Frequently Asked Questions

We have made improvements to the nutritional composition of our SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk powder formulation and made updates to the packaging to keep it in line with the rest of our product range. The new formulation now has the highest level of Omega 3 DHA* in the UK with a 4 x increase** in our new recipe. We have also changed our source of Omega 3 to fish oil in SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk powders to align with our ready to feed products, and therefore they are no longer suitable for vegetarians. We have updated the packaging so the scoop is provided under the lid and can be stored in suspension inside the can rather than stored in the powder.

*From April 2019, Growing Up Milk powders only.
**Compared to previous recipe, powders only.

The new formulation now has the highest level of Omega 3 DHA* in the UK with a 4 x increase** in our new recipe. We have also changed our source of Omega 3 to fish oil in SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk powders to align with our ready to feed products, and therefore they are no longer suitable for vegetarians. We have updated the packaging so the scoop is provided under the lid and can be stored in suspension inside the can rather than stored in the powder.

* From April 2019, Growing Up Milk powders only.
**Compared to previous recipe, powders only.

DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) is a form of Omega 3 LCP, long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid. Although LCPs can be made in the body, babies have a high demand for these nutrients and can benefit from an additional source.

There are no changes to the preparation instructions for SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk. Please follow the instructions on the can.

There is no change to our recommendations. All toddlers have different nutritional needs, but after 12 months, we recommend your child has around 400 ml of milk per day. You can feed your child up to 3 servings per day depending on their nutritional needs. SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk is nutritionally enriched to help support young children's growth up until their 4^th birthday in combination with a healthy balanced diet.

The Omega 3 LCP* DHA** is derived from fish oil. Due to the higher DHA content in new SMA® Growing Up Milk some babies may notice a slight taste change when changing from the previous formulation, this is perfectly normal.

*LCP Long Chain Polyunsaturate
**DHA docosahexaenoic acid

The new recipe SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk is still halal certified (this has not changed from the previous formulation).

The new recipe SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk powder is not suitable for vegetarians, this is a change from the previous SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk powder recipe. This is due to the source of Omega 3 DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) being fish oil. The fish oil we use is a natural ingredient that has been highly refined and purified specifically for use in formula. As a natural ingredient, it provides a range of different fatty acids which are all naturally present in breast milk. Most baby formulas on sale in the UK and Ireland currently use fish oil as a source of DHA.

The new SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk is lower in protein, containing 1.3g/100ml (compared to 1.5g/100ml in the previous SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk).

Getting the right quality, and the appropriate amount of protein during your baby’s first 1000 days (from conception up until 2 years of age) may help with a steady and therefore appropriate growth.

No, the new SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk powder does not contain vanilla or flavouring.

There are slight differences between our powder and liquid SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milks due to different manufacturing processes as they are made in different factories. You can still use SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk liquid and powder products together.

SMA^® PRO First Infant Milk
SMA^® PRO Follow-on Milk
SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk
SMA^® Organic First Infant Milk
SMA^® Organic Follow-on Milk
SMA^® Organic Growing Up Milk
Little Steps^® First Infant Milk
Little Steps^® Follow-on Milk
SMA^® Extra Hungry Infant Milk
SMA^® Wysoy^® Soya Infant Formula
SMA LF^® Lactose Free Formula
SMA^® Comfort Easy to Digest Infant Milk
SMA^® Breast Milk Fortifier

If you would like more information please contact our Careline team on 0800 081 81 80, or visit the SMA Careline^® page for other ways to get in touch.

The following milks are suitable for vegetarians (powder formats only).
SMA^® Extra Hungry Infant Milk
SMA^® Wysoy^® Soya Infant Milk
SMA^® Comfort Easy to Digest Infant Milk

If you would like more information please contact our Careline team on 0800 081 81 80, or visit the SMA Careline^® page for other ways to get in touch.

The safety and quality of our products are our highest priorities in manufacturing our SMA^® Nutrition infant formula.

We took the decision to include DHA (an Omega 3) from fish-oil in our formulas following years of clinical testing that showed babies given formula containing fish oil were no more likely to have reflux or any other digestive symptoms.

These tests were part of the evidence reviewed by experts on the benefits and safety of adding DHA to formula. Following this review, the decision was taken that all formulas must include DHA. This will be mandatory from 2020.

The fish oil we use is a natural ingredient that has been highly refined and purified specifically for use in infant formula. As a natural ingredient, it provides a range of different fatty acids which are all naturally present in breast milk. 

