Unused formula after feeding: Infant Formula Preparation and Storage | Nutrition

Infant Formula Preparation and Storage | Nutrition

• Preparation
• Use Quickly or Store Safely
• Why are their different recommendations for preparing my baby’s powdered infant formula?

Carefully read and follow the instructions on the infant formula container. These steps will help you know how to prepare and store your infant’s formula correctly. Preparing your infant’s formula according to the instructions is important.

Here are additional pointers to keep in mind when preparing and storing your infant’s formula.

Download and print a handout on how to prepare and store powdered infant formula, available in English and Spanish.

Preparation

Use Quickly or Store Safely

• Prepared infant formula can spoil if it is left out at room temperature.
  • Use prepared infant formula within 2 hours of preparation and within one hour from when feeding begins.
  • If you do not start to use the prepared infant formula within 2 hours, immediately store the bottle in the fridge and use it within 24 hours.
• Throw out any infant formula that is left in the bottle after feeding your baby. The combination of infant formula and your baby’s saliva can cause bacteria to grow. Be sure to clean and sanitize the bottle before its next use.
• Store unopened infant formula containers in a cool, dry, indoor place—not in vehicles, garages, or outdoors.
• Once a container of infant formula is opened, store in a cool, dry place with the lid tightly closed. Do not store it in the refrigerator.
• Most infant formulas need to be used within 1 month of opening the container (check the label).  When you first open the container, write the date on the lid to help you remember.
• Never use formula after the “Use By” date on the container.

Why are there different recommendations for preparing my baby’s powdered infant formula?

When preparing your baby’s powdered infant formula, it is important to know that recommendations can differ based on several factors including your baby’s age and the safety of the water.

How do I know which recommendations to follow?

There are different ways to safely prepare your baby’s powdered infant formula. See the guidance below to help you decide which is the safest option for your baby.

Most of the time, it’s safe to prepare powdered infant formula by mixing it with tap water (filtered or unfiltered) and following the manufacturer’s instructions on the container.

• Learn step-by-step instructions on how to prepare and store powdered infant formula. [PDF-4.8MB]

Take extra steps to protect your baby from germs that could possibly make them sick if:

Your baby is younger than 2 months old, born prematurely, or has a weakened immune system.

• Babies who are younger than 2 months old, born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy), or have a weakened immune system could get very sick if they drink formula that is contaminated with bacteria, such as Cronobacter. These bacteria can live in the environment or in dry foods like powdered infant formula. Cronobacter infections are rare but serious in infants.
• To kill germs like Cronobacter in powdered infant formula, the formula must be mixed with very hot water. Boil the water and then wait about 5 minutes before mixing with powdered infant formula. After mixing, the formula will be too hot to feed your baby, so it’s important to wait for the formula to cool first so you don’t burn your baby’s mouth.
• Learn about how you can protect your baby from Cronobacter infection when preparing powdered infant formula [PDF-2.1MB].

Take extra steps to protect your baby from germs that could possibly make them sick if:

There is an emergency and your water might not be safe to mix with powdered infant formula.*

• When there is an emergency such as a water main break, hurricane, or flood, your tap water for mixing your baby’s powdered infant formula may not be available or safe to use.
• If you believe the tap water is unsafe, use bottled water to prepare formula until local authorities say the tap water is safe to drink. If tap water is your only option you can make tap water safe by boiling or disinfecting it [PDF-714KB]. If you choose to boil your water, let the water cool to room temperature before mixing it with powdered infant formula. Always test the temperature before feeding your baby by putting a few drops of formula on your wrist so you do not burn your baby’s mouth.
• CDC provides step-by-step instructions on how to prepare and store powdered infant formula during emergencies [PDF-639KB] and how to clean infant feeding items (like bottles and nipples) during emergencies [PDF-953KB].

*If there is an emergency AND your baby is younger than 2 months old, born prematurely, or has a weakened immune system, follow the instructions above for preventing Cronobacter.

Leftover Formula – Is It Safe To Drink After Being Left Out?

If  you use formula to feed your baby, there are several questions you might be asking – such as:

How do I make up the formula?
How much formula should I give my baby, and how often? and
Which formula should I use?

When you’ve made up the formula and your baby has been fed, you might be wondering what to do if he doesn’t want to drink it all right away?

Some parents aren’t sure whether or not it’s safe to feed left-over formula to their baby later on, when the baby is hungry again.

Is this safe to do or not?

