Aptamil vs Kendamil: Choosing the Right Follow-on Formula for Your Baby

With so many options to choose from, choosing the right follow-on formula for your baby can feel overwhelming. Here, we’re comparing two brands: Aptamil and Kendamil, so you have all the information you need.

Inspired by over 50 years of breast milk research, Aptamil follow-on milks are created by a team of over 500 scientists and experts, giving our formula milks a strong scientific foundation. As a brand, Aptamil was created by Danone, a B Corp-Certified company committed to high standards of transparency, accountability, and social and environmental performance. As well as formula milk and baby cereals, Aptamil provides non-judgemental support for parents 365 days a year through our free expert Careline. Our team of experts, including nutritionists and midwives, is just a phone call or click away. We understand that things can feel tough for parents, which is why Aptamil offer a range of formats including our best value pack*, 1.2kg Follow on Milk, giving families the flexibility to choose what best suits their baby, routine and budget.

Kendamil is a medium-sized business which was established in the Lake District in 2016. Kendamil focuses on UK ingredients and traditional production but doesn’t have the same length of breastmilk research history or scientific evidence generation as Aptamil. While Kendamil has a customer service provision, it’s not backed by a dedicated team of experts, like nutritionists or midwives, who can support when parents need tailored advice.

To answer these questions and more, we’ve put together this handy guide on Aptamil vs Kendamil follow-on milks, which covers the difference between Kendamil and Aptamil to help you make an informed choice for you and your baby.

For over 50 years, Nutricia has been researching breast milk and early life nutrition, helping to shape the Aptamil baby milk range we offer today. This expertise enables us to develop innovative, science-based formulas designed to support different feeding needs. Aptamil Follow On Milk has evolved over time, guided by Nutricia’s ongoing research into baby nutrition. Its nutritional composition is tailored to help support your baby’s development from 6 months**, alongside a varied, balanced weaning diet.

When considering the Aptamil vs Kendamil pros and cons, the ingredients are a good place to start. While all follow-on milks are made to meet regulatory compositional standards, there are key differences in what goes into Kendamil vs Aptamil.

Kendamil Follow-On Milk uses whole milk as a base, while Aptamil uses skimmed milk. Based on that difference, some parents wonder, ‘is Kendamil better than Aptamil?’

In fact, using skimmed milk is often more flexible during manufacturing, allowing us to add very precise amounts of the fats and other nutrients babies need in their formula milk. This makes it easier to achieve the exact balance of fatty acids and nutrients needed to meet regulatory standards, without exceeding the recommended levels^1,2.

Aptamil Advanced Follow-On Milk also contains milk fat derived from whole cow’s milk. Directly using pure milk fat allows us to adjust the recipe precisely to deliver a creamy taste while meeting the required composition standards.

Using whole milk as a base, on the other hand, means it naturally contains milk fat, but in limited and fixed levels, making whole milk a less adaptable ingredient when carefully fine-tuning the nutrition of a follow-on formula³.

Both Kendamil and Aptamil Follow-On Milks use vegetable oils to meet the required regulatory standards for fatty acids. Additionally to vegetable oils, Aptamil uses fish oil to provide the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, while Kendamil uses algae oil. Fish oil is a safe, long-established, and well-researched source of omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, while algae oil is a more recently adopted but validated plant-based option, mainly for DHA, that’s becoming more widely studied^4,5.

The Aptamil follow-on milk range is carefully made without the addition of palm oil. Kendamil follow-on milks are also produced without palm oil.

Aptamil Follow-On Milk contains a 9:1 ratio of GOS:FOS (9:1 GOS:FOS) in a high quantity (0.8g/100ml), backed by scientific evidence, including more than 40 clinical studies. GOS and FOS are types of prebiotics that act as nutrients to feed the good bacteria in your baby’s gut.

Kendamil includes GOS:FOS too, though in smaller amounts and no defined ratio. Their levels and ratios differ between products and are not set according to one defined, evidence-based amount.

Aptamil Follow-On Milk contains 50% more GOS:FOS than any other brand¹ and up to 192% more than Kendamil Follow-On Milk powder².

Aptamil and Aptamil Advanced Follow-On Milks contain more than double the amount of fibre than Kendamil Follow-On Milk powder at 0.6g/100ml compared to 0.27g/100ml.

We know parents have enough to think about, so availability matters. Aptamil is the UK’s most widely available follow-on milk***, helping families feel confident that their baby’s usual milk is more likely to be there when they need it. Aptamil is here for you and your baby in over 22,000 stores³ across the UK. You can find Aptamil Follow-On formula in the following places:

• Waitrose
• Sainsbury’s
• Tesco
• Ocado
• Asda
• Amazon
• Morrisons
• Boots

You can also buy Aptamil products direct from our website. Explore our Follow-On Milks below.

As our most advanced formulation, Aptamil Advanced Follow On Milk is inspired by 50 years of breast milk research. It’s enriched with the immuno-nutrient vitamin D4, and is the only follow-on milk in the UK with GOS/FOS and 2’-FL.

Aptamil Follow On Milk is tailored to complement your baby’s weaning diet from 6-12 months old, with vitamin D to support the normal function of the immune system as well as GOS/FOS and vitamins A & C.

This range comes in powder (including a 1.2kg Big Pack), ready to drink, and pre-measured tabs for quick and accurate measurement.

Whatever formula milk you use to feed your baby, it’s always best to speak to a healthcare professional before changing your baby’s formula so they can offer tailored advice.

Some parents choose to move straight over to the new formula, but others prefer to make the transition gradually. Taking time to move on to the new formula allows your little one’s digestive system to adjust to the new product more smoothly.

Most of the Aptamil range, including the Stage 2 Aptamil Follow On Milk, is halal certified. The only products which are not currently halal are our baby cereals and Stage 3 & 4 Toddler Milks.

Aptamil Follow on Milk contains GOS/FOS on top of essential nutrients and fatty acids. Aptamil Advanced Follow-On Milk contains these ingredients of the original range as well as added phospholipids, 2’-FL, and milk fat for a creamy taste. You can compare our follow-on milk formulas here.