2027 guide for families in the USA and Canada
A note on feeding. Breastfeeding is the best way to feed a baby, and health authorities recommend it exclusively for around the first six months. This article is written for families who have already decided, with their healthcare provider, to use formula, or who are combination feeding. Choosing or switching a formula is a decision to make with your pediatrician, not from an article online.
Ask in any parenting group which European formula to buy and you will get three names back: HiPP, Holle and Kendamil. They come up constantly, they all carry organic certification, and from the outside they look interchangeable.
They are not. The differences are real and they are easy to miss if you are comparing tins on a phone at 3 a.m. One uses whole milk as its base, two use skimmed milk with added vegetable oils. One contains a live culture, two do not. Two contain organic palm oil, one does not. And crucially for anyone reading this from Chicago or Toronto, they do not all reach North America the same way.
We ship these three brands from our warehouse in Lithuania, so we handle all of them every day. Here is an honest comparison — including the parts where we are not the cheapest option for you.
Quick answer
If the strictest possible organic standard matters most to you, Holle is the reference point. Its cow milk range is made with Demeter biodynamic milk, a certification that goes further than EU Organic on farming practice. It is also the most affordable of the three per 100 g of powder.
If you want a whole milk base and no palm oil, Kendamil is the one built that way. It uses whole milk as its first ingredient and replaces palm oil with sunflower, coconut and rapeseed oils.
If you want a formula with a live culture in it, HiPP Combiotic is the only one of the three that includes one.
If you are in the United States and want Kendamil specifically, buy it locally. Kendamil completed FDA pre-market notification and sits on shelves at Target, Walmart and Amazon. We cannot beat that on price or speed, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. Where we can help US families is with HiPP and Holle, which are not FDA-approved and reach American homes only through importers — and with the European Kendamil lines that US retail does not carry.
If you are in Canada, none of the three are stocked in mainstream Canadian retail, so all three come through specialty importers.
What “organic” actually means on a European tin
Two different certifications matter most on these products, and they are not the same thing.
EU Organic is the baseline. The green leaf logo means the product meets EU organic regulations: no synthetic pesticides or fertilisers on the farm, no GMOs, restricted processing aids. All three brands’ organic lines carry it.
Demeter is stricter. It certifies biodynamic agriculture — closed-loop farming, soil regeneration requirements, specific animal welfare standards. Farms have to meet organic rules first, then go further. Holle’s cow milk range is the one built around this, and it is the main reason parents choose Holle over cheaper organic options.
One thing worth knowing: “organic” says nothing about the milk base, the fat blend or whether the formula contains palm oil. A formula can be fully certified organic and still use organic palm oil. That is exactly what happens with two of these three brands, which brings us to the comparison.
Side-by-side: HiPP, Holle and Kendamil Stage 1
This table compares the standard cow milk Stage 1 (0–6 months) product from each brand. Other stages and specialty lines differ — always check the individual tin.
| HiPP Dutch Stage 1 | Holle Stage 1 (cow) | Kendamil Bio Nature 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certification | EU Organic | EU Organic + Demeter biodynamic milk | EU Organic |
| Milk base | Skimmed milk + whey product | Skimmed milk + whey product | Whole milk (first ingredient) |
| Palm oil | Yes (organic) | Yes (organic) | No — sunflower, coconut, rapeseed |
| Carbohydrate | Lactose | Lactose only, no maltodextrin or starch | Lactose |
| Prebiotic | GOS | None | GOS, plus 3′-GL |
| Probiotic (live culture) | Yes — Limosilactobacillus fermentum | No | No |
| DHA source | Fish oil | Algae (Schizochytrium sp.) | Algae (Schizochytrium sp.) |
| Made in | Netherlands / Germany | Germany (Swiss company, founded 1933) | United Kingdom (Kendal, Cumbria) |
| Vegetarian | No (fish oil) | Yes | Yes |
| Goat option | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| US retail? | No — importer only | No — importer only | Yes (Classic, Organic, Goat) |
HiPP explained
HiPP is a German family business and the most widely recognised of the three. Its defining feature is the Combioticformulation: a prebiotic (galacto-oligosaccharides, derived from lactose) combined with a live lactic acid culture, Limosilactobacillus fermentum. No other brand in this comparison includes a live culture.
