Parents deserve formula standards newer than 1998
The FDA’s first comprehensive nutrient review since 1998 would reset key requirements, while parents can weigh in before the agency writes one final rule.
Parents deserve infant-formula standards grounded in current science, and the FDA’s proposed overhaul is a practical win for families. On Oct. 30, 2026, the Department of Health and Human Services announced: “@FDA is issuing the first major update to infant formula standards in nearly 30 years.”1
HHS placed the announcement under Operation Stork Speed and the Trump administration’s commitment “to ensure that formula is safe and nutritious for American babies.”1 The FDA published the proposal on Oct. 29, 2026. It is the first of three planned proposed rules; this installment would update or reaffirm specifications for eight of the 30 required nutrients.2
The agency calls this its first comprehensive review of all infant-formula nutrients since 1998.3 It also launched an Infant Formula Testing webpage and a contaminants dashboard alongside new results from its continued testing of chemical contaminants.2 Parents deserve both sound standards and access to the testing behind assurances about their baby’s food.
“@FDA is issuing the first major update to infant formula standards in nearly 30 years.”
The proposal resets four nutrient levels
NBC News reported that the proposal changes the required levels of four nutrients.4 The FDA’s specifications show what that means in the can. The amounts below are per 100 kilocalories of formula.
For iodine, the FDA proposes raising the minimum from 5 to 15 micrograms. The maximum would fall from 75 to 50 micrograms.2
Vitamin D’s minimum would rise from 40 to 80 International Units, expressed as 2 micrograms. Its maximum would rise from 100 to 120 International Units, expressed as 3 micrograms.2
For manganese, the agency proposes lowering the minimum from 5 to 1 microgram2 and establishing a maximum of 50 micrograms.
Vitamin A would be measured in micrograms of retinol activity equivalents. Its minimum would fall from 250 International Units to 70 micrograms RAE. Its maximum would fall from 750 International Units to 120 micrograms RAE. Only preformed vitamin A would count toward these limits.2 Current levels for chloride, potassium, selenium and sodium would remain. Parents should judge the review by whether each retained or revised requirement serves babies’ nutritional needs.
FDA is reviewing more than four nutrients
This proposal is the opening phase of a three-part review.2 The FDA also considered comments from its 2025 Request for Information in developing it. Public participation already belongs in this process; families should use the next opportunity, too.
Phase 2 covers 12 nutrients, with the evidence review underway. Phase 3 will assess protein, fat, linoleic acid, iron, copper, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin K, alongside possible additional nutrients and carbohydrate sources.2
The current proposal also asks whether arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and L-carnitine should become required ingredients. Manufacturers commonly add these nutrients, but they are not mandatory.2 What manufacturers choose to include and what every formula must contain are different questions. Parents have a stake in the answer.
FDA says current formula remains safe
The FDA says infant formulas currently sold in the United States remain safe for babies. The proposed changes “are not driven by safety concerns but rather represent a proactive effort to align regulatory standards with current scientific understanding.”2
Safety is no argument for leaving nutritional standards untouched. Government should review the evidence before a crisis forces its hand, and explain its decisions without alarming families who depend on formula today. Updating requirements and publishing testing results are responsibilities worth taking seriously, even when they produce no dramatic headline.
Families can shape the final rule
The proposal opens a comment period lasting 120 days after publication of the Federal Register notice. 2 The FDA plans to consolidate the changes from all review phases into one comprehensive final rule.
The agency proposes giving manufacturers three years from that rule’s effective date to reformulate and relabel products. The proposal would not immediately affect WIC.2
Parents, pediatricians and grandparents should submit comments before the window closes, and officials should make the final requirements clear to the families who rely on them. A baby’s first meal deserves current science, transparent testing and parents’ voices—not just manufacturers’ input.
Sources
- @HHSGov on X, 2026-10-30: 🚨 NEW: @FDA is issuing the first major update to infant formula standards in nearly 30 years. This announcement comes as part of Operation Stork Speed and the Trump administration's commitment to ensure that formula is safe and nutritious for American babies. htt, 2026-10-30
- Infant Formula Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Infant Formula Nutrient Requirements | FDA
- Operation Stork Speed | FDA
- FDA to update nutrition rules for infant formula
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