FDA Proposes More Iodine and Vitamin D in Infant Formula in Its First Nutrient Rewrite Since 1998

Chloride, potassium, selenium and sodium keep their current ranges. The FDA is also asking for public input on whether DHA, ARA and L-carnitine, which many manufacturers already add, should become mandatory; the rule does not yet require them.

When would parents see different formula?

Not soon. Comments are due 120 days after Federal Register publication. The FDA plans two further proposed rules, one after a review of 12 vitamins now under way and another covering protein, fat, iron, calcium and other macronutrients and minerals, then a single consolidated final rule. Manufacturers would have three years from that rule's effective date to reformulate and relabel. Steven Abrams, a paediatrician at the University of Texas Dell Medical School, told CNN the update was overdue and the first phase well done, but criticised the piecemeal approach; he expects changes to take several years to reach cans.

On vitamin D, the practical effect is modest. Current formula sits slightly below the recommended intake, which is why many paediatricians already advise a drop supplement for formula-fed infants, CNN noted. The FDA says products now on the market remain safe, and that the proposal has no immediate effect on the WIC programme.

This article reports a regulatory proposal and is not medical advice. Decisions about how to feed an infant, including whether to supplement with vitamin D or to change formula, belong with a paediatrician or clinician who knows the child's history.

The review the law asks for every four years has not happened in 28 years. Whether the FDA keeps its stated pace, with the second phase due in about a year, will decide whether the first babies fed under the new standards are born this decade.