This article will help answer this question, and provide you with important information to help keep your baby safe.

You Only Have A Short Period Of Time To Give Your Baby Leftover Formula

According to Australia’s leading health organisation, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), “A feed should take no longer than one hour – any formula that has been at room temperature for longer than one hour should be discarded”.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has formula-feeding guidelines. They indicate that you should “Throw away any left-over feed after two hours”.

Similarly, UK guidelines for formula-feeding indicate: “Infant formula that has not been used and has been kept at room temperature must be thrown away within two hours”.

Harmful Bacteria Can Multiply Quickly In Made-Up Formula

Harmful bacteria can multiply quickly in made-up formula.

Even if the formula is kept in the fridge, bacteria can still live – and also multiply, although more slowly.

The longer the formula is stored, especially outside the fridge, the greater the risk of infection.

It’s important, therefore, to make up a fresh batch of formula every time your baby needs it.

The NHMRC guidelines indicate that any left-over formula should be discarded within one hour and the WHO and UK guidelines indicate two hours.

Why do they give different times?

It comes down to the different recommendations they make about the temperature of the water used to make up the formula.

Different Organisations Recommend Different Water Temperatures

Powdered infant formula is NOT a sterile product.

The WHO and UK formula feeding guidelines indicate the water used to reconstitute powdered infant formula should be at least 70 degrees Celsius (yes, 70C).

They recommend this temperature to kill any harmful bacteria in the formula.

Because the formula has been prepared in this way, these organisations suggest that left-over formula be discarded within two hours.

The NHMRC recommends using ‘cool boiled water’ to reconstitute powdered infant formula.

This water temperature might not kill off harmful bacteria which could be in the formula.

Therefore the guidelines suggest discarding any left-over formula within one hour.

All these organisations indicate that if there’s no choice, and a formula feed has to be stored, then it can be made up and stored in the coldest part of the fridge, for up to 24 hours. Any formula not used within 24 hours in such a situation must be discarded.

It’s important you have the information you need to help keep your baby safe.

You will also find these articles useful:

Formula Feeding – 9 Things To Avoid When Using Formula

Bottle Nursing – 6 Steps To Better Bottle Feeding

Storing formula in the refrigerator and at room temperature, reheating rules

Contents

• Storing dry formula
• How to prepare baby formula
• How long you can keep reconstituted formula
  • Out of the house
• Mixture container
• How to store formula in the summer
• Why it is forbidden to store formula for a long time

Artificial formula for children has become commonplace. Young mothers very often face the impossibility of breastfeeding or insufficient breast milk. Many, on the contrary, for their convenience, immediately switch to artificial feeding.

Proper storage and preparation ensures safety for the baby, so you should strictly adhere to the conditions and recommendations from the manufacturers.

Powdered formula storage

The baby food list is constantly growing. But to choose a particular mixture, you should first consult with a specialist in artificial feeding or a pediatrician.

Most moms use trial and error to find the right formula. The choice may take a long time. After all, not all mixtures are suitable: the baby may be dissatisfied with the taste, or, even worse, an allergy to one or another component of baby food will appear. But what if the mixture does not fit? Can the mixture be stored in the refrigerator?

Dry baby food should not be stored at sub-zero temperatures, a dry and cool place should be chosen.

Shelf life unopened 18-24 months, but after opening the mixture can only be stored for 3-4 weeks.

After the experiments and the choice made, you should study the rules for storing, preparing and using the ready-made diluted mixture.

The mixture can be stored for several years in unopened containers. Lead times vary by manufacturer. For example:

1. Nanny mix can be stored for 3 years.
2. Nestogen, Frisolac, FRISO VOM, Similac Premium, Bellakt – 24 months.
3. 18 months can be stored – Malyutka, HiPP, Nutrilon Comfort, NAN OPTIPRO, Nutrilak.

The optimum temperature for storing any of these mixtures is from 0 to 25 degrees, with humidity up to 75%.

Instructions for Preparing Baby Formula

Each package of baby food has instructions on how to prepare the formula and how long to keep the reconstituted formula. There are also general rules for all species – be it Baby or NAN:

1. The first step is to wash your hands and sterilize (boil in a saucepan or pour boiling water over) the feeding bottle.
2. Cool boiled water to 36°C-37°C (special thermometers are available to determine the temperature).
3. Dilute a certain amount of water and powder in a bottle (the proportions are indicated in the instructions).
4. Shake the mixture well until the powder is completely dissolved. The main thing is that there are no lumps left.

