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Ingredients › Cow's milk

Baby food · 0–36 months

Is cow's milk safe for babies?

Cow's milk for babies and toddlers

Milk in a cereal, a curd or a toddler food is not flagged from 6 months. As a baby's main drink, guidance differs before the first birthday, so ask your pediatrician. Raw, unpasteurised milk is flagged at every age, and so is the sugar in flavoured milks.

What Pikabee flags, by age

0–6 monthsRED FLAG

Any food other than breast milk or infant formula is flagged at this age, because WHO advises only breast milk for the first 6 months. Cow's milk is not infant formula.

6–12 monthsNot flagged when pasteurised

Pasteurised milk in a food is not flagged. As a main drink, the AAP advises waiting until about 12 months, while WHO's 2023 guideline says a baby who is not breastfed can have formula or animal milk from 6 months. Raw milk is flagged, and added sugar in a flavoured milk is flagged.

12–36 monthsNot flagged when pasteurised

Pasteurised milk is not flagged. WHO recommends animal milk, not follow-up or toddler formula, for children 12–23 months who are not breastfed. Flavoured milks with added sugar are flagged until three.

What it is

Cow's milk turns up on baby and toddler labels as milk, milk solids, whole milk powder or skimmed milk powder, in cereals, porridge mixes, curd, paneer, biscuits and toddler drinks.

Packets of milk sold for the whole family are pasteurised or UHT. Milk bought loose, straight from a dairy, may not be, and is best boiled first.

Names it goes by on labels

Why Pikabee flags it

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against cow's milk as a drink before about 12 months, because it is hard on a young baby's kidneys and short of iron. WHO's 2023 complementary feeding guideline accepts formula or animal milk for infants 6–11 months who are not breastfed, and recommends animal milk from 12 months. Pikabee reads the label, not the feeding plan: pasteurised milk is a plainly named food and is not flagged; raw milk and added sugar are.

Questions parents ask

Is cow's milk safe for a baby under 6 months?

Any food other than breast milk or infant formula is flagged at this age, because WHO advises only breast milk for the first 6 months. Cow's milk is not infant formula.

Is cow's milk safe for a 6 to 12 month old baby?

Pasteurised milk in a food is not flagged. As a main drink, the AAP advises waiting until about 12 months, while WHO's 2023 guideline says a baby who is not breastfed can have formula or animal milk from 6 months. Raw milk is flagged, and added sugar in a flavoured milk is flagged.

Is cow's milk safe for a 1 to 3 year old?

Pasteurised milk is not flagged. WHO recommends animal milk, not follow-up or toddler formula, for children 12–23 months who are not breastfed. Flavoured milks with added sugar are flagged until three.

When can my baby drink cow's milk?

The AAP says about 12 months as a main drink; WHO allows animal milk from 6 months for babies who are not breastfed. Small amounts cooked into food are common from 6 months. Ask your pediatrician what fits your baby.

Is toddler milk or growing-up milk better than cow's milk?

WHO's 2023 guideline recommends animal milk, not follow-up formula, for children 12–23 months who are not breastfed. Many toddler milks also add sugar, which Pikabee flags.

Is loose milk from the dairy okay?

Unpasteurised milk is flagged at every age. Boil loose milk before using it in a child's food.

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Sources

  1. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Why formula instead of cow's milk?
  2. WHO (2023). Guideline for complementary feeding of infants and young children 6–23 months of age.
  3. WHO. Infant and young child feeding (fact sheet): only breast milk for the first 6 months.
  4. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Raw milk: germs such as Listeria, E. coli and Salmonella; children under 5 at higher risk.

Last reviewed 6 November 2026.

Related ingredients

Talk to your pediatrician about anything concerning.