Meal Pattern Minute: Iron-Fortified Infant Formula
January 16, 2026
If you’ve ever stood in the infant formula aisle wondering which formula meets the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) requirements, you’re not alone. With so many options and labels to read, it can be a challenge to identify which infant formulas are creditable in the CACFP. One key term you’ll see often is “iron-fortified” infant formula but what does that actually mean, and why is it so important for infants in your care?
Tune in to Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, as she explains what makes an infant formula iron-fortified and why it matters for CACFP compliance.
Transcript: To be creditable in the CACFP, infant formula must be iron-fortified, meaning that it must contain at least 1 mg of iron per 100 kilocalories. You can check this by looking at the Nutrition Facts label on the formula packaging. Iron fortification is essential to help prevent iron-deficiency anemia in infants, which can affect growth and development.
Explore more resources to help you choose CACFP creditable infant formula.
Feeding Infants and Meal Pattern Requirements in the CACFP; Questions and Answers
Learn which formulas are creditable and how to identify them.
- CACFP Infant Meal Pattern Card
- A helpful breakdown of infant meal patterns and formula standards.
- Feeding Infants in the CACFP
- A comprehensive resource from USDA with tips, best practices, and printable tools.
- Feeding Infants: 0-5 Months (Free webinar)
- This webinar focuses on how the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) infant meal pattern supports infant growth and development for babies ages birth through 5 months. Presented by USDA Team Nutrition.
- FDA exempt infant formula is creditable in the CACFP. These types of formulas are for infants who have inborn errors of metabolism, low birth weight, medical or dietary problems. Listen to this Meal Pattern Minute to Learn more: Meal Pattern Minute: FDA Exempt Infant Formulas
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