Check the temperature of the finished formula before you start feeding your baby. You can use a thermometer or put a small amount of liquid on your wrist or elbow. If it is cold or hot, you should warm the mixture by dipping the bottle in hot water, and, accordingly, cool it in cold water.

How long can the reconstituted formula be stored?

It happens when the baby does not eat all the prepared baby food. How long can the mixture be stored after dilution in a bottle in the room?

There are several conditions under which the prepared mixture can be used later:

1. At room temperature (max. 20°C) it can be stored for up to 90 minutes. At a temperature that exceeds 20 degrees – 30 minutes.
2. Unused formula can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If the child has taken at least a couple of sips from the bottle, it is better not to put such a mixture in the refrigerator, because when feeding saliva gets into the bottle, and bacteria with saliva.
3. Several sterile containers can be used for each serving and kept in the refrigerator.

After diluting the powder with water, it is undesirable to keep the mixture in the freezer, in such conditions the nutritional properties are lost. There will be no benefit from such food.

Please note! It is advisable to dilute the mixture before feeding itself. After all, the health and safety of the baby comes first.

What can be done with an expired product? You can not use formula with an expired expiration date in feeding a child. You can use baby food powder in cooking. For example, make a cake, bake pancakes, cook porridge or add to a milkshake.

Out of home

When going on a long trip or travel, it is necessary to prepare baby food for a long time. Outside the home, you can save the benefits of the mixture in several ways:

1. Using a cooler bag. How long is the finished mixture stored in such conditions? No more than 24 hours.
2. Thermos. Perhaps this is the safest and most practical way. Pour boiled warm water into the container, and keep the dry mixture in the bottle. If necessary, mix the powder and water.

To visit the hospital for a couple of hours, you can purchase a special container that will keep the mixture at the required temperature for 5 hours.

Mixture container

Mixture should only be kept in a pre-sterilized bottle, you can also pour boiling water over it.

It is strictly forbidden to use other dishes or pour from one container to another – pathogenic microflora can get in. Be sure to close the nipple with a cap to prevent dust and bacteria from entering the bottle.

Additional information! Heating the finished mixture in the microwave is not recommended. The appliance may heat baby food unevenly. If the temperature rises beyond what is necessary, then protein can form, and some useful substances will lose their properties. The recommended method for warming the formula bottle is a water bath.

How to keep the mixture in summer

How long can the diluted mixture be stored at high temperatures? In hot weather, the mixture can be stored diluted for only 30 minutes. Use after prolonged storage can bring consequences in the form of poisoning, diarrhea and colic.

At temperatures above 20 °C, it is best to keep the baby bottle on the refrigerator shelf and never on the refrigerator door. After all, when opening, there is a sharp temperature drop.

Why it is forbidden to store the mixture for a long time

The composition of adapted mixtures contains many trace elements, amino acids and vitamins for the development of the baby.

Tips for storing undiluted (dry) baby food:

• Formula should only be used according to the expiration date.
• After opening the package, do not use food for more than 20 days.
• Keep the mixture in a dry and cool place in a container with an airtight lid. Do not keep food in the refrigerator and near heating appliances.
• Do not store dry mix next to cereals, otherwise insects may get into the package.
• The mixing spoon must always be kept clean and dry. If moisture enters, the powder may deteriorate.

One of the most important recommendations is to prepare the mixture just before feeding.

Breast milk is the best food for babies. But unfortunately, not all young mothers have the opportunity to breastfeed, so a special baby food was made – a mixture. For inexperienced moms, preparing and storing ready-made formula can be a daunting process. Every mother who feeds her child with artificial milk formula should know how to cook and how long the diluted mixture can be stored, because a spoiled product can harm the health of the crumbs.

The prepared product can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, provided that the baby has not eaten from this bottle. The finished mixture at room temperature (up to 20 ° C) can be kept for no more than 1. 5 hours, if the temperature exceeds 20 degrees – only for half an hour.

It should be remembered that the baby must be given a freshly prepared portion of the mixture, in order to avoid stress on the gastrointestinal tract and poisoning, because if stored improperly, pathogenic bacteria develop in the liquid.

