A. If you are already using cow milk formula, LittleOak may be a suitable alternative for your little one. In fact, new research supports what we have long known: goat milk formulas are not only a beautiful, nourishing option for children, but may also offer benefits for digestion and infant gut health compared to cow milk formulas.  

Specifically, goat milk oligosaccharides (prebiotics) more closely resemble human breast milk oligosaccharides than cow or sheep milk. They also encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus. These good bacteria help protect the gut, support the immune system, aid digestion, and may lower the risk of allergies, eczema, and other skin conditions. In addition, little ones who are constipated on cow’s milk may benefit from switching to goat’s milk. 

Learn more about the beautiful benefits of goat milk in this new research paper which draws from over 50 studies and highlights strong scientific evidence supporting goat milk formulas and their nutritional benefits over cow milk formulas.

A. There are so many reasons we fell in love with the goodness of whole goat milk. Goat milk naturally contains the protein A2, which is gentler on little tummies. It also has lower levels of lactose than cow’s milk, making it easier to digest, and is high in naturally occurring probiotics to support overall health.

A. Most goat milk formulas use 25-30% skimmed goat milk. In contrast, LittleOak contains more than 40% whole goat milk, meaning more high-quality natural nutrition for your baby to help them grow and thrive – just as nature intended.

A. Lactose is a milk sugar, providing energy to support growth. Goat milk has lower levels of lactose than cow milk making it more gentle on little tummies. However LittleOak is not suitable for children with a diagnosed milk protein allergy.

A. Whey and casein are the proteins found in goat milk. The whey to casein ratio for all LittleOak products sits at around 20:80, which is the natural ratio for our goat milk. Goat milk has been scientifically proven to be more easily digested when consumed in its natural balance of whey to casein which is why we fell in love with it – for its natural goodness.

A. We know it can be hard to see your little one experiencing any discomfort, including tummy troubles. The good news is that goat milk is generally easier for babies to digest, and there’s several reasons for this. Goat milk has smaller, easier to digest fat globules, and is lower in lactose than cow milk, making it significantly more gentle on little tummies. Goat milk also naturally contains only A2 casein protein, so it is less inflammatory than cow milk. Lastly, goat milk has better bioavailability of key nutrients such as iron and magnesium and is a rich source of oligosaccharides, or prebiotics, that assist digestion.

When transitioning to LittleOak from breast milk or another formula brand, your bub may experience some gas or constipation. This is generally temporary and will usually subside within two weeks, once their little tummy has adjusted. We find a slow transition can help alleviate some of these symptoms, and we’re absolutely here to support you through this process. You can check out our Transition Guide or contact our Careline Team with any questions, we’re always
here to help.  

A. Most formulas are made by first heating the milk to create a milk powder, then adding in water to turn it back into liquid, then heating it again to blend it into formula. However we don’t do this at LittleOak, because we know the more you heat any food, the more you deplete the natural nutrients. Instead, we have halved the heating process with our new From Fresh approach. We start with delicious fresh goat milk from our farm in New Zealand and only add heat once to our formulas which means we preserve all its natural goodness.

A. While most of the whole goat milk we use is farmed using organic practices, our formulas are not certified organic. It’s quite a process to become an organically certified farm, which is why many of the farms that we source our milk from choose not to pursue certification.
Rest assured, all of our ingredients are as naturally and sustainably sourced as possible, including omega fatty acids DHA and ARA from algae and our cold-pressed flaxseed oil from the South Island in New Zealand.

A: DHA and ARA are omega fatty acids beneficial for babies’ development. We source our DHA and ARA from the most natural algae sources.

You may have noticed a slight change to our ingredient list, but we haven’t changed our formulation. Instead, we have had to comply with new labelling regulations from Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ), our local government regulatory body here in New Zealand. The new labelling regulations came into effect on 25 February 2024 and requires ingredients with allergens used in its production, such as milk, to be declared in the ingredient list when they are present. This is a change from previous regulations where an allergen declaration after the ingredient list was all that was required, and this is why you are seeing these differences in the ingredient list.

That’s why sodium caseinate is now on our ingredient list. Sodium caseinate is part of our ARA Powder (which is sourced sustainably from algal). Sodium caseinate is sourced from milk and is used in our ARA in tiny amounts to encapsulate the ARA oil to protect it and keep it stable.

A. At LittleOak, we use cold-pressed coconut and flaxseed oils to deliver the majority of our fatty acids. Manufacturers can decide to use high quality oils like coconut oil and flaxseed oil or mass-produced and cheaper oils including canola and palm oil. Importantly our oils are pressed and do not use any chemicals or solvents, like hexane, to extract the oil from the plant husk.

A. We are the first infant formula in the world to be certified 100% Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark (POFCAP). Palm oil inhibits the absorption of calcium, fats and DHA in babies so for us there was no question that we needed to use alternative, higher quality oils to provide the fatty acid profile in our products. Instead of palm oil, we use cold-pressed coconut oil and blend this with cold-pressed flaxseed oil and sunflower oil.

A. We are the first formula company in the world to use cold-pressed flaxseed oil instead of canola oil.

When making formulas, manufacturers can decide to use high quality oils like coconut oil and flaxseed oil or more mass-produced and cheaper oils including canola and palm oil.

At LittleOak, we use cold-pressed coconut and flaxseed oils to deliver the majority of the fatty acids in our formulas. In addition, we must utilise sunflower oil because it delivers essential oleic and linoleic fatty acids.

A. Our beautiful cold-pressed flaxseed oil is from New Zealand’s South Island, while our coconut and sunflower oil is sourced from a number of other countries.

