Frequently Asked Questions

Our team of nutritionists are always looking to evolve our recipes to reflect our most up-to-date understanding of the key nutrients for babies. The new SMA^® PRO formulas have been updated to incorporate both the new EU regulations and our most up-to-date understanding of the key nutrients for babies.

The UK and EU legislation sets the requirements for the nutritional composition of baby milks. The key purpose of the legislation is to ensure that baby milks and specialist milks from all manufacturers provide the appropriate nutrition and are safe to use. Based on the latest science available the legislation will require all manufacturers to adjust levels of some vitamins, minerals and other nutrients by February 2020.

EU Regulation Changes
The new EU regulation required us to make minor vitamin, mineral and other nutrient tweaks across our milks One of the main mandatory changes required by new EU regulation is the levels of DHA* inclusion. DHA (Omega-3 LCPs**) has been recommended by the European Food Safety Authority for use in baby milks and is safe. Omega-3 LCPs form a key part of a healthy diet. Our current infant and follow on milks already contain DHA* but you may notice an increase in the levels. These changes only apply to infant, follow-on and specialist milks.

Additional Changes
In addition aligned with our most up to date understanding of the key nutrients for babies; we will also be adding the oligosaccharide 2'FL to our SMA^® PRO Milks

*DHA: docosahexaenoic acid
**Long chain polyunsaturates

DHA stands for docosahexaenoic acid. DHA is an Omega-3 which is a family of fats that are also referred to as long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPs). DHA intake contributes to the normal visual development of infants up to 12 months of age. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 100 mg of DHA ( contains at least 0,3 % of the total fatty acids as DHA.)

As a result of the updated legislation, the required levels of some specific vitamins, minerals and other nutrients will change in all formulations across all manufacturers. However, manufacturers are permitted to voluntarily add ingredients that reflect their latest scientific understanding in baby nutrition. In short, not all formulas will be the same.

2’FL is the most abundant oligosaccharide found in breast milk. Oligosaccharides are complex carbohydrates and the third largest solid component found in breast milk. There are thought to be 200 oligosaccharides in breast milk though most mums' milk contain 10. 80% of mums have 2'FL, making it the most abundant oligosaccharide found in breast milk.

Oligosaccharides such as 2'FL in breast milk are thought to help support the babies immune system.

2’FL has been assessed by the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) as safe for use in baby milks and has been present in our SMA Advanced Milks since May 2019. There are 50 research studies over 24 years that support the role of oligosaccharides in infant nutrition. 2'FL is the most clinically studied of these oligosaccharides. Even though there are 200 oligosaccharides in breast milk, we will only add those that have been studied and accepted by EFSA (European Food Safety Association).

No, the 2'FL present in our SMA^® PRO Follow-on Milk are structurally identical to the oligosaccharides found in breast milk. The 2'FL in SMA^® PRO Follow-on Milk are made by fermentation of lactose.

GOS & FOS are not found in breast milk so we will stop adding GOS/FOS to our First and Follow-on Milks. However, GOS/FOS may have a role in some foods for special medical purposes.

The preparation instructions for our new SMA^® Nutrition products have not changed. When making up a feed, it is always important to follow the on-pack instructions closely.

Our updated milks will be gradually replacing our current packs in all retailers from February 2020, the availability of our current and updated milks will vary depending on the retailer.

We have worked hard to ensure that your baby should not notice any difference between the old and new milks but we completely understand any changes to your baby’s milk, no matter how big or small, can raise questions. Please contact our SMA Careline^® at any time to talk to one of our friendly advisors for more information, or you can speak to your healthcare professional.

Your baby should be able to happily switch from the old formula to the new but if you would like to ease the transition, you might prefer to change over gradually. This may allow your little one time to adjust onto the new composition of the milk.

To transition to the new milk gradually you could replace one bottle of your baby’s current milk with one bottle of your baby’s new milk each day, keeping all the other feeds to the previous one. It may be a good idea to introduce the new feed when your little one is not too tired or irritable, continue this way, increasing the number of feeds with new milk each day until all the feeds are with the new baby/toddler milk. But if you would like more support please contact our SMA Careline^® team via our live chat service, or if you'd prefer to speak on the phone you can call them 24/7 on UK: 0800 081 81 80 and Ireland: 1800 931 832.

