Abbott launches ready-to-feed liquid infant formula similar to human breast milk

Abbott has launched Similac 360 Total Care Made With Whole Milk, a ready-to-feed liquid infant formula that is designed to have a high resemblance to fats in breast milk, while containing five immune-nourishing prebiotics. 

The company emphasizes that parents have an increased interest in infant formulas made with whole milk, while also prioritizing convenient formats such as ready-to-feed, which are commercially sterile.

“Parents have been asking for more whole milk options, and we wanted to give them something they couldn’t get anywhere else,” says Misha Pardubicka-Jenkins, Abbott’s US VP and general manager for pediatric nutrition. 

“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. And through launch, we’ll make it accessible to more families by offering it at powder-like prices.”

Resemblance to breast milk

Whole milk is increasingly gaining traction for infant formula, as it contains a fat blend similar to human breast milk. The Similac 360 Total Care Made With Whole Milk is the brand’s most similar infant formula to human breast milk, the company claims.

It also contains a prebiotic blend of five human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), “structurally identical to those found in breast milk,” says the company.

The formula is especially designed to support babies’ immune system, brain development, and digestive health. It is non-GMO, made without palm oil, artificial growth hormones, and corn syrup.

Karyn Wulf, M.D., pediatrician and senior medical director in Abbott’s Nutrition division, says: “As a pediatrician, I have spent decades helping parents navigate infant feeding, so I know how meaningful it is to find a formula option parents feel confident choosing.”

“All Similac formulas start with high-quality ingredients that provide the essential nutrition babies need to grow and develop. Ready-to-feed infant formulas offer parents convenience because they require no mixing and the reassurance that comes with a commercially sterile liquid.”

All batches of the Similac 360 Total Care Made With Whole Milk will be produced at Abbott’s own manufacturing facility in the US.