COVID Infant Formula Shortages: What to Use In Place of Similac Pro-Total Comfort
This article was published on January 17, 2022, one month before the Abbott powder recall and four months before Operation Fly Formula began.
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought grocery shortages . We will certainly all remember the toilet paper shortages of 2020! . Right now, parents are experiencing infant formula shortages, especially for the Abbott-made infant formula, Similac® Pro-Total Comfort™.
We don’t tend to mention formulas by name here at Formula Sense, because we focus on ingredients (we let companies do their own marketing!) , but this shortage is important to families, so we will address a few questions and make a recommendation about what to use in place of Similac Pro-Total Comfort
Did They Stop Making Similac Total Comfort?
No! Similac Pro-Total comfort is still being made. Like many companies Abbott is experiencing some supply chain issues. We haven’t been told the exact nature of the problem, but we have been assured that this product is not going away. And, that makes sense since many families like it. The dietitians at Formula Sense recommend it for clinical use.
What is a Similac Total Comfort Equivalent?
Parents are in luck with this shortage, because there is a store brand version of Similac Pro-Total Comfort!
This formula is one of twelve store brand formulas made by Perrigo Company, a company that has made store brand formula for over 30 years. Perrigo is also world-wide leader in manufacturing over-the-counter medicines. They make infant formulas for 68 retail chains, which includes well-known store brand private labels such as Up & Up™ (Target), Simple Truth Organic™ (Kroger), Well Beginnings® (Walgreens), Parents Choice™ (Walmart), and Always My Baby™ (Food Lion), and Little Journey (Aldi)and many more!
Some parents are concerned that store brands are low-grade or nutritionally inferior products, but this is not the case. Every private label formula meets all FDA and Infant Formula Act requirements. They are made using good manufacturing processes using the ingredients used in brand name formulas.
Is Store Brand Complete Comfort Like Similac Total Comfort?
Yes, these formulas are very much a like.
Store Brand Complete® Comfort is made with 2'FL, a human milk oligo saccharide (HMO) , an ingredient that we think every infant formula should contain. And just like Similac Pro-Total Comfort, the store brand version contains partially hydrolyzed whey protein, which may help with fussiness and mild feeding concerns.
It is alike in other ways too. It contains nucleotides and the shelf stable form of vitamin c, ascorbyl palmitate. And, it is like Similac Pro- Total Comfort in another way. Store brand Complete Comfort does not contain palm oil.
What is a Name Brand Similac Total Comfort Equivalent?
Companies like to set themselves apart from the competition, therefore name brand formulas are similar to Similac Pro-Total Comfort and are not equivalent. Enfamil makes Gentlease®. Gerber® Good Start® has SoothePro. Lifestyle brand Burt’s Bees has an Ultra Gentle Organic formula; however it does not contain 2’FL.
We hope that this posts helps you through these challenging times. This is the first time that we’d mentioned formulas by name. None of the links are affiliate links!
Remember our pledge. We don’t accept any compensation from formula manufacturers and we don’t profit off the formula product you buy.
Do you still have questions? Parents can download our guide for Choosing the Best Baby Formula.
Photo credit: Lisa Richardson