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Abbott has expanded its infant nutrition portfolio with the launch of Similac 360 Total Care Made With Whole Milk, a ready-to-feed liquid infant formula made with whole milk.
The new product is the first commercially sterile, ready-to-feed liquid infant formula made with whole milk in the US, according to Abbott. The company is offering the formula in 8- and 32-fluid-ounce formats, with launch pricing designed to be comparable on a per-feeding basis with Similac 360 Total Care powdered formula.
The launch comes as parents show increasing interest in infant formulas made with whole milk. Abbott says the use of whole milk provides a fat blend that more closely resembles the fats found in breast milk.
Similac 360 Total Care Made With Whole Milk combines whole milk with Abbott’s blend of five human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), prebiotics structurally identical to five HMOs found in breast milk. The company says the formulation is designed to support immune health, brain development and digestive health.
The formula is also non-GMO and does not contain artificial growth hormones, corn syrup or palm olein oil, according to Abbott.
Rather than adding a whole-milk option to its powdered portfolio, Abbott is launching the new formulation exclusively as a commercially sterile, ready-to-feed liquid.
The company says the format addresses two consumer priorities: interest in whole-milk formulas and demand for convenient infant-feeding options. Ready-to-feed formula requires no mixing or preparation, making it particularly suited to travel, overnight feedings and other occasions when convenience is a priority.
Misha Pardubicka-Jenkins, Abbott’s US vice president and general manager for pediatric nutrition, said: “Parents have been asking for more whole milk options, and we wanted to give them something they couldn't get anywhere else. We decided on a liquid-only approach to give families the benefits of whole milk, the convenience of a formula that's ready when baby is, and the reassurance that comes with a commercially sterile liquid formula.”
Commercial sterility involves an additional validated heat-treatment process intended to eliminate spores of potentially harmful microorganisms, including Clostridium spores. Abbott says the nutritional quality of its ready-to-feed formulas is maintained through the process.
While ready-to-feed infant formulas generally carry a higher price than powdered products, Abbott is using pricing as another point of differentiation for the new launch. The company says the 8- and 32-ounce products will be priced at levels similar to the per-feeding cost of Similac 360 Total Care powdered formulas.
The product is initially available through Target and Amazon, with Walmart and additional retail, club, grocery and pharmacy locations expected to carry it in the coming weeks.
The company will manufacture the product at an Abbott-owned US facility.
Similac 360 Total Care Made With Whole Milk joins Abbott’s existing range of infant nutrition products, including the original Similac 360 Total Care ready-to-feed and powdered formulas.
