Five years ago, Mia Funt and her brother started ByHeart. Her daughter Neve had just had her first birthday, and like many parents, she traded breastfeeding and formula feeding with caution.
She had significant doubts about formula milk as the options were confusing, and the nutritional value was unclear. She ended up feeling guilty every time she could not breastfeed. Every time she would look on the milk shelf, she could not find a formula that she felt confident giving her baby.
The making of ByHeart
Ron Belldegrun, Funt's cofounder and brother, studied health and nutrition for more than a decade. Forbes reported that he knew many key opinion leaders and knew how to translate their research into better nutrition for babies.
According to him, infant formula has been dominated by three big companies for decades. Although companies were doing a lot to keep up with specific ingredients or benefits, Belldegrun believes that infant formula needed an upgrade as the recipe is outdated. Nutrition science and breast milk research have moved more quickly than the infant industry.
According to the company's study, 84% of the parents they interviewed wanted a formula closest to breastmilk.
The findings of this study inspired the company to develop a new infant formula brand that is way different from the available infant formula that has been available for decades.
So Funt, and her brother, Belldegrun, established ByHeart, new infant formula to provide nutritious milk products which parents can confidently give their kids.
They said they truly had to innovate and build from the ground up, as it was the only way to have a meaningful impact and drive change.
The company invested in research for its unique formulation and built quality systems and supplier-approval requirements. It refined a small batch approach to ensure the quality of every ingredient.
From April to June 2021, the company embarked upon the largest clinical trial by infant formula in more than 25 years. The trial also included a breast milk reference arm to make breast milk the gold standard for baby milk and not just another formula on the market, PR Newswire reports.
Funt and Belldegrun recruited world-class doctors, pediatric researchers, seasoned formula experts, and passionate parents. Funt and her team were inspired by parents who wanted nutritious food for their babies.
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Magic Recipe
ByHeart's formula milk has no corn syrup, maltodextrin, palm oil, and soy. Funt and her team spent five years working with leading experts in breast milk research to develop an infant formula to include a patented protein blend that is closest to breastmilk. It is the only infant formula in the US that utilizes organic, grass-fed whole milk.
The milk contains lactoferrin and alpha-lactalbumin, the two most abundant proteins in breastmilk. It also has a whey to casein ratio that closely resembles colostrum.
ByHeart is the first new infant formula brand in the US that shows the closest resemblance to breastmilk based on its clinical study.
The company developed its manufacturing facility, sourced every ingredient, applied quality standards from farm to formula. The infant formula is the first to receive Clean Label certification and Purity Award.
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