---
title: "HiPP goat vs cow formula: what actually differs"
description: "Goat is not a way around a cow's milk allergy and the pack says so. The panels differ on calcium and little else, and EFSA reviewed the trial."
url: https://milkatlas.com/compare/hipp-goat-vs-cow/
language: en
dateModified: 2026-09-23
---
Comparison · HiPP goat
# HiPP goat vs cow
Written by [Kseniia P.](https://milkatlas.com/about/kseniia/) and [Tatum G.](https://milkatlas.com/about/tatum/)
Written with AI assistance. Published 23 September 2026
Medically reviewed
[Dr. Jill Palko](https://milkatlas.com/medical-review/) · MD, FACOG · [Registration NPI 1093033011](https://npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov/provider-view/1093033011) · 9 October 2026
Next review due 9 October 2027
We earn a commission when you buy through links on this page, including from our partner retailer, which sells and ships the order. [How this site is funded →](https://milkatlas.com/disclosure/)
## The answer
HiPP's goat and cow first-stage formulas are closer than the price difference suggests. Both are organic, both have lactose as their only carbohydrate, and both take the same scoop to the same water. The goat tin's protein comes from goat's milk with no added whey, its calcium and phosphorus run higher, and it carries no lactic culture. It is not a way around a cow's milk allergy: the pack says the proteins are similar, and the NHS says goat's milk formula is no less likely to cause allergies.
HiPP Dutch Goat Stage 1 · NL20003 · 400 g tin · Goat's milk protein, more calcium and phosphorus, no culture, and a smaller tin.
HiPP Dutch Stage 1 · NL2472-03 · 800 g tin · Cow's milk with added whey, a lactic culture, and twice the powder per tin.
## Key takeaways
- Of the rows both packs print, 12 differ, and most are minerals: calcium 67 mg against 51 mg per 100 ml.
- The goat formula's protein is goat's milk and goat's milk powder, with no whey added; the cow formula adds whey to skimmed milk.
- The goat tin lists galacto-oligosaccharides but no lactic culture, where the Combiotik tin lists both.
- It is not for a cow's milk protein allergy. The NHS says goat's milk formulas are not suitable, because the proteins are very similar.
- The tin holds 400 g against 800 g, which is 93 level scoops against 186.
## In this series
- [HiPP goat · hub]()
- [HiPP Bio Combiotik · hub]()
- [HiPP Dutch Goat Stage 1 · product]()
- [HiPP Dutch Stage 1 · product]()
*The Dutch goat's milk Stage 1 on the left, in the smaller tin, and the Dutch Bio Combiotik Stage 1 on the right.*
## How do HiPP's goat and cow formulas compare?
**Side by side, per 100 ml prepared**
| | HiPP Dutch Goat Stage 1 | HiPP Dutch Stage 1 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Age | From birth | From birth |
| Size | 400 g tin | 800 g tin |
| Article code | NL20003 | NL2472-03 |
| Base | Goat's milk: goat's milk and goat's milk powder | Cow's milk: skimmed milk and whey |
| Protein | 1.3 g | 1.28 g |
| Carbohydrate | 7.0 g · Lactose only | 7.0 g · Lactose only |
| Starch | No | No |
| Fat | 3.6 g | 3.6 g |
| DHA | 13.2 mg | 13.2 mg |
| GOS | 0.3 g | 0.3 g |
| Combiotik | GOS only | GOS + L. fermentum |
| Scoop | 4.3 g per 30 ml | 4.3 g per 30 ml |
| Price at Organic Life Start, United States | $41.79 · $10.45 per 100 g | $49.79 · $6.22 per 100 g |
Nutrition from each product's panel, fetched 18 September 2026. Prices seen 15 October 2026.
Every value is the one printed on that tin for 100 ml of made-up feed. (Source 1) (Source 2)
## What actually differs?
Less than the price gap suggests. Of the rows both tins print, twelve differ, and most of them are minerals: calcium 67 mg against 51 mg per 100 ml, phosphorus 38 mg against 30 mg, magnesium a little higher too, with selenium, iodine and vitamin B12 running the other way. (Source 1) (Source 2)
Two differences are not on the panel at all. The goat tin's protein is goat's milk and goat's milk powder with no whey added, where the cow's milk tin adds whey to skimmed milk. (Source 1) (Source 2) And the goat tin lists galacto-oligosaccharides but no lactic culture, where the Combiotik tin lists both. HiPP gives no reason for that.