The confusing part of HiPP is that there is no single “HiPP.” There are several national versions with genuinely different recipes:
HiPP Dutch (the Combiotic line) is the one most American parents encounter first, and the one most often recommended in parenting groups. Stage 1 is built on skimmed milk and whey, with organic palm oil in the vegetable oil blend, GOS as the prebiotic, and DHA from fish oil.
HiPP German offers the widest specialty range: a PRE stage (the gentlest starting point, lactose-only), HA hypoallergenic, Comfort for sensitive digestion, Anti-Reflux, and an organic goat line. German tins come in 600 g and 400 g sizes rather than 800 g, which makes per-tin prices look lower than they are.
HiPP UK is a third variant again, with its own recipe and labelling.
These are not marketing labels on the same powder. The ingredient lists genuinely differ, which is why a baby who settles well on one version may respond differently to another. If your baby is doing well on a specific version, order that version.
Two things to be aware of. HiPP’s DHA comes from fish oil, so it is not vegetarian and some parents report a faint fishy note when a tin has been open a while. And HiPP Stage 1 contains organic palm oil, which is the most common reason parents move away from it.
What we stock: HiPP Dutch Stage 1, 2 and 3; HiPP Dutch goat; HiPP Dutch HA1; HiPP German PRE, Stage 1, HA1, Comfort, Anti-Reflux and goat; HiPP ready-to-feed bottles.
Holle explained
Holle was founded in Arlesheim, Switzerland in 1933 and is the oldest of the three. Its position is straightforward: the strictest organic standard, and the simplest ingredient list.
The cow milk range is made with Demeter biodynamic milk. Biodynamic farming requires closed-loop agriculture, soil regeneration and specific animal welfare practices — a genuinely higher bar than EU Organic, and the reason Holle costs what it does at the farm level while still being inexpensive on the shelf.
The ingredient philosophy is minimalist. Stage 1 uses lactose as its only carbohydrate — no maltodextrin, no starch. There are no prebiotics and no probiotics. For some parents that is the appeal: fewer added ingredients. For others it is the drawback, because they specifically want the prebiotic and probiotic support HiPP offers. Neither position is wrong; it depends on what you and your pediatrician are looking for.
Like HiPP, Holle’s cow formula contains organic palm oil. Its DHA, however, comes from algae rather than fish oil, which makes it vegetarian-friendly.
The goat range is different from the cow range, and worth attention. Holle Goat Stage 1 is built on whole goat milk, contains no palm oil, uses lactose with no maltodextrin, and takes its DHA from algae. If you came to this article wanting a palm-oil-free formula but also wanted the Holle name, the goat line is the one to look at.
A note on price. Holle tins are smaller than most — 400 g rather than 800 g — so you order them more often. But per 100 g of powder, Holle is consistently the most affordable of the three brands we carry, which makes it a sensible starting point for families feeding full-time on formula.
What we stock: Holle PRE and Stage 1 organic cow; Holle PRE and Stage 1 goat; Holle Dutch Stage 1 goat in 800 g.
Kendamil explained
Kendamil is the newest name of the three and the one that has grown fastest. It is made by Kendal Nutricare in Cumbria, England, and it is built around one decision that separates it from almost every other formula on the market: whole milk as the base, rather than skimmed milk with vegetable oils added back in.
That choice cascades into the rest of the recipe. Because the fat comes largely from the milk itself, Kendamil does not need palm oil to hit its fat targets — it uses sunflower, coconut and rapeseed oils instead. It is the only brand in this comparison that is palm-oil-free in its standard cow line. DHA comes from algae, not fish, so the range is vegetarian-friendly and also certified halal and kosher.
The organic line carries EU Organic certification and includes GOS as a prebiotic plus 3′-GL, an oligosaccharide naturally present in breast milk.
The naming trips up a lot of parents. Continental European tins say Premium and Bio Nature. UK and US tins say Classic and Organic. Broadly, Premium is the non-organic whole milk line and Bio Nature is the organic one, but the recipes are formulated for their own markets rather than being identical products under two names. If your baby is settled on one, check the ingredient panel before switching to the other. We cover the full range in our Kendamil range guide.
