Homemade Baby Formula Is Not Safe

In the age of COVID-19, rumors and misinformation about baby formula have circulated online, some of them potentially harmful.

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In recent weeks, as reports of pandemic-induced , so too have . The former has led to a rash of misinformation on the internet, including recipes for how to make baby formula — which health experts say is not safe — and rumors that if your store is out of formula, you can call the number on the back of the can and the company will send you a case for free. The latter is a myth that major manufacturers of formula have issued statements to debunk.

Last week, my local WIC chapter released several statements on the topic of baby formula, prompting me, a local newspaper reporter, to investigate the matter further and talk with health experts. Here’s what I found.

There is no safe alternative — other than breast milk, of course — to FDA-regulated formula.

When I asked a local health official whether there is any safe alternative to FDA-regulated formula, she said, simply, “No.”