Frequently Asked Questions

If you have questions about sterilization, it's best to ask your baby's health care professional for his or her recommendation. If you're concerned about lead or other harmful substances in your water supply, check with your local or provincial health department. If you live in an old building, have the water tested. In any case, let the cold water run a couple of minutes to flush the system before preparing baby formula.

Bring cold water just to a rolling boil, then let it cool to room temperature before mixing it with the baby formula. Don't boil the water too long or more than once because excessive boiling can actually increase the concentration of minerals. And always check the temperature of the baby formula before feeding by testing a few drops on the inside of your wrist.

This is the "use by" date. You should always use the baby formula by the first day of the month shown.

No. Microwaving can cause uneven heating of the formula. This can result in “hot spots” that could burn your baby.

Infant formula should not be frozen either before or after mixing. Freezing formula may cause it to become grainy or cause the fat to separate.

We don’t recommend that formula be fed again once a baby has nursed from the bottle. During a feeding, the baby's saliva can come in contact with the formula in the bottle. The enriched nutrients found in infant formula can create an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms to grow. Unfortunately, neither refrigeration nor reheating will prevent this growth, so we recommend that any unused baby formula be discarded within 1 hour from the time baby's mouth first came into contact with the nipple.

We do not recommend that the product be heated, then refrigerated and heated again.

As a general rule, it is safe to refrigerate prepared baby formula in a sealed container for up to 24 hours. Some prepared baby formulas can be refrigerated for even longer than 24 hours if stated on the product label. Always check the specific product label to determine storage conditions and time. Do not exceed the recommended storage times.

For unopened cans of Similac infant formulas, storage temperatures are between 15°C and 22°C. Storage at extreme temperatures compromises the quality of the product. For that reason, you should not use infant formulas stored for long periods at extreme temperatures.

You can store opened cans of Ready-to-Use or Concentrated Liquid formula for up to 48 hours in the refrigerator. Be sure to cover the opened can with a tight-fitting lid or aluminum foil.

Do not store cans of Powder infant formula in the refrigerator. Instead, store them covered, in a cool, dry place.

A "use by" date is stamped on the end of each formula can. The product must be used before the expiration date. The expiration date is considered the first day of the month listed. When formula becomes outdated, the nutritional content and consistency can’t be guaranteed.

Alimentum is a nutritionally complete formula for infants and children with severe food allergies or colic symptoms due to protein sensitivity. This type of baby formula costs more than regular formulas because of the special manufacturing process used to ensure that the formula is hypoallergenic.