A paediatric dietitian has urged parents to consult with health professionals before switching baby formulas, as a coconut-based product prepares to launch in Australia this week.
Coco2 was developed in southeast Queensland and markets itself as the world’s first coconut-based infant formula, which aims to address the growing demand for plant-based alternatives.
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General manager Nicholas Bouchaia said it also offered a solution for children with lactose intolerance, cow’s milk protein allergies, and dietary restrictions.
“Coco2 was born from the collaboration of parents, chemists, and professors, blending personal experience with scientific expertise,” he said.
“It has been in development for over a decade with the support of the University of Queensland.”
The company says its formula has a “simplified protein and fat profile that closely mimics breastmilk” and is “nutritionally complete and fortified with all the key minerals and vitamins”.
But Ingrid Roche, an accredited practising dietitian with 25 years’ experience who has worked as a paediatric allergy dietitian for 15 years, has questioned if the formula will benefit babies in the same way as breastmilk and traditional baby formula products.
“All formula in Australia that is released to market has to be formulated in line with the infant formula standards, which are set by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand code,” she said.
“You can formulate something to the standard, but it’s another step to show (an infant) will actually absorb all of those nutrients and grow in a healthy way.
“The most important thing with plant-based formulas is whether an infant will actually grow and develop on those formulas.”
Coco2 is currently undertaking a growth study on their formula, which Roche said was a good start.
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She encouraged parents to speak to their GP or a health professional about what formula is right for their child before making a change.
“I would be waiting, as a professional, for that growth study to come out before I went out and recommended this formula to a family who wanted to feed that to their baby,” she said.
“Some babies have really high nutrition needs and we know (certain) formulas are good for growth for some children who have really high nutrition needs.”
For parents of a child with cow’s milk allergy, an infant formula guide is available on the Australasian Society for Clinical Immunology and Allergy website and updated as new formulas come onto the market.
Information about allergies can also be found on the Food Allergy Aware website.
“If you think your child might have cow’s milk allergy, in the first instance see your GP,” Roche said.