[PSA] Battle of the Milk

In this post, I explore the costs of various milk.

My son weaned off his mother's milk about 3 months ago and we have been feeding him formula milk. I have been wondering why formula milk is so expensive. Recently, there was much controversy about the price of formula milk powder in Singapore. Older folks will remember KLIM. Even older will remember drinking condensed milk. Some people think all milk is the same, but if this is so, why the prices are different? Is it solely because of marketing?

My wife and I have been contending to switch from formula milk to fresh milk. Our concerns also include whether our boy would accept it and whether if he is sensitive/allergic to the fresh milk. Besides the formula milk, we tried giving him fresh milk. Recently, we are trying a "less-branded" formula milk. Luckily, he seems receptive to all.

Left to Right: Pura Fresh Milk (1L), Dumex Dugro (700g pack), Enfagrow (900g tin)

Mead Johnson's Enfagrow 3
900g
S$45.30
Serving size: 22
Cost per serving: S$2.06

My son has been drinking this as a supplement with mother's milk. There are actually two flavours available - original and vanilla; I learnt about this because I accidently bought the vanilla one without knowing after much later.

Pros: Well know brand (best selling internationally somemore). Nutrition is superior that the other two.
Cons: Not sure if the superior nutrition is absorbed by the boy. And pricey.

Pura Fresh Milk
1L
S$3.60
Serving size: 4
Cost per serving: S$0.90

There are many brands of fresh milk available. Milk of Australian and/or New Zealand origin is preferred. Other brands that can be considered are Farmhouse, Paul's and Marigold. Meiji, by the way, is from Thailand, although it is a Japanese brand.

Pros: Fresh. And cheap (cheapest).
Cons: Need to replenish regularly, but not too much because of the shorter shelf-life. Need to refrigerate, THEN warm it before feeding.


Dumex Dugro Stage 3
700g
S$18.90
Serving size: 18
Cost per serving: S$1.05

We are trying this only recently because of the 'hassle' of fresh milk. The nutrition level is not as high as the Enfagrow, but that's OK because our son is eating solids too, and there's always fish, pork and other goodies inside. By the way, I grew up drinking KLIM.

Pros: Seems like a balance of the other two options - cheap and convenient.
Cons: Can't think of it yet, except that it is cheap to have some psychological effect.


To me, there is a lot of psychological warfare in this formula milk powder thing. 'You mean you can't part with $2 per feed, to provide the best for your child?'.

As parents, we want the best for our children, but we have to be realistic about the price we pay and the benefits it can bring to our children.

There is the price factor and then there is the nutrition factor. Enfragrow has almost double of nutrients such as DHA and Choline, than Dumex Dugro. (Double of those things, double the price; seems legit) I am not an expert, but I have doubts that my child is able to absorb all those nutrients in 1 feed of a formula milk (educate me if I am wrong, please!).

We are lucky that our boy is eating well, not too picky yet, and is receptive to the milk 'experiments' we subject him to. And he is not allergic to both the fresh milk or formula milk. So fortunately for us, a cheaper alternative turns out to be a good middle ground.

~Huat