Introduction
Manufacturing
Organic standards
Sources of pollutants
Every production checked
Certificates
Understand test results
Consumer testing magazines
MOSH/MOAH
Introduction
Manufacturing
Organic standards
Sources of pollutants
Every production checked
Certificates
Understand test results
Consumer testing magazines
MOSH/MOAH
Introduction
Manufacturing
Organic standards
Sources of pollutants
Every production checked
Certificates
Understand test results
Consumer testing magazines
MOSH/MOAH
Introduction
Manufacturing
Organic standards
Sources of pollutants
Every production checked
Certificates
Understand test results
Consumer testing magazines
MOSH/MOAH
Introduction
Our vision is to give babies the best start in life. Only the best ingredients of certified organic quality go into our modern products - free from unnecessary additives, produced fairly and sustainably. The transparency in the production chain and independent safety controls ensure that parents can trust Löwenzahn Organics products.
For this reason, we are as transparent as possible about our quality and safety. We believe that all companies that produce and sell food should do this - especially those that produce infant formula.
The health and safety of babies and toddlers is always our top priority
Hi, we are Liz and Alice. We are the founders of Löwenzahn Organics. As moms, we know how challenging the time as a young family can be and we work hard to support the first 1000 days of nutrition and growth for you and your baby. On the one hand, we are of course concerned with high-quality products in organic and Demeter quality, and on the other hand, we are committed to more tolerance, respect and equality with #coolmomsdontjudge and #noshameinyourfeedinggame. Find out more about us .
Manufacturing
Our product range offers nutrition for both babies and for mum. Depending on the product in question, the manufacturing processes differ, as do our trusted manufacturers, with whom we work closely.
The organic milk for our milk formula comes from Europe. A specialist we have selected for the production of infant formula in Austria produces our milk formula according to our own recipe - this includes the addition of GOS, ARA or DHA from algae oil.
Our porridge is made from Demeter-certified grains from Europe in Denmark. The raw grain is gently roasted and ground and enriched with vitamin B1 in accordance with legal requirements.
Organic Bone Broth is made in Germany by a bone broth expert. Our Demeter porridge is made in Denmark and Germany, our organic energy balls are produced according to our recipe.
Organic standards
Our baby food and products for moms are certified organic, and our cereal porridge is even Demeter-certified. Our products come from certified organic farms that do not use chemical-synthetic pesticides or genetically modified organisms. This means we already achieve a high standard of safety and quality.
In a perfect world we could stop talking about quality. Because only the best ingredients go into our products for mums and babies.
Sources of pollutants
Organic quality is not enough. The soil in our ecological environment, on which only organic grain is cultivated, is not necessarily free of harmful residues such as pesticides, lead or mineral oil. In the last century, humans have done so much damage to our earth that it is no longer possible to harvest 100% pollutant-free raw materials. It's more about minimizing them, down to the smallest decimal point.
We are in close contact with our production companies and farmers. Because of cultivation there is the possibility that toxic residues end up in the end product - through harvesting machines, but also during transport or when processing raw materials. Packaging can represent another source of danger. If there are harmful substances in the packaging, they can end up in baby food. Furthermore, production and storage conditions are often responsible for pollutant levels.
Quality and food safety are inseparable. For this reason, we have our baby food tested particularly carefully.
In the next section you will find out what, or rather what, we have each batch tested by the production company, but also independently in a laboratory in Hamb
Every production tested: Our baby food is tested
For us, it goes without saying: high demands on baby food. In order to produce nutrient-rich organic food, we work with the best farmers and production companies. However, that is not enough for us. Our raw materials and products are carefully checked before use or before they are delivered.
In 2021 alone we conducted over 400 analyses. We also use a double, close-knit network of controls. We therefore also have every production of our baby food tested by a German laboratory in Hamburg (independent of the production company), which is one of the best in Germany. Sure, this is quite expensive for us - we do it anyway, because offering you safe and high-quality products is more important to us than anything else
Certificates for our baby milk
In addition to the analyzes in production, our baby food is checked by an independent laboratory in Hamburg for external quality controls.
Our organic baby milk is tested for mineral oil residues such as MOSH and MOAH as well as the fat pollutants 3-MCPD and glycidyl ester as well as pesticides chlorate and perchlorate.
Our quality was last confirmed on August 24, 2023.
Understand test results
In food safety, a distinction is made between, among other things, microbiology, residues and contaminants.
Microbiological parameters
Our ancestors once came up with the idea of using microbial food cultures to preserve and improve their food. Humans have evolved and tried to optimize these processes. Today, many of the world's most popular foods are made through fermentation: chocolate, coffee, yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir or kombucha.
These important cultures of live bacteria, yeast and mould are called good cultures. Then there are the “not good” cultures, which include various pathogens that can take over our food and cause it to spoil.
Every product on store shelves passes through various stages where it can become contaminated with unwanted bacteria and pathogens. The only way to prevent this is proper hygiene and caution at every stage of processing, storage and packaging.
The test results for microbiology refer to the proportion of bad or undesirable bacteria, yeasts and moulds in a product. In other words, those that can spoil food or cause illness. Depending on the product, various microbiological parameters are tested.
The microbiological parameters for which we have our organic baby milk and our Demeter porridge tested include:
- Total bacterial count
- E. coli
- Yeasts and molds
- Salmonella
- Coagulase-positive staphylococci
- Bacillus cereus
- Listeria
- Enterobacteriaceae
- Cronobacter sakazakii
The total bacterial count provides an overall overview of the general microbiological contamination of the sample without providing specific information about the individual parameters.