Most infant formulas on sale in the UK and Ireland currently use fish oil as a source of DHA.

If you would like more information on the ingredients in our formulas, please contact our Careline team on 0800 081 81 80 or via www.smababy.co.uk/careline.

Yes. You can use SMA^® Nutrition liquid and powdered products together.

If you are having difficulties and the powder is not mixing well, check that the water you are using is above 70°C.

If you would like some advice, please contact the SMA Careline^® team of experts who will be happy to help you.

We recommend preparing each feed in individual bottles as required. This reduces the risk of infection that can make your baby ill. Alternatively use our Ready to Use liquid formulations, as no preparation is required.

On our product labels we provide a feeding guide. It is quite normal for babies to feed frequently in the early weeks. Their demand for feeding will increase in relation to their growth pattern. Your baby may be having a growth spurt, therefore the volume of feed he or she will take will increase to account for this too. Some babies do not feed little and often, every two to three hours can be perfectly normal.

However, have a chat with your health visitor if you are at all concerned about your baby’s feeding needs as every baby is different.

The signs of lactose intolerance or cows’ milk allergy may be immediate or delayed after feeding, and may involve symptoms regarding your baby’s digestion, skin or respiratory system. If you believe your baby is showing signs of intolerance, contact your GP for further advice.

The majority of SMA^® Nutrition products are only available in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Therefore, for the duration of your stay, you would be best advised to take enough supplies of your baby’s usual milk with you.

The SMA^® ORGANIC range launched in June 2018 is an addition to our existing range, providing parents with an Organic option. Our SMA^® ORGANIC formula benefits from the same baby nutrition expertise as our SMA^® PRO range. The key difference is that SMA^® ORGANIC is certified organic.

SMA^® Nutrition have always used steel tins as they offer the best product protection and protection against humidity. The steel tin is 100% recyclable, however check with your local recycling facility. The cartons and plastic lids of the tins are widely recyclable within the UK, but again check with your local recycling facility. SMA^® PRO Growing up Milk 200ml comes with a plastic straw to provide you with a safe, convenient and easy-to use solution in and out of home. We recommend pushing the straw “back in the pack” as soon as the carton has been finished and before placing the carton in the correct recycling bin.

Postbiotics are compounds that are present in some formulas and are made through a process of fermentation. We do not add postbiotics to our milks because they are naturally made in babies tummy and there is no need for an additional supplement.

Listening to feedback from parents and healthcare professionals we are simplifying the information on the pack, to make the relevant information stand out more. For Specials in particular, the product name has been enlarged and featured more prominently, to make it easier for you to identify the right product for your baby when your look for it on shelf. The preterm range and SMA^® Anti-Reflux are still made using the same manufacturing process as before, we have just removed the ‘PRO’ from the product name.

SMA ‘PRO’ has been removed from some specialist milks in order to simplify the pack to make it easier for you to identify the right product for your baby when you look for it on shelf. Our core range includes SMA^®PRO First Infant Milk stage 1, SMA^® PRO Follow-on Milk stage 2 and SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk stage 3 and the product name, staging and age suitability of these products are already very prominent on pack so there was no need to remove the ‘PRO’ from the front of packs.

We have reformulated the following products: SMA High Energy^®, SMA LF^® Lactose Free Formula and SMA^® Wysoy^® Soya Infant Formula.

We have changed the source of the Omega 3 to fish oil in our ready to feed SMA High Energy^® to bring this product in line with our other liquid formulations, which already use fish oil as the source of Omega 3. Omega 3 & 6^† and iodine helps support normal growth. The fish oil we use is a natural ingredient that has been highly refined and purified specifically for use in formula. As a natural ingredient, it provides a range of different fatty acids which are all naturally present in breast milk. The new recipe SMA High Energy^® is no longer suitable for vegetarians, this is a change from the previous SMA High Energy^® recipe. Some babies may notice a slight taste change when changing from the previous formulation, this is perfectly normal. Most baby formulas on sale in the UK and Ireland currently use fish oil as a source of DHA. 

If you would like more information please contact our Careline team on 0800 081 81 80, or visit the SMA Careline^® page for other ways to get in touch.

^†Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids support normal development and growth. Omega 3, α-linolenic acid, and Omega 6, linoleic acid, are essential fatty acids because they cannot be synthesised in the body, therefore they need to be obtained through the diet. The beneficial effect of essential fatty acids is obtained with a daily intake of 10 g of Linoleic acid and 2 g of α-linolenic acid.