A. Our recommended age brackets are based on the nutritional requirements for different stages of growth:

Stage 1 - 0-6 months of age

Stage 2 – 6-12 months of age

Stage 3 – From 12 months of age

However, should you choose or need to, Stage 1 Infant Formula is also fine to continue using up to 12 months of age.

A. It is important to transition slowly from breastfeeding to LittleOak or from a different brand of formula to LittleOak. Changing food source too quickly can cause your baby discomfort to their immature digestive system. Our qualified team are here to help, support and guide you around the best transition plan that suits you and your little one. Download the LittleOak transition guide below.

LittleOak Transition Guide

A. As it is from a milk source, it is not recommended to freeze the formula powder.

A. We recommend using the formula powder within 30 days of opening, but it can last up to 60 days if stored correctly (in a cool, dry cupboard away from excessive heat) and the formula scoop is handled appropriately (no moisture).

A. To prepare LittleOak formula on a Baby Brezza machine, the best setting is number 5. However, the Baby Brezza settings change with different models. Please check the Baby Brezza website for the correct settings.

A. We are proud to do our part to help Mums and Dads with multiples in the little way we can. We offer a 20 percent discount to support parents of twins, triplets (or more). Reach out to our Careline team before placing your order and we'll set this discount up for you.

A. Please contact us immediately if you’ve noticed you have made an error when placing your order. On some occasions, if we can intercept the order within the first hour, we may be able to make the necessary changes. However, on most occasions we cannot make changes if your order has already been dispatched.

Canada Estimated Delivery Time : 3-6 Business Days

Our Australian warehouse partners operate on business days only.

All orders placed before 11:30am (Australian Eastern Standard Time) on any business day, will be dispatched the same business day.  Orders outside of this will be dispatched the following business day.

Our transport partners operate on business days only, 7am – 7pm (local time). They do not operate on weekends or public holidays.

Please contact us immediately if you’ve noticed you have made a mistake when ordering, on some occasions if we can intercept the order within the first hour we may be able to make the necessary changes

*Some areas in the far north (Nunavut), far west (British Columbia) and Vancouver Island may take longer. Please contact us directly for more information

*Please note in rare occurrences, Canadian customs may stop and spot check shipments to ensure they are legitimate imports for personal use. This is normal practice however it can delay your order shipping times. If you are contacted by Customs you can simply say “yes” - that you are the receiver, and that the goods are for personal use. In this case, the duty charges will be billed to us at LittleOak.

We must say that the Health Canada advisory came as a bit of a shock to the team here at LittleOak, probably as much as it did to you. We have received no notification or correspondence from Health Canada or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), around this development, instead we found out about it via the media. In the absence of any formal communication from the CFIA, we believe this notification comes in the wake of our recent decision to cease distribution of our infant formula products in the USA as we pursue pre-market approval in that region.

As a team of parents, we know how stressful it would be to hear news such as this about a product you may be using, so we felt it was really important to clarify the inaccuracies around the media commentary. Firstly, that this is not a recall. The CFIA notification refers to a consumer warning, not a recall, on our Stage 1 and Stage 2 products only. Furthermore, we do not sell or market LittleOak in Canada. Canadian families can only purchase LittleOak from our Australian website so any suggestion that we sell illegally in Canada is also untrue.

Just as importantly, we must confirm that this is absolutely not a quality or safety issue. LittleOak is proudly made in New Zealand, according to the highest quality and regulatory standards anywhere in the world. Our formula is developed according to the World Health Organisation’s Standards and the global CODEX Infant Formula Standards by which most countries adhere to, including Health Canada.

Our goal has always been to provide all families with natural and nutritious formulas and milks to nourish their children. We believe that each family has their own feeding journey and recognise that parents should be able to choose a formula that best suits their child’s needs. As with all aspects of parenting, we firmly believe it comes down to individual choice.

As a company founded by a mum and run by a team of passionate parents, we only want the best for our children and consider it an absolute privilege to do what we do. We nourish millions of infants and babies across the globe each and every day, including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan among others, and we will continue to do so.

No, Health Canada has not issued a recall of LittleOak products in Canada. Rather, we became aware of an advisory issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. No recall has been issued for LittleOak products in Canada, with no communications from Health Canada or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency received by LittleOak.

We want to reassure families this is in no way a quality or safety issue.

We want to reassure families this is absolutely not a quality or safety issue. No recall has been issued for LittleOak products in Canada.

Families from across the globe have chosen to nourish their children with LittleOak because it offers superior nutrition to what is typically available in their local market. We are proudly made in New Zealand, according to the highest quality standards in the world and we make our product available to families across the globe from our New Zealand and Australia website.

LittleOak has been nourishing children for years and feeds millions of infant and babies across the globe every day, and will continue to do so.

We celebrate each and every feeding journey, and recognise that it’s an incredibly personal choice as to how and what you feed your child.

Families from across the globe have chosen to nourish their children with LittleOak because it offers superior nutrition to what is typically available in their local market. We do not sell LittleOak in Canada so it is not sold illegally. Canadian families can only purchase LittleOak from our Australian website.

Our company mission is that no child should go to bed hungry, and we stand by that. We nourish millions of infants and babies across the globe every day, and will continue to do so.

We will work with every family to ensure they can continue to feed their child.

We are disappointed that Health Canada has issued this warning with no consultation with LittleOak, but remain committed to supporting families in their feeding journeys, and will work collaboratively with Health Canada and Canadian Food Inspection Agency on a way forward.