Infant Formula Act

All baby formula manufactured in the United States must meet the guidelines set out in the Infant Formula Act. This act was passed to ensure that all baby formula used in the United States has the proper ingredients and has been manufactured in a safe and sanitary manner. These guidelines are strictly enforced by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Roundy's Baby Baby Formulas meet all nutritional guidelines laid out in the Infant Formula Act and are manufactured by PBM Nutritonals in state-of-the-art facilities.

What are Lipids?

Lipids, or fats, are found naturally in breast milk and are an essential part of a healthy diet because they are important structural components of an infant's brain¹ and eyes². Roundy's Baby is enriched with a blend of lipids DHA and ARA, the key omega-3 fatty acids for infant brain and eye development.

What is DHA?

DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid found in tissues throughout the body. DHA is a major structural and functional element of all membranes in the gray matter of the brain and the retina of the eye and is also an important part of the heart. Numerous studies prove that people of all ages, from infancy to adulthood, benefit from an adequate supply of DHA.

What is ARA?

ARA is an omega-6 fatty acid found in the brain and in other cells throughout the body. ARA is important for proper brain development in infants and is a precursor to a group of hormone-like substances that are crucial to immunity, blood clotting, and other essential bodily functions.

DHA & ARA in Roundy's Baby

Roundy's Baby with a Blend of Lipids DHA & ARA is specially formulated to meet the nutritional needs of infants and contains 17 mg of DHA per 100 Calories, which is equivalent to the highest level available among national brand formulas.

The DHA and ARA in Round's Baby are derived from natural vegetarian sources developed by Martek Biosciences.

Science and Research

Interest in DHA and ARA has increased following several scientific studies showing that infants fed formula supplemented with DHA and ARA gained intellectual and visual benefits not found in infants who were fed standard formulas without DHA and ARA.

Scientific Studies on the Benefits of the Lipids DHA and ARA A longitudinal study of children from birth to 18 years that examined early diets and subsequent cognitive outcomes found that breastfeeding was associated with increased cognitive ability and school performance during childhood and adolescence.³

These benefits were attributed to the effects of long-chain, polyunsaturated fatty acids--particularly DHA--in early neurodevelopment.

In another study, researchers in England found that women who regularly ate oily fish (a source of DHA) throughout pregnancy and during lactation gave birth to children who had better visual development at the age of three compared to those children whose mothers did not breast feed.⁴

Benefits of DHA and ARA in Infant Formula

The benefits of DHA and ARA have been documented in numerous scientific studies to promote cognitive and visual advantages in infants fed infant formulas enriched with DHA and ARA:

Based on their IQ test results later in childhood, infants in one study who were fed formula with DHA and ARA achieved higher problem-solving skills than infants who were fed standard formulas.⁵

Another study revealed that infants fed formula with DHA and ARA earned higher marks on IQ tests at the age of 18 months⁴. These infants also had superior visual acuity at four months and one year similar to the visual acuity of breastfed infants.⁶

1. Birch, EE, Garfield, S, Hoffman, DR et al. A Randomized Controlled Trail of Early Dietary Supply of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Mental Development in Term Infants, Develop Med Child Neurol 42: 174-181, 2000.
2. Birch, EE, Hoffman, DR, Uauy, R et al. Visual Acuity and the Essentiality of Docosahexanoic Acid and Arachidonic Acid in the Diets of Term infants, Pediatr Res 44:201-209, 1998.
3. Horwood, LJ and Ferguson, DM. Breastfeeding and Later Cognitive and Academic Outcomes, Pediatrics 101(1):1-7, 1998.
4. Williams, C, Birch, EE, Emmett, PM et al. Stereoacuity at Age 3.5 Years in Children Born Full Term is Associated with Prenatal and Postnatal Dietary Factors: A Report From a Population-Based Cohort Study, Am J Clin Nutr 73:316-322, 2001.
5. Willatts, P, Forsyth, JS, DiModugno, MK et al. Effect of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Infant Formula on Problem Solving at 10 Months of Age, Lancet 352:688-691, 1998.
6. Birch, EE, Garfield, S, Hoffman, DR et al. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Early Dietary Supply of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Mental Development in Term Infants, Dev Med Child Neurol 42:174-181, 2000.