail, from choosing the perfect formulas to share with your family all the way through delivery to your home.

We are dedicated to ensuring your baby receives the best European formula to support healthy growth and development without concerning ingredients or irradiation.