The honest part for US readers: Kendamil completed FDA pre-market notification and is sold in American retail. If you want Kendamil Organic or Classic and you live in the US, Target, Walmart or Amazon will be cheaper and faster than importing from us. Buy it there.
Where importing still makes sense for Kendamil is if you want a line US retail does not carry — the Comfort formula, the European Bio Nature recipe specifically, or the ready-to-feed bottles — or if you are in Canada, where Kendamil is not in mainstream retail.
What we stock: Kendamil Premium 1, 2 and 3; Bio Nature 1, 2 and 3; Goat 1, 2 and 3; Comfort; ready-to-feed.
Organic goat formulas compared
Goat milk formula is one of the fastest-growing parts of this category, and all three brands make one. The differences here are sharper than in the cow ranges.
| HiPP goat | Holle goat | Kendamil goat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk base | Goat milk | Whole goat milk | Whole goat milk |
| Palm oil | Yes (organic) | No | No |
| Prebiotic | GOS | None | 3′-GL |
| DHA source | Fish oil | Algae | Algae |
| Sizes we stock | 400 g | 400 g and 800 g | 800 g |
Goat formula costs noticeably more than cow formula across every brand — goat milk is simply a more expensive raw material. Holle is the most affordable entry point per 100 g. Kendamil is the only one of the three we stock in 800 g tins, which reduces how often you reorder.
We also carry Kabrita, a Dutch goat formula that is popular in North America. It is not covered in this comparison but is worth a look if goat formula is what you are after.
Goat formula is not suitable for babies with a diagnosed cow’s milk protein allergy, since the proteins are similar enough to cross-react. If allergy is the reason you are considering it, speak to your pediatrician first — a hypoallergenic (HA) formula is a different product category.
How each brand actually reaches the USA and Canada
This is where the three brands genuinely diverge, and it matters more than any ingredient difference.
| Brand | United States | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Kendamil | On shelves — Target, Walmart, Amazon (Classic, Organic, Goat) | Specialty importers only |
| HiPP | Specialty importers only | Specialty importers only |
| Holle | Specialty importers only | Specialty importers only |
Kendamil completed FDA pre-market notification, which is why it is in US retail. HiPP and Holle have not, so they reach American families through importers under FDA enforcement discretion — importing formula for your own baby’s personal use is not the same thing as selling it into US retail channels.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has raised concerns about imported formula, mainly around labelling in another language, storage and handling in transit, and mixing instructions given in millilitres rather than fluid ounces. Those are real considerations. We address the practical side of them — how to read a European label, stage equivalents, and a mixing chart in fluid ounces — in our guide to buying European formula in the USA and Canada.
Our honest recommendation: if Kendamil Organic or Classic will work for your baby and you are in the US, buy it locally. If you want HiPP, Holle, or a European Kendamil line that US retail does not carry — or if you are in Canada — importing is the route, and that is where we can help.
What it actually costs
Comparing tin prices alone is misleading, because European tins come in different sizes. A 400 g Holle tin looks far cheaper than an 800 g Kendamil tin, but you get half the powder. The fair comparison is price per 100 g, and current prices for every product are shown on our product pages.
As a general guide across our range:
- Holle is the most affordable per 100 g, in both its cow and goat lines.
- Kendamil Premium and HiPP Dutch sit in the middle, close to each other.
- Kendamil Bio Nature costs a little more than Premium, reflecting the organic certification.
- Goat formulas from every brand cost substantially more than cow formulas.
Add to this: international shipping, plus customs duties. Since 29 August 2025 every shipment entering the United States is subject to applicable duties regardless of value, so the old $800 duty-free threshold no longer applies. Canadian orders may attract duties, GST/HST and broker fees. We break the full landed cost down, with worked examples, in our USA and Canada buying guide.
Free shipping applies on orders over €120 to most destinations. For formula, that is roughly four to five 800 g tins — close to a month’s supply for a baby on full formula feeding, depending on age.
Switching between these brands
A few general points, none of which replace your pediatrician’s advice:
- Babies often need a few days to adjust to a new formula. Stool changes and slightly different feeding patterns are common during a transition.
