Most standard baby formula is not vegan. The majority of infant formulas sold worldwide use cow’s milk protein (whey and casein) and lactose as their base ingredients, making them animal-derived products. However, some plant-based options exist that come close to being fully vegan, though even these can contain trace animal-derived ingredients depending on how strictly you define the term.
Why Standard Formula Isn’t Vegan
The protein in conventional infant formula comes from cow’s milk, split into two components: whey and casein. These are the same proteins found in human breast milk, though structurally different from the bovine versions. Lactose, the primary sugar in cow’s milk, serves as the main carbohydrate source in most formulas. Some formulas also include animal-based fats alongside vegetable oils like palm, soy, coconut, and sunflower oil.
Beyond these obvious dairy ingredients, there’s a less visible animal-derived component in nearly all infant formulas: vitamin D3. Most vitamin D3 used in food manufacturing is made from lanolin, a waxy substance extracted from sheep’s wool. Since the FDA requires infant formula to contain specific levels of vitamin D among 30 mandatory nutrients, this ingredient shows up in virtually every product on the shelf, including many that are otherwise plant-based.
Soy Formula: Plant-Based but Not Always Vegan
Soy-based infant formulas replace cow’s milk protein with soy protein isolate, a highly processed form of soy that contains at least 90% protein. Instead of lactose, these formulas use plant-derived carbohydrates like maltodextrin (typically from corn or potatoes) or glucose syrups. The fat content comes from vegetable oils, and the formulas are supplemented with methionine, taurine, and carnitine to match the amino acid profile infants need.
On paper, this sounds vegan. But the vitamin D3 in most soy formulas still comes from lanolin. Some formulas also source their DHA and ARA (omega fatty acids critical for brain and eye development) from animal-derived sources, though many now use algae-based and fungal oils instead. The result is that soy formulas are dairy-free, but whether they qualify as strictly vegan depends on the sourcing of these micronutrients, which manufacturers rarely advertise clearly.
It’s worth noting that soy formula isn’t recommended for every situation. The American Academy of Pediatrics considers soy formula appropriate for infants with galactosemia or congenital lactose intolerance, but recommends hypoallergenic formulas rather than soy for babies with a confirmed cow’s milk protein allergy.
Hydrolyzed Rice Formula: Another Option
Hydrolyzed rice protein formulas have been used in Europe since the 2000s as a plant-based alternative for infants with cow’s milk allergy. These formulas break rice protein into very small fragments that are less likely to trigger allergic reactions. One product, Similac Arize, is a hydrolyzed rice formula that also includes DHA, ARA, and a human milk oligosaccharide called 2′-FL. It’s currently available outside the United States.
Like soy formulas, rice-based formulas avoid dairy protein and lactose entirely. But the same vitamin D3 question applies, and the availability of these products varies significantly by country. In the U.S., options are far more limited than in Europe.
Amino Acid Formulas: Dairy-Free but Complicated
Amino acid-based formulas like Neocate Infant take a completely different approach. Instead of using intact protein from any source, they’re built from individual amino acids, the smallest building blocks of protein. Neocate is manufactured in a milk-protein-free facility and contains no dairy or soy oil. Its fats come from coconut, palm kernel, sunflower, and canola oils, and its DHA and ARA come from algae and fungal sources.
These formulas are designed for infants with severe cow’s milk allergy or multiple food allergies, not as a lifestyle choice. They’re available by medical recommendation and tend to be expensive. And while the ingredient list reads as largely plant-derived, the vitamin D3 listed in the ingredients is not specified as vegan-sourced. So even this highly specialized category doesn’t necessarily clear the vegan bar completely.
The Vitamin D3 Problem
This is the ingredient that trips up nearly every formula on the market. Vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, is overwhelmingly produced from lanolin in the supplement and food industries. A vegan alternative exists: vitamin D3 derived from lichen, a plant-like organism. Some vegan supplement brands already use lichen-sourced D3 in standalone drops for infants and toddlers.
However, no major infant formula manufacturer currently advertises using lichen-derived vitamin D3 in their products. The alternative, vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), is plant-derived but less effective at raising vitamin D levels in the body, which likely explains why formula makers stick with D3. Until a manufacturer reformulates with lichen-based D3 and labels the product accordingly, a 100% vegan infant formula that meets regulatory nutritional standards remains elusive in most markets.
What This Means Practically
If you’re looking for a formula that avoids dairy protein and lactose, soy-based and hydrolyzed rice formulas accomplish that. They’re nutritionally complete, regulated to the same standards as cow’s milk formula, and widely used. The FDA requires all infant formulas sold in the U.S. to meet the same 30-nutrient requirements regardless of protein source, so plant-based options aren’t nutritionally inferior.
If your concern is strictly ethical veganism, where every single ingredient must be free of animal involvement, no widely available infant formula currently meets that standard with certainty. The lanolin-derived vitamin D3 and sometimes ambiguous sourcing of DHA and other micronutrients make it difficult to verify. Some parents in this situation use a soy or rice-based formula as the closest available option while accepting that it may not be 100% vegan in the strictest sense. Others supplement with standalone vegan vitamin D drops and work with a pediatrician to ensure nutritional needs are fully met.