How we built the Infant Formula Atlas

Every data point in the Atlas is traceable to a primary source. This page is the explicit rulebook we follow. If any record ever contradicts these rules, treat that record as broken and flag it — the rules win.

The author

The Atlas is maintained by María López Botín, a Spanish mother of two and independent researcher. She is not a doctor, a dietitian, or a nutritionist. The Atlas is compiled by reading primary sources — not by borrowing authority.

Sources we use (in order of authority)

1. Regulatory primary. FDA (21 CFR 107, warning letters, compliance reports), EFSA scientific opinions, EU Commission Regulations (2016/127, 2018/848), USDA NOP, Codex Alimentarius.
2. Manufacturer primary. Official ingredient declarations, spec sheets, press releases announcing reformulations.
3. Peer-reviewed literature. PubMed, Cochrane, AAP policy statements.
4. Third-party certification registries. SKAL, Bioland, Demeter, USDA NOP registries.

Sources we never use

• Wikipedia.
• Other affiliate or review sites.
• Brand-sponsored "expert" content.
• Social media, except when they directly cite a primary source.
• AI-generated summaries without a primary-source trace.

Health ratings

Ingredient health ratings (1–5) are derived from regulatory posture, not editorial opinion:

• 5 — required as predominant by EU regulation (e.g., lactose as the primary carbohydrate per EU 2016/127 Art. 5.1).
• 4 — permitted and commonly used in compliant formulas.
• 3 — permitted but not required; subject to ongoing scientific debate.
• 2 — restricted (specific concentrations or uses limited by regulation).
• 1 — banned or heavily restricted in at least one major market.

This mapping keeps editorial judgment out of the rating. If you disagree with a rating, the right target to argue with is the underlying regulator, not us.

Verification lifecycle

1. Draft — initial record compiled from primary sources, with every field tagged verified_by: ai-assisted.
2. Review — human review against the source label. Fields flipped to verified_by: human-verified individually.
3. Publication — record goes public on the Atlas with a visible last_verified date and next-review-due date (6 months out).
4. Weekly freshness sweep — automated check against source URLs. Any detected change opens a review ticket; nothing auto-commits.
5. Quarterly price re-check — price fields are re-verified every three months with a visible timestamp next to each price.

What "verified" means

AI-assisted means the record was drafted from primary sources but not yet confirmed by a human reviewing each field against the label. These records are published with the caveat visible.

Human-verified means María personally compared the record against the source on the date shown. She does not verify what she cannot directly read.

We never silently bump last_verified. A date move requires an actual re-verification.

Public changelog

Every detected change and every verified update appears on the Atlas changelog. When a brand reformulates, we record the change and link the primary source.

Medical disclaimer

This site provides research and comparisons, not medical advice. Consult your pediatrician before changing your baby's formula.