For the first few months in market the new milks will have a lid sticker on to highlight that it is the new formulation.

The UK will continue to comply to EU Regulation for the foreseeable future, until further guidance is issued from the UK Government.

By using plant-based plastics, we are able to contribute to reducing the amount of fossil fuels used to produce conventional plastic, being produced instead from sugar cane, a renewable resource. At least 66% of our plastic for lids and scoops are now made from this.

The plant-based plastic is also designed for recycling where polyethylene (PE) plastic is already recycled. Please check out your local collection for this kind of plastic.

The plastic lids and scoops, are designed for recycling. They remain recyclable along with standard Polyethylene (PE) plastics within UK & Ireland, but check your local recycling facility.

At least 66% of the plastic resin is coming from sugar cane. The rest is from conventional fossil fuel based plastic. This is the optimal proportion we have confirmed to retain the same quality and durability as our previous plastic design.

The lid and scoop colour is now lighter and more translucent. The quality of these plastic components have not changed and remain safe and of the highest quality.

The plant-based logo means that part of the plastic for our lids and scoops are now made from plastic that is at least 66% sugar cane.

The certification from TUV Austria confirms the bio-based content in the plastic packaging. A special test is done to confirm the amount in the plastic that is coming from a biological material, in this case, from sugar cane.

Together with the Nestle Institute of Packaging Sciences, we are constantly finding ways to improve the way we deliver nutritional solutions everywhere in the world, in safe and durable packaging. We are working hard to improve our design in order to one day become 100% plant-based plastic, or use other types of materials that help us deliver this objective.

No. The bio-based / plant-based plastic, which is still polyethylene (PE), is not biodegradable or compostable. We invite you to sort the packaging material in the appropriate bins in your area. The bio-based / plant-based plastic is designed for recycling, where PE recycling infrastructure exists.

The plant-based plastic used in at least 66% of our lids and scoops is made from sugar cane, which is grown and harvested and can be continually replenished, and is, therefore, from a renewable resource.

The sugar cane is first harvested, sent to mills and crushed multiple times. There, it is turned into edible sugar, and biomaterials such as bio-ethanol. This bio-ethanol is transformed into the polyethylene plastic resin that is used in our plastic lids and scoops.

Our suppliers are nurturing the sustainability of the sugar cane supply chain and work in collaboration with others towards best practices that ensure the sugar cane is processed to make the best of the harvest.

Yes, the new lids and scoops are safe, as with our previous ones. They have been qualified and tested using our strict quality standards as well as according to the relevant regulations on food contact materials. Please follow the preparation and storage instructions on the pack and as advised by your health care professionals to always ensure your child receives proper and safe nutrition.

TUV Austria is a third-party certification body that conducted a special test, following international standards, to confirm the bio-based content of the plastic lids and scoops. TUV Austria is just the name of the company, and does not mean that the product is made in Austria.

It is sugar cane grown from Brazil. The sugar cane fields in Brazil are about 2000 kilometers away from the Amazon Rainforest (suggest for local adaptation to provide an illustration of what 2000 kilometers mean).

Our suppliers are nurturing the sustainability of the sugar cane supply chain and work in collaboration with others towards best practices that ensure the sugar cane is processed to make the best of the harvest.

Within this process, nothing is wasted in the transformation of the sugar cane to the plant-based resin which ends up in our packaging. The residual biomass (bagasse) is even used as a biofuel to power the production process and the nutrient-rich liquid that is a byproduct of the ethanol production, is used as a natural fertilizer for the crops.

Our suppliers are nurturing the sustainability of the sugar cane supply chain and work in collaboration with others towards best practices that ensure the sugar cane is processed to make the best of the harvest. This means no sugar cane burning, planting away from protected areas and fair working conditions and no child labor. The sugar cane used by our suppliers are GMO free.

The bio-based plastic is produced from a bio-material called ethanol. This ethanol is one of the byproducts of sugar cane processing, which includes the edible sugar, and the residual biomass called bagasse used in fertilizers and biofuel.