How long infant formula is stored, how to store infant formula

Tiunova Elena

Published: 01/15/2023

Reading time: 3.5 min

1110

When transferring a baby to artificial feeding, it is important not only to choose the right formula, but also to answer the question: what should I know about the preparation and storage of infant formula? If the formula is not prepared and stored properly, the baby is more susceptible to bacteria and the risk of getting sick. Therefore, first read the simple rules for using infant formula.

Powdered infant formula storage advice

Although preparing formula for your baby is a relatively simple task, it is important to keep a number of safety recommendations in mind to avoid potential problems. Proper storage largely determines the quality and freshness and, as a result, normal digestion and well-being of the child.

1. When purchasing infant formula from a store, check that the packaging is not dented or damaged. If it is not sealed, the mixture may not be safe. If the product is sold in cans, check for scratches or rust.
2. Store dry mixes according to the expiration date label on the package. Do not use expired baby food.
3. Unopened packages of formula should be stored in the same way as powdered milk, in a dark, cool, dry place and used by the date printed on the package. For storage, a refrigerator or cabinet near the stove or sink is not suitable.
4. Opened dry mix packs should be used within three weeks of opening and also stored in a dry, cool and dark place with the lid tightly closed. As a reminder, write on the package the date you opened it.
5. Do not transfer the mixture to another jar or container, as the packaging in which it is sold has certain storage properties.
6. In addition to the formula itself, the correct storage of all the accessories necessary for its preparation (bottles, nipples, spoons, towels) is of great importance. Take a special container for them or store them in a sterilizer.
7. Remember to dilute the mixture only with clean, dry hands. The surface of the table on which you will cook must be cleaned and disinfected. Otherwise, pathogenic microorganisms can get into dry food, for which it serves as a favorable environment for development and reproduction.

Storing ready-made formula

Even more care must be taken when storing ready-made formula. Baby food is high in protein and fat, so a warm, nutritious drink can quickly breed bacteria that can harm a baby’s gut. We recommend that you always feed your babies freshly prepared formula*.

Period of use. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for preparing and storing baby food.

“If you haven’t used formula within 2 hours of preparation and it has been stored at room temperature, you should not feed it to your baby. In exceptional cases, if you need to prepare formula in advance, use a small sterilized bottle with an airtight lid. After cooling quickly, the mixture can be stored in the refrigerator, preferably at the back wall, not on the door, at a temperature not exceeding 5 ° C for up to 24 hours. This method of storage is allowed if the child has not yet eaten from this bottle. Freezing infant formula is not recommended. If the child has eaten a little, and the mixture is still left, you should not store it – it becomes potentially dangerous for the baby. Be sure to rinse and sanitize the bottle well before next use.”

Tiunova Elena

Pediatrician of the highest category, nutritionist, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Faculty Pediatrics and Propaedeutics of Childhood Diseases, Ural State Medical University

Warming up. Pre-mixed infant formula must be warmed up before feeding the baby. You can heat the mixture only once. This can be done in a water bath. Children’s doctors do not recommend heating formula in the microwave**. You can use the microwave to heat water, which you can put a bottle of formula in, but not to heat milk. Modern infant formulas contain ingredients close to the composition of natural breast milk. The radiation kills living components such as immunoglobulins in the mixture, turning nutritious food into a worthless substance. Microwave ovens are also not recommended because they heat unevenly and you can unconsciously burn your baby’s mouth while feeding. Before feeding, check the temperature of the formula by applying a drop to the inside of your wrist. If this is body temperature, then you will not burn your baby’s mouth when feeding. Also, taste the mixture: due to long storage, it may turn sour.

Feeding out of the home

As mentioned earlier, it is best to prepare fresh formula immediately before feeding, but there are situations when you are away from home and it is already time to feed. Natural questions arise: how to be on the road, in the clinic, on a long walk? What to do if you know that the baby wants to eat out? For such situations, there are several ways to feed your baby.

Option 1. The most reliable option is to take a sterile bottle with enough formula poured into it in an amount sufficient for one feeding, and a thermos with warm water. When it’s time to feed, dilute the formula by adding water to the formula bottle. The optimum temperature at which water should be stored is 70°C or higher to kill any bacteria. Make sure you carry your sterilized bottles in a sterile container. You can also use pre-sterilized disposable bottles. Always check the temperature of the reconstituted formula before feeding, even if the water has been in the thermos for several hours. If the mixture is too hot, cool it down with cold water, being careful not to get water on the nipple.

Option 2. In special circumstances, when you need to feed your baby in a place where there are a lot of bacteria around, you may not decide to prepare formula there.