- Many families transition gradually, mixing increasing proportions of the new formula over several days rather than switching in one feed.
- Moving between brands means moving between recipes — different fat blends, different prebiotics, different protein ratios. A baby who does well on one may respond differently to another.
- If your baby has reflux, colic symptoms, a diagnosed allergy or any medical condition, formula selection is a clinical decision.
Always talk to your pediatrician before changing your baby’s formula.
How to check for recalls
Formula recalls happen across the industry, and the sensible response is knowing where to check rather than avoiding a brand.
In February 2026, Health Canada issued a recall covering specific batches of Kendamil infant formula with whole milk, over the possible presence of cereulide toxin. It applied to particular lot numbers, not the whole product line.
How to check your own tin:
- Find the lot number printed on the tin — usually on the base or near the seal. It is not the expiry date.
- Check the official sources:
- FDA recalls — fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts
- Health Canada recalls — recalls-rappels.canada.ca
- The brand’s own site: kendamil.com, hipp.com, holle.com
- If your lot is listed, stop using it and contact us.
Every tin we ship arrives sealed, in original European packaging, with the lot number clearly printed. If a tin arrives without a legible lot number, tell us and we will replace it.
Frequently asked questions
Is European formula better than American formula?
They are made under different regulatory frameworks, not on a single quality scale. EU regulations restrict certain ingredients that are permitted elsewhere, and set their own requirements for composition and labelling. US formulas must meet FDA requirements, which differ in their own ways. Parents typically choose European formulas for specific reasons — a lactose-only carbohydrate base, algae-derived DHA, or a particular organic certification — rather than because of a blanket quality difference. Which is right for your baby is a conversation for your pediatrician.
Is HiPP FDA approved?
No. HiPP has not completed FDA pre-market notification, so it is not sold in US retail. It reaches American families through importers. Kendamil is the exception among these three: it completed the FDA process and is available at US retailers. Holle, like HiPP, is importer-only.
Which organic European formula has no palm oil?
Among the standard cow milk Stage 1 products compared here, Kendamil is the palm-oil-free option — it uses whole milk fat plus sunflower, coconut and rapeseed oils. HiPP Dutch Stage 1 and Holle Stage 1 cow both contain organic palm oil. Holle’s goat range is also palm-oil-free, as is Kendamil’s goat line.
Is goat milk formula organic?
It depends on the product. Holle’s and HiPP’s goat formulas carry organic certification. Kendamil’s goat line is made with whole goat milk but sits outside its Bio Nature organic range — check the specific tin for its certification. Goat formula is not suitable for babies with a diagnosed cow’s milk protein allergy.
What is Demeter certification?
Demeter certifies biodynamic agriculture — a farming standard that goes beyond organic requirements with closed-loop farming, soil regeneration and specific animal welfare practices. Holle’s cow milk range is the main formula line built around it, and it is the strictest agricultural certification appearing on any of these three brands.
Which of these has probiotics?
Only HiPP. Its Combiotic formulation includes a live lactic acid culture, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, alongside GOS prebiotics. Holle Stage 1 contains neither prebiotics nor probiotics. Kendamil includes prebiotics (GOS and 3′-GL) but no live culture.
Can I get all three shipped to the USA or Canada?
Yes — we ship all three from our European warehouse. For US customers we would point out that Kendamil Classic and Organic are available in US retail and will reach you faster and more cheaply that way. HiPP, Holle, Kendamil Comfort and the European Bio Nature line are where importing makes sense. Canadian customers import all three.
In short
Holle for the strictest organic standard and the lowest cost per 100 g, if a simple ingredient list appeals more than added prebiotics.
HiPP for the Combiotic approach, with both a prebiotic and a live culture, and the widest range of specialty formulas.
Kendamil for a whole milk base with no palm oil — and if you are in the US, buy the Classic and Organic lines locally rather than importing them.
All three are made under EU infant nutrition regulations. None of them is the right answer for every baby. The one your baby settles on, tolerates well and grows steadily on is the right one — and that is a judgement to make with your pediatrician, not from a comparison table.
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Breastfeeding is the best way to feed a baby. Always consult your pediatrician or a qualified healthcare professional before choosing or changing your baby’s formula.