The European legislation on infant and follow-on formula has been updated (EU Regulation 2016/127). The reformulation of our SMA^® Wysoy^® Soya Infant Formula is to ensure that the levels of vitamins, minerals and omega 3 oils are provided at the new levels and complies to this new legislation. Baby formula is one of the most heavily regulated and tested food products in the world and we can assure you that the reformulated SMA^® Wysoy^® Soya Infant Formula is safe for babies. Some babies may notice a slight difference in taste but this is perfectly normal.

If you would like more information please contact our Careline team on 0800 081 81 80, or visit the SMA Careline^® page for other ways to get in touch.

SMA^® PRO First Infant Milk, is a nutritionally complete breast milk substitute. It is enriched with Omega 3 & 6 long chain polysaturates (LCPs) and GOS/FOS^♦. To see the full list of ingredients and nutrition information for this product please see the label or the information available on our product pages.

^♦GOS/FOS = Galacto- and Fructo-oligosaccharides in powder formulation only.

We have changed the source of the Omega 3 to fish oil in our ready to feed SMA^® Extra Hungry Infant Milk to bring this product in line with our other liquid formulations, which already use fish oil as the source of Omega 3.

SMA^® PRO Follow-on Milk is tailored for babies from 6 months as part of a varied weaning diet. At 6 months your baby's development progresses quickly and their need for iron increases. SMA^® PRO Follow-on Milk is enriched with iron to help support normal cognitive development in baby’s brain. It contains a blend of vitamins, including A, C & D to help support the normal function of baby’s immune system. It also contains vitamin D and calcium to support the normal growth and development of bones and Omega 3 & 6† and iodine to help support normal growth. Contains GOS/FOS^♦

To see the full list of ingredients and nutrition information for this product please see the label or the information available on our product pages.

^†The beneficial effect of essential fatty acids is obtained with a daily intake of 10 g of Linoleic acid and 2 g of α-linolenic acid
^♦GOS/FOS = Galacto-oligosaccharides/ Fructo-oligosaccharides in powder formulation only

Yes, SMA^® PRO Follow-on Milk is suitable to use in your baby’s favourite milk-based recipes or on cereals. See our weaning guide for more information.

Milk will remain a big part of your baby’s daily diet all the way through childhood, providing important energy and nutrients. SMA^® PRO Follow-on Milk contains of a tailored combination of nutrients including iron, vitamin D, omega 3 and 6, and GOS/FOS^♦.

^♦GOS/FOS = Galacto- and Fructo-oligosaccharides in powder formulation only.

Our SMA^® PRO Follow-on Milk contains iron because it is specifically designed for babies from 6 months of age. At this time, baby’s natural stores of iron have depleted, so SMA^® PRO Follow-on Milk is enriched with iron to help support normal cognitive development in baby’s brain. 

SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk contains more vitamin D per 100ml than our SMA^® PRO Follow-on Milk, as at 12 months, your little one will be consuming more iron through the foods they eat as part of their diet. Vitamin D, which helps to support normal growth and development of bones, is a hard to get nutrient in the diet. A contribution to a toddler’s dietary intake of vitamin D can come from foods such as oily fish, supplements and fortified products such as fortified breakfast cereals. SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk also contains vitamins A, C & D to help support the normal function of a child’s immune system.

SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk is nutritionally enriched to help support young children's healthy growth up until their 4th birthday. It contains vitamin D and calcium to support the normal growth and development of bones, and Omega 3 & 6^† and iodine to help support normal growth. It also contains a blend of vitamins, including A, C & D to help support the normal function of a child’s immune system. SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk is also enriched with iron to help support normal cognitive development in a child’s brain.

To see the full list of ingredients and nutrition information for this product please see the label or the information available on our product pages.

^†The beneficial effect of essential fatty acids is obtained with a daily intake of 10 g of Linoleic acid and 2 g of α-linolenic acid.

SMA^® PRO Growing Up Milk is suitable from one year onwards. Your toddler can continue to drink Growing Up Milk as part of a balanced and varied diet from 12 months up until their fourth birthday.

Yes, Health Authorities in the UK and Ireland recommend that a toddler has two to three servings of dairy foods a day, including milk. From 12 months olds you can give your toddler full fat cows’ milk, Growing Up Milk, or a combination of both.

To see the full list of ingredients and nutrition information for this product please see the label or the information available on our product pages.