Not all baby formula milk is the same

Infant formula on display at a supermarket in Nantong, Jiangsu province. Consumer confidence in infant formula on the mainland has plummeted, leading many concerned parents to turn to imported products.[Photo/Provided to China Daily]

After an investigation into overseas brands of milk powder, about 40 percent of the 19 tested have been "disqualified" from the Chinese market because they did not meet the national standards. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Monday:

Maybe because of the safety concerns about domestic infant formula in recent years, maybe because of their blind zeal for overseas products, some Chinese customers prefer foreign brands of milk powder to domestic ones.

These customers were quite astounded at the news that some well-known foreign brands have been disqualified from the Chinese market.

As a matter of fact, it is not really about their quality, but rather the different standards for formula milk in various countries.

It is quite normal that different countries have different formula milk powder. The differences derive from catering to the bodily requirements of babies in different nations.

For instance, as women in Japan eat a lot of seafood, Japanese baby formula may not need to contain much iodine or zinc, while inland Chinese babies may need more of the two elements. As for Chinese customers, they are quite ignorant of the formula milk needed for their babies.

As China has recently increased the quality and safety of formula milk powder, domestic customers should get rid of the mindset of foreign brands only and try more formula milk that is made in China, which will be more suitable for their babies.