Stiftung Warentest finds numerous pollutants in baby milk

Harmful substances in starting milk are avoidable from the expert's point of view
For baby foods, parents tend to pay close attention to the ingredients. Especially early milk is carefully examined, as it is supposed to provide the newborn with all the important nutrients in the first months of life. But as "clean", as parents would like this milk food, it is obviously not long. Instead, commercially available infant formulas often contain harmful substances, according to a recent analysis by Stiftung Warentest. Thus, although for some of the substances, there is no statutory maximum amount, but quantity such as these can be avoided, according to the statement of the Foundation.

Breastfeeding is the best choice for the child
In the first few months breastfeeding is the best nutrition for a baby, because in breast milk are in ideal composition all the nutrients that the child needs for its development. If a woman is unable or unwilling to breast-feed her newborn, the alternative is the so-called "pre-milk", whose composition is largely adapted to breast milk. Accordingly, parents go for the best quality baby food - but unfortunately this is not true for all products. Because starting milk contains according to a recent review of the Stiftung Warentest often pollutants.

Pre-milk obviously contains pollutants frequently. Although these exceed no limits, but could be avoided by the manufacturer, reports Stiftung Warentest. (Image: Mita Stock Images / fotolia.com)

From a nutritional point of view, all products are good
The Foundation's experts had sent 15 milk powder to the laboratory, including eleven pre-dairy products in the Pre category and four products for allergy-prone babies sold as "pre-HA" or "hypoallergenic starter formula". The pleasing result: All the powders in the test performed well from a nutritional point of view and none contained pathogenic germs. However, in seven products, the inspectors showed pollutants and had to give due to its negative points. At the end, 8 products received the grade "good" and 6 a "satisfactory", a milk failed the test and got a "poor" rating..

Rossmann milk falls through
Winners of the test were reportedly "Milasan Pre", also "Beba Pro Pre" and "Aptamil Initial Milk Pre" achieved a good end result. The baby milk from the drugstore chain Rossmann, however, fell "because of the questionable amount of glycidyl esters in the test," said the information. These can be broken down during digestion and release glycidol, which according to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has been classified by various scientific committees (eg IARC) as carcinogenic and genotoxic. "A statutory maximum amount does not yet exist, but such amounts are avoidable," according to the experts of the Stiftung Warentest.

Glycidyl esters and chlorate detected
In two other products, increased amounts of 3-MCPD esters were found, which, like the glycidyl esters, are formed during fat refining and are also thought to be carcinogenic. Since the BfR assesses the risk of cancer by 3-MCPD ester lower than that by glycidyl esters, it was enough for the two affected products for a "satisfactory," the Foundation explains. Nevertheless, according to project leader Jochen Wettach, both substances are questionable: "Unfortunately, these are currently not completely avoidable; However, they can be minimized, "says the expert.

In two other products, the testers had found chlorate, which is e.g. can come into the product via disinfectants used in dairies. The problem: Chlorate may inhibit iodine uptake in the thyroid gland, possibly leading to thyroid enlargement. Again, however, the statutory maximum level was not exceeded, which is why it was still enough for a "satisfactory". (No)