Danone has launched a new “dairy and plants blend baby formula” to meet the demands of parents who desire vegetarian, flexitarian and plant-based diets for their babies.

The company says the new formula product will allow parents to choose these diets for their infants, while “still meeting their baby’s specific nutritional requirements”.

The new dairy and plant blend recipe is the first of its kind in the sector for healthy babies and more than half (60%) of the protein within it comes from plants.

Soy protein

The 60% plant protein comes from what Danone describes as “high-quality/non-GMO soy protein”, as well as a variety of other plant ingredients, including vegetable oils, such as sunflower, coconut and rapeseed oils and fibres derived from chicory roots.

The 40% dairy protein in the blend comes from casein and whey protein from cow’s milk, as well as other dairy ingredients, such as lactose. Despite moving the blend to a 60% plant base, Danone says lactose is still “an important source of carbohydrates for babies, and an essential nutrient found in breastmilk”.

Danone says that “exposing children to food tastes early in life can help shape future food preferences – such as for vegetables”.

“Research also shows that a quarter of households are introducing plant-based alternatives to one- to two-year-olds.

“The mild taste of plants in the new dairy and plants blend formula recipe is intended to help familiarise babies and toddlers with plant flavours in a gentle way, helping guide future flexitarian food choices,” the company said.

Carbon emissions

Justifying its new blended formula product, Danone also says shifting towards plant-rich diets and embracing alternative sources of protein can help reduce carbon emissions.

“Danone believes by relying on more plant-based ingredients, alongside using recyclable packaging and supporting regenerative agriculture methods, we can have a meaningful impact on reducing the carbon footprint of our products.”

Overall, the company says the new formula has a 30% lower carbon footprint compared with the range of Nutrilon brand powdered formulas currently available in the Netherlands.

Danone says it will launch the new blended formula first in the Netherlands and will roll it out to other countries later in 2022, under the global Aptamil brand.