In December 2021, Abbott Nutrition silently added  new ingredients to their Alimentum Ready to Feed formula- 2’ FL HMO, Lutein, and beta-carotene. They also changed their Vitamin E source to a “naturally occurring” one (but they will not disclose the source). For thousands of parents of babies with severe food allergies, Alimentum ready to feed is the only formula their children can drink. It is the only hypoallergenic formula on the market that does not contain corn. Many parents depend on this formula, and this formula alone. It is a life saver for their children.
     As a parent of a 1 year old with FPIES, ready to feed was a miracle for us. She has reacted to all other hypoallergenic and elemental formulas, and she only has 6 solid foods she can safely eat. Alimentum is her primary source of nutrition and it has kept her happy and thriving. Without it, she and other babies like her would risk needing a feeding tube to get adequate nutrition. After the ingredient change, she has been miserable. She went from sleeping through the night to screaming bloody murder for hours. We have had to halt all food trials because her gut is too inflamed, meaning no new foods can be added to her diet. We have no other options for formula and are heartbroken.
     We are not alone, either. Over the last few weeks I have seen hundreds of similar complaints from parents online. Many of us have called Similac just to be told they changed the formula to be more similar to their competitors - butwhat Similac doesn’t understand is that Alimentum Ready to Feed does not have competitors, as these differences are what makes babies able to tolerate it. We are begging Abbott Nutrition to change their formula back so our babies can go back to being healthy and thriving. They have been through enough pain already.