We adhere to the following limits:
For baby milk, the total bacterial count is <1000 CFU/g (10^3 CFU/g)
For porridge the total germ count is <1000000 CFU/g (10^6 CFU/g)
Pathogens are undesirable disease-causing bacteria such as coliform bacteria, E. coli, salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus. They can lead to food poisoning or skin infections. By ensuring the purity of everything sold for consumption, disease can be avoided.
Our products are tested for the most common pathogens. All values are below the legally prescribed limits.
Residues and contaminants
Neither residues nor contaminants are something we want in food - whether it is adult or infant food. Unfortunately, these cannot be completely avoided. Therefore, in food safety there is also talk of minimizing residues and contaminants and adhering to limit values.
Let's take a closer look: Residues are leftovers from substances that are used in the production of food. Even when pesticides are used correctly, residues can remain in fruit, vegetables and grains. Contaminants include substances that are not intentionally added. They are the result of extraction, production, processing, preparation, treatment, presentation, packaging, transport, storage or come from environmental contamination.
How many residues and what maximum quantities may be contained in food is precisely regulated. Strict rules also apply to materials that come into contact with food, such as packaging.
The residues and contaminants for which we test our organic baby milk and our Demeter porridge include:
- Fat pollutants: 3-MCPD and glycidyl fatty acid esters
- Mineral oils: MOSH, POSH and MOAH
- Pesticides: chlorate and perchlorate
- Heavy metals: cadmium, lead
- Mycotoxins: Ochratoxin A, Aflatoxin B1, Zearalenone
We completely avoid the fat pollutant glycidol/glycidyl fatty acid ester and the mineral oil residue MOAH, so they cannot be detected.
For 3-MCPD we are well below the EU limits.
For MOSH, our goal is to further reduce the value. Even though there are currently no limit values, we have taken initial measures and are planning further measures to avoid MOSH.
Consumer testing magazines about baby food
In the past, various consumer magazines and associations - including Stiftung Warentest, ÖKO-TEST, Kassensturz and Foodwatch - have repeatedly detected harmful substances in pre-food at baby food manufacturers. Foodwatch has not yet tested our baby food. Stiftung Warentest, ÖKO-TEST and Kassenrutsch have all tested our Original "Pre" First Infant milk. We are proud and pleased that our pre-nutrition is being tested by consumer magazines alongside other well-known brands.
Our infant milk is absolutely safe and fully suitable for your babies. This is confirmed by all authorities and the independent laboratories where we regularly have our products tested - and our Original "Pre" First Initial Milk is the test winner at Stiftung Warentest 2022
Important results about our organic "Pre" First Initial Milk:
- Löwenzahn Organics Organic "Pre" First Infant Milk is one of the best organic "pre" infant milk varieties
- We are one of the brands that add DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid) in a 1:1 ratio in their milk formula
- From a nutritional point of view, palm oil is suitable for palmitic acid as an additive to cow's milk-based baby milk
- Our milk formula clearly does not exceed any legal EU limits for harmful substances
- The fat pollutant glycidol and the mineral oil residue MOAH are not detectable
You can find out more about our test results in our magazine (Stiftung Warentest 2022, ÖKO-TEST 2021/2019 and Kassenrutsch 2021)
There are currently no legal limits for mineral oil in baby milk formula. Nevertheless, the following applies to us: mineral oil components are undesirable in our products. That's why we work tirelessly to identify and avoid possible sources of mineral oil components. At MOAH we have succeeded: This mineral oil component in our products has always been below the respective detection limit, which is being defined more and more strictly. Because analytics is getting better and better. This means that smaller and smaller amounts of residue can be detected.
We will discuss MOSH and MOAH in more detail in the next section.
MOSH/MOAH
What are MOSH and MOAH?
When examining foods using highly developed new analytical instruments and methods, it is now possible to detect the slightest traces of mineral oils in a variety of foods. The substances examined are complex mixtures of hydrocarbons that can occur in the environment. For example, they are contained in natural waxes and fats. So it's not always about contamination.
MOAH stands for Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons. These are hydrocarbons from mineral oil. MOAH is considered the most critical hydrocarbon by scientists and representatives of monitoring authorities.
MOSH stands for Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons. These consist of different forms of hydrocarbons. They either come directly from petroleum or are formed through the conversion of chemical compounds and further reactions during refining.
How exactly can MOSH and MOAH get into food?
This cannot always be understood exactly. Mineral oils are found in many steps of food production. This starts in the field, for example with harvesting machines, but also during transport or when processing raw materials. Even plants absorb them naturally through their environment, for example from the soil. There are the following ways in which mineral oil hydrocarbons can get into food.
Contamination: Accidental contamination of raw materials in small quantities can occur in all harvesting and processing processes. This is often difficult to avoid. Mineral oil hydrocarbons can get into the raw materials during transport or during harvesting through abrasion from tires or emissions. In addition, mineral oils can be used in production machines and leave tiny deposits in the food upon contact or when they evaporate.
Migration: In the past, many industrially manufactured products used mineral oil in their manufacture or material. Examples of this were printing inks or recycled packaging. MOSH and MOAH inputs from these products used to be able to migrate to food. Today the food industry has this issue largely under control.
Willingness to change
We understand that parents are concerned about the safety of infant and toddler formula and are unsettled by the reporting surrounding MOSH and MOAH. We sell very high quality products. The products are among the best in the organic category. All products are absolutely safe and fully suitable for babies and small children.
Mineral oil residues do not belong in infant and toddler food. Even though they occur in nature, we do everything we can to reduce MOSH levels. At MOAH we have succeeded in this very well in the past; For all products, the possible MOAH content has always been below the respective detection limit.
Even though there are currently no limit values, we have taken initial measures to ensure that MOSH in our products can be reduced even further in the future. Further measures will follow.