Leading nutritionists and consumer experts have clearly stated that there is no reason to pay premium prices for baby formula products that offer the same support and protection.
"As a nutritionist, I know the truth about infant formula," said Barbara Levine of Weill Cornell Medical College. "There is no nutritional reason to buy the much more expensive formulas sold by the big pharmaceutical companies."
Consumer Reports agrees. The recent 10th Edition of Consumer Reports Best Baby Products author Sandra Gordon cited the strict FDA regulation in saying she saw no need for parents to choose expensive national brand baby formulas over store brands found at leading retailers like Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Target, CVS, Kroger, Walgreens and Babies R Us.
"Is the store brand as good as the national brand?" It has to be.
It's not just nutritional experts who have confirmed the store brand formula message of nutrition equality. Over the years, the courts have spoken loud and clear in favor of store brands in cases where national brands made advertising claims of nutritional superiority.
Store brand infant formulas recently won a major victory when a U.S. Circuit Court upheld a $13.5 million false advertising claim against Enfamil® Infant Formula maker Mead Johnson.
The case centered on the successful argument by Perrigo's store brand infant formula business, that Mead Johnson's Enfamil® advertisements were false and misleading because store brand formulas offer the same nutrients at the same levels as Enfamil.
"As the litigation history of the parties demonstrates, despite having twice been restrained from disseminating misleading advertising, Mead Johnson continued to do so," Circuit Judge Andre Davis wrote. "[Store Brand Formula] cannot fairly compete with Mead Johnson unless and until Mead Johnson stops infecting the marketplace with misleading advertising."
"The Court has made it clear that national brand and store brand suppliers are entitled to fairly compete and advertising abuses will not be tolerated," said Perrigo Chairman and CEO Joseph C. Papa in a statement. "We also appreciate the Court's recognition that we could lawfully compare our products [store brand formula] to national brand products."
Enfamil® is a registered trademark of Mead Johnson & Co. Store brand formula is not made by or affiliated with Mead Johnson & Co.