Oh, baby!

Costco buyers share the latest on Kirkland Signature’s newly enhanced infant formula

Speaking as a mother who had to supplement her breast milk with infant formula, I can say hands down it is a stressful situation with many questions tied to it. While a majority of moms start out breastfeeding—approximately 80%, according to some data—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that, by 6 months of age, it’s about a 50-50 split between moms who breastfeed their babies and those who feed with formula. Although it’s a personal decision for any parent, Costco health and beauty aid (HABA) buyers want you to know you’re not alone. If your decision includes infant formula, you’ve come to the right place.

Newly enhanced

Starting in February, Kirkland Signature ™ ProCare Infant Formula, which made its debut in 2001, will undergo an update for the better. Why change? With a product as important as infant formula, it is a matter of the buyers staying on top of emerging science, new data and other improvements through ongoing research.

“In this particular situation, it was a matter of working with our supplier to add more micronutrients as well as more human milk oligosaccharides, aka HMOs (see “What are HMOs?”),” says HABA assistant buyer Jeff Taylor. “Then we discuss how this will benefit our members.”

As with many Kirkland Signature products, the road from concept to shelf can be a long process—in this case, taking approximately 16 months to get the item just right.

“That’s because, along with working with our supplier to ensure the best possible product, the formulation needs to be reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration to make sure everything is in compliance with U.S. standards and regulations,” Taylor explains.

Bottles up

The prospect of changing ingredients in infant formula is never taken lightly, and the buyers want to assure members that it’s all for the best.

“Compared to our previous formula, this newly enhanced formula is not only easier to digest for your little ones, it also offers better immune support from its improved micronutrients [see “Our formula’s formula”],” explains Anna Forbush, Costco HABA buyer. “For parents who can’t breastfeed, you want to give your baby as close as you can to breast milk, and that’s what we’re giving them with the HMOs in this formula.”

I turned to Dr. Jen Trachtenberg, pediatrician and parenting expert at Carnegie Hill Pediatrics in New York City, for some information on HMOs and micronutrients. “One thing that may surprise parents is that 70% of your immune system is actually in your gut,” she explains. “HMOs are a kind of prebiotic that feeds the many beneficial bacteria in your baby’s digestive tract, helping to promote a healthy balance of microorganisms, and supports both the immune and digestive system.”

Fed is best

Trachtenberg wants to stress the importance of getting nutrients to your baby however you’re able to: “At the end of the day, I always tell parents that I want their babies to grow and thrive with whatever method works best for them. Whether that’s through breast- feeding, formula or a combination of both, fed is always best.”

For parents who formula-feed, another positive for Kirkland Signature is the fact that the New York Times’ Wirecutter product review website refers to Costco’s Kirkland Signature ProCare Infant Formula as one that “provides many of the same extra nutrients you’ll find in formulas that cost two or three times as much.”

The new formula builds on this success. Forbush says, “One thing we want to stress to our members is that this is the same great formula you’ve grown to love and trust. The main difference is that it’s now even closer to breast milk than it ever has been before, and for any new mom out there, what’s better than that?”

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