The More You Know: A Brief History of Infant Formula

but the options are somewhat limited for the first few months of their lives. Choosing between breast milk and formula is a very personal decision and oftentimes those who choose formula are looking for something that resembles the nutrients found in breast milk as closely as possible. While this wasn’t always the case, there is now an overwhelming variety of formulas offering different benefits on the market. ByHeart developed their new formula to provide an all-in-one option to meet these needs so that you don’t have to sacrifice one nutritional benefit for another.

Given that infant formula did not make its way onto the scene until 1865 you might wonder, what did women do before that? Early on there was wet nursing for actual breast milk and animal milk as an alternative. When the chemical properties of breast milk were determined, it was thought to be the most nutritious in comparison to animal milk and so the bar was set. Since then companies have been competing to develop the best formula that comes as close to breast milk as possible.

In 1865, a chemist named Justus von Liebig developed the first infant “food” as it was marketed. This was made of cow’s milk, wheat and malt flour, and potassium bicarbonate.

In 1885, Myerling’s unsweetened evaporated milk came onto the scene and while it would fill an infant’s belly, it lacked all of the protein, vitamins, and minerals that breast milk is rich in.

In the 1920s,  the American Medical Association (AMA) got involved and many companies sought their “seal of acceptance” in regards to the safety and quality of their formula.                   

By the end of the 1920s, non-milk alternatives were developed using soy flour but they too lacked the essential vitamins and minerals.       

In the 1940s and 1950s, infant formula was now regarded as an acceptable and safe alternative to breastmilk.