Goat Milk Company Infant Formula Claims

This goat milk supplement and food company was cited for claiming its goat milk product is an alternative to infant formula.

This is a great example of how well-intentioned marketing statements can cross the line into a risky regulatory category. Let’s explore what went wrong.

FDA looked at this company’s website and social media and determined their Goat Milk Formula Recipe Kit met the definition of infant formula because it was “purported to be or was represented for special dietary use solely as a food for infants by reason of its simulation of human milk or its suitability as a complete or partial substitute for human milk.” Essentially, this means the company was promoting their product as infant formula.

Here are some of FDA’s warning letter references.

• "We have created a formula recipe that mimics breast milk and follows the guidelines created by the 1980 Infant Formula Act.”

• Your February 12, 2024 (Facebook) post: “‘Infant formula is the number one regulated food in the U.S., and yet the allowable ingredients in off-the-shelf infant formula is often times very very poor. So there is a very good incentive to make your own formula.’ Get to know the creator, Joe Stout, and learn about the Goat Milk Formula Recipe on the GMF Livestream replay! . . . #DIYBabyFormula . . .”

I ran Apex Compliance on their website and found A LOT of very high-risk marketing claims, and I suggest this company look at conducting a compliance audit. Apex Compliance was developed for this type of situation, sifting through large amounts of information and providing a line-by-line playbook showing where risky phrases occur, their risk rating, and some possible lower-risk alternatives. Learn more here. 

To give the company credit, they seemed to go above and beyond to correct the matter once FDA brought this to their attention. It seems that even though they worked diligently to correct their mistake, FDA issued the warning letter to “ensure the violation does not recur.” Infants are classified as a “vulnerable population,” and this warning letter language demonstrates how seriously FDA takes the infant formula category.

• From warning letter. “We acknowledge that after a teleconference with you on May 7, 2024, you voluntarily recalled all Goat Milk Formula Recipe Kit ... We are aware that you contacted all customers who received product during that timeframe to inform them that the product should not be used as an infant formula. Additionally, you issued a press release on May 10, 2024, clarifying to the general public that you do not recommend using this product for infants from 0-12 months of age. We also acknowledge that you removed the ability to purchase the Goat Milk Formula Recipe Kit from your website, and that you made some changes to your website and social media websites, including but not limited to removing the above-mentioned statements regarding use as an infant formula. However, due to the serious public health concerns related to your unlawful marketing of a new infant formula, it is essential that this violation does not recur.”

Read the full warning letter here. 

DATE ORIGINALLY POSTED: 10/9/24

Disclaimer: The educational information provided here is for informational purposes only. Contact an attorney for specific legal advice. Rule #1 in compliance is to ensure marketing is truthful and not misleading.