Growing-up milk is not essential, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS, the World Health Organization). French health authorities nevertheless consider it preferable to cow’s milk until the age of 3, mainly for its iron content. Both positions rest on the same data, but they read the risk of deficiency differently.
This article sets out exactly what each institution and EU law say, then the practical guidelines they all agree on: how much milk, the role of iron and of other foods.
What is growing-up milk?
It is a milk drink for children aged 12 months and over, often sold as “stage 3 milk” or “toddler milk”. ANSES (the French food safety agency), in its opinion of 12 June 2019, describes it as a milk-based food for young children. It is fortified with iron, vitamin D and essential fatty acids, and contains less protein than cow’s milk.
Its legal status differs from that of infant formula. Infant formula and follow-on formula, up to 12 months, are governed by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127, which sets their composition. Growing-up milk has no regulation of its own. Since 20 July 2016, it has been treated as an ordinary fortified food, subject to the general rules on added vitamins and minerals, labelling and claims.
Growing-up milk: what EFSA and the OMS say
EFSA: “no unique role”
On 25 October 2013, EFSA published an opinion on the nutritional requirements of infants and young children. Its experts concluded that growing-up milks have no unique role in the diet of children aged 1 to 3. According to EFSA, they are no more effective at providing nutrients than the other foods in a normal diet.
The opinion did, however, find insufficient intakes among some young children in Europe:
- of omega-3 fatty acids;
- of iron;
- of vitamin D;
- of iodine, in some countries.
To meet these needs, EFSA lists several equivalent options. Growing-up milk is one of them, alongside fortified cow’s milk, fortified cereals, supplements, or meat and fish introduced during weaning.
The OMS (WHO): animal milk after 12 months
In its guideline on complementary feeding for children aged 6–23 months, published in October 2023, the OMS distinguishes between two age groups. Between 6 and 11 months, a child who is not breastfed can be given infant formula or animal milk. Between 12 and 23 months, the OMS recommends animal milk and considers follow-on formulas unnecessary and not recommended.
It also points out that, since a 2016 note, milks for young children have been considered breast-milk substitutes. Their marketing therefore falls under the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.
The European Commission: no specific rules
In a report dated 31 March 2016, the European Commission drew on EFSA’s opinion. It concluded that correct application of general food law is sufficient and that no specific rules are needed. The report put the European market in 2012 at more than 42,000 tonnes and more than €500 million. It noted a price close to that of infant formula, and well above that of cow’s milk.
What the French authorities recommend
The HCSP: preferable until 3, evidence debated
The Haut Conseil de la santé publique (HCSP, France’s High Council for Public Health) revised its dietary guidelines for children aged 0 to 3 in an opinion of 30 June 2020. It regards growing-up milks as products suited to the needs of young children. It considers them preferable until the age of 3, particularly among groups most at risk of iron deficiency.
The HCSP remains cautious about their wider benefit. Apart from a positive effect on iron status, the strength of evidence for benefits in the general population is still the subject of scientific debate. If a child drinks cow’s milk, the HCSP advises covering iron needs through other foods, such as pulses and meat.
ANSES: iron, the weak spot for 1 to 3-year-olds
The ANSES opinion of June 2019 sheds light on the iron question. By its estimates, around 30% of children aged 12 to 35 months have insufficient iron intakes. The proportion exceeds 50% among 6 to 11-month-olds. We look at these figures in detail in our article on iron deficiency in babies.
ANSES also notes that the composition of cow’s milk does not meet all the values set for infant formula. This explains the French preference for an adapted milk during the early years.
Santé.fr: 500 ml a day
The French public health portal Santé.fr, in its page on the nutritional needs of 1 to 3-year-olds updated on 1 October 2026, recommends growing-up milk until the age of 3. The page draws on content from the Association française de pédiatrie ambulatoire (French association of community paediatricians). It advises around 500 ml of milk a day, and no more than 800 ml.
Growing-up milk or cow’s milk: how to decide?
The institutions disagree on whether growing-up milk is necessary, not on the goal. They all aim to cover iron, vitamin D and fatty acid needs without too much protein. Three situations emerge.
- Your child eats a varied diet, with meat, fish, eggs or pulses every day: according to EFSA and the OMS, whole cow’s milk is fine, in the recommended amounts.
- Your child eats little meat or refuses many foods: growing-up milk becomes a simple way to provide iron, as the HCSP and ANSES point out.
- Your child’s diet is vegetarian: covering iron needs requires particular care, and medical advice is useful.
In all cases, vitamin D is given as a separate supplement in France, prescribed by the doctor. We explain the rules in our article on vitamin D for babies.
The guidelines everyone agrees on
- Quantity: around 500 ml of milk a day between 1 and 3 years, decreasing as solid foods take over, and no more than 800 ml. Dairy products count towards this total.
- Plant-based drinks: before the age of 1, the HCSP and ANSES stress that they do not replace infant formula, as they can lead to deficiencies. They are not milks.
- Other animal milks: goat’s and sheep’s milk do not solve a cow’s milk allergy, as explained in our article on cow’s milk protein allergy.
- The container: from around 1 year, milk can be drunk from a glass or a cup. Our guide to when babies can drink from a glass will help with the transition.
- The rest of the plate: milk complements a varied diet, it does not replace it. The official guidelines are in our article on weaning according to ANSES.
Key takeaways
EFSA, the OMS and the European Commission consider growing-up milk unnecessary, provided the diet covers the child’s needs. The French authorities consider it preferable until the age of 3, mainly for iron, while acknowledging that the evidence is debated. The choice therefore depends on what your child actually eats. Discuss it with your doctor or the PMI (France’s mother and child health service); this article does not replace medical advice.
Sources
- EFSA, press release of 25 October 2013 and “Scientific Opinion on nutrient requirements and dietary intakes of infants and young children in the European Union”, EFSA Journal, 2013.
- European Commission, report COM(2016) 169 on young-child formulae, 31 March 2016.
- Organisation mondiale de la santé, “WHO Guideline for complementary feeding of infants and young children 6–23 months of age”, October 2023.
- ANSES, opinion on updating the PNNS dietary guidelines for children aged 0 to 3, request no. 2017-SA-0145, 12 June 2019.
- Haut Conseil de la santé publique, opinion on the revision of dietary guidelines for children aged 0–36 months and 3–17 years, 30 June 2020.
- Santé.fr, “1 et 3 ans : besoins nutritionnels de mon enfant”, updated 1 October 2026.