Evidence · Regulation
Both are infant formula under Regulation (EU) 2016/127 and both must meet the same composition, whichever animal the milk came from. That is why two quite different milks produce two panels this close. (Source 5)
The pack is the biggest practical difference: 400 g against 800 g, 93 level scoops against 186, at the same scoop and the same dilution. (Source 1) (Source 2)
## Is goat formula a way around a cow's milk allergy?
No, and this is the part worth reading twice, because it is why many parents look at goat formula at all.
The NHS says it plainly. Goats' milk formula is not less likely to cause allergies in babies than cows' milk formula, and goats' milk formulas are not suitable for infants with cows' milk allergy, because the proteins they contain are very similar. (Source 3)
HiPP's own tin carries the same warning, in the same terms: the proteins in goat's milk are similar to those in cow's milk. (Source 1)
Evidence · Regulation
This is not a hedge or an absence of evidence. It is a positive statement from the health service and from the manufacturer, agreeing, that the swap does not do what people hope it does.
## Do babies do better on goat formula?
The best evidence says no, and it is better evidence than most questions on this site get.
EFSA reviewed goat milk protein in 2012. It considered a double-blind randomised controlled trial in which 200 Australian infants were fed either an infant formula with unmodified goat milk protein or a cow milk formula, exclusively for at least four months and alongside solids to twelve. The panel reports no statistically significant or clinically relevant differences in weight, length or head circumference. (Source 4)
Its conclusion was permissive rather than enthusiastic: protein from goat milk can be suitable as a protein source for infant and follow-on formulae, provided the final product meets the compositional criteria. (Source 4)
Evidence · Trial evidence
A randomised controlled trial in 200 infants, reviewed by a regulator, finding no difference in growth. That is the strongest evidence available on this question, and what it supports is equivalence rather than advantage.
On A2, which is where the goat marketing usually goes: goat's milk beta-casein is not the A1 type found in most cow's milk, and HiPP puts that on the pack. The German box carries a droplet reading *aus A2 Ziegenmilch* and calls A2 organic goat's milk especially valuable for babies' tummies; the Dutch tins carry the same badge in Dutch. (Source 6) (Source 1) That is a manufacturer's claim, graded as one on every goat product page, and what it is worth for an infant is not something the panels settle.
## So who is it for?
Parents who want goat's milk, for reasons of their own. That is a legitimate reason to buy it and it is the only one the evidence supports.
Germany sells a goat PRE from birth and a goat Stage 2 after six months; the Netherlands sells goat Stage 1, 2 and 3. (Source 6) (Source 1) There is no goat HA, no goat special medical formula and no goat ready-to-feed bottle in any market.
Our view
If you are considering goat formula because a baby seems unsettled on cow's milk formula, talk to a health visitor before you buy: the NHS says there is no evidence that switching formula does any good or harm, and if the problem is an allergy, goat is the wrong answer twice over. If you want goat's milk because you want goat's milk, buy it knowing it costs roughly twice as much per feed and does not buy you anything the trial could measure.
## Questions parents ask
### What is the difference between HiPP goat and HiPP cow formula?
The milk it starts from, and a handful of minerals. Of the rows both packs print, 12 differ: the goat tin runs higher on calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, and lower on selenium, iodine and vitamin B12. Both are organic and both have lactose as their only carbohydrate.
### Is goat formula easier to digest?
Nobody has shown that it is. The NHS says goat's milk formulas are produced to the same nutritional standards as cow's milk formula, and it makes no claim about digestion either way.
### Is goat formula suitable for a cow's milk allergy?
No. The NHS is unambiguous: goat's milk formulas are not suitable for infants with cow's milk allergy, because the proteins they contain are very similar. HiPP's own tin carries the same warning. This is the single most important thing on this page, because it is the reason many parents look at goat formula in the first place, and the answer is no.
