When it came time for the Prince and Princess of Wales to supplement the milk given to their youngest child, Prince Louis, with formula, his parents were naturally concerned with the recalls of overseas contaminated powdered milk that were happening at the time. It was their nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, who contacted Kendamil — the only infant formula manufactured in Britain — after King Charles had been invited to visit their factory in Northern England’s Lake District.
After the Royals both used and endorsed the brand, the Cumbrian factory, where Kendamil is produced, experienced the phenomenon of the ‘Prince Louis Effect’ — an economic boom in the wake of the royal tick — when they signed an S$85 million dollar contract with China, which had also experienced recall issues on infant formula. Late last year Kendamil was the first brand to be approved by the FDA, and subsequently sent two million containers to the United States to help alleviate their formula shortage crisis. Back in Britain, on recommendation from the Princess of Wales, her sister, Pippa Middleton, also began using Kendamil to help feed her youngest child too.
What makes the brand so popular — aside from its royal fans — is its unique and nutritious formulation. The brand uses full cream milk as its base (and comes in an organic and goat milk version) which means it naturally contains the Milk Fat Globule Membrane found in breast milk, a nutrient linked to cognitive development in babies.
Another vital ingredient for healthy brain function in infancy is DHA, which most other formula brands incorporate via fish oil, leaving a fishy smell or aftertaste in the milk powder. Kendamil uses a plant-based DHA instead, resulting in a formula that’s not only vegetarian, it’s also said to be more agreeable to little ones’ taste buds.
What’s left out of baby formula can be just as important as what’s put in it, however, and Kendamil’s milk powders contain no Palm Oil. Apart from the well-known detrimental effects farming palm oil has on the environment, Palm Oil is also purported to have a high malabsorption rate which means minerals aren’t absorbed as efficiently in the baby’s gut.
Kendamil, now christened ‘The Royal Baby Formula’ is often sold out across Singapore shelves, but you can find it online here.
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