### Is goat's milk formula allowed in the EU?
Yes, under the same composition rules as cow's milk formula. EFSA reviewed it in 2012 and concluded that goat milk protein can be a suitable protein source for infant and follow-on formula.
### Do babies do better on it?
The trial EFSA looked at says no. Two hundred Australian infants were randomised to a goat milk formula or a cow milk formula for at least four months, and the panel reports no statistically significant or clinically relevant differences in weight, length or head circumference. That is the strongest evidence anyone has on this question, and its answer is that the two are equivalent rather than one being better.
### Why does the goat tin have no culture?
HiPP does not say, on any goat pack or product page we have read. The goat tins list galacto-oligosaccharides and no lactic culture, where every Combiotik pack lists both.
### What about A2 protein?
HiPP makes the claim itself, on the pack. The German box carries a droplet reading aus A2 Ziegenmilch and calls A2 organic goat's milk especially valuable for babies' tummies; the Dutch tins carry the same badge in Dutch. Goat's milk beta-casein is not the A1 type found in most cow's milk, which is what the badge points at. What that is worth for an infant is a manufacturer's claim.
### Is goat formula more expensive?
Per 100 g of powder, yes, and by a wide margin. The tin is half the size of the Dutch Combiotik tin, which is the first thing to check before comparing the shelf prices.
### Which stages does HiPP sell in goat?
Germany sells a goat PRE from birth and a goat Stage 2 after six months, in boxes. The Netherlands sells goat Stage 1, 2 and 3 in tins. There is no goat equivalent of the HA range or of the special medical tins, and no goat ready-to-feed bottle in any market.
### So who is goat formula for?
Parents who want goat's milk for reasons of their own. On the evidence it is an alternative rather than an upgrade, and it is not a treatment for anything.
## Sources
How this page was checked
- Sources verified · 23 Sept 2026
- External links · opened and read 23 Sept 2026
- Product data · snapshot 2026-09-18
- Editorial review · 23 Sept 2026
- Next scheduled check · 23 Oct 2026
1. [HiPP Netherlands, label of HiPP 1 Biologische Zuigelingenmelk op basis van geitenmelk (NL20003)](https://www.hipp.nl/fileadmin/media/NL/products/product_pdfs/NL20003.pdf) · the goat tin: the ingredient list with goat's milk and goat's milk powder and no added whey, the galacto-oligosaccharides and no culture, the composition per 100 ml, the scoop, the uit A2 geitenmelk badge on the front, and the warning that goat's milk proteins are similar to cow's milk proteins · fetched 23 September 2026
2. [HiPP Netherlands, label of HiPP 1 Bio Combiotik (NL2472-03)](https://www.hipp.nl/fileadmin/media/NL/products/product_pdfs/NL2472-03.pdf) · the cow's milk tin: skimmed milk and whey, the lactic culture, the composition per 100 ml and the same scoop · fetched 23 September 2026
3. [NHS, Types of formula](https://www.nhs.uk/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/bottle-feeding/types-of-formula/) · goats' milk formula is suitable from birth and produced to the same nutritional standards as cow's milk formula; it is not less likely to cause allergies; it is not suitable for infants with cows' milk allergy, as the proteins are very similar · fetched 23 September 2026
4. [EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies, 2012, EFSA Journal 10(3):2603](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42111979/) · Scientific Opinion on the suitability of goat milk protein as a source of protein in infant formulae and in follow-on formulae: a trial of 200 Australian infants showed no statistically significant or clinically relevant differences in weight, length or head circumference against a cow milk formula; goat milk protein can be a suitable protein source where the product meets the compositional criteria · fetched 23 September 2026
5. [Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2016/127/oj) · the protein sources infant formula may be made from and the composition each must meet, which is the same whichever animal the milk comes from · fetched 23 September 2026
6. [HiPP Germany, product page for HiPP Pre Anfangsmilch aus BIO Ziegenmilch](https://www.hipp.de/shop/milchnahrung/pre-nahrung/pre-anfangsmilch-bio-ziegenmilch) · the German goat range: a PRE from birth and a Stage 2 after six months, each in a 400 g box; the box front carries a droplet reading aus A2 Ziegenmilch and the line that A2 organic goat's milk is especially valuable for babies' tummies · fetched 23 September 2026