Milk from goats has captured the interest of researchers who study infant nutrition and, increasingly, is on the radar of clinicians who counsel parents about formula options.

In the US, some physicians became aware of goat milk-based formulas when products imported to help fill the supply gap during widespread formula shortages in 2022 started appearing on shelves.

Regulators and professional groups assured Americans at the time that the safety and nutritional adequacy of these formulas had been established in European and other countries.

Further research is underway to answer an outstanding question: Might certain dairy bases in infant formulas hold potential health advantages? 

In Europe, investigators are conducting a trial with approximately 2000 infants to assess whether the use of cow milk or goat milk in formula influences the likelihood of developing atopic dermatitis.

At the European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP) 2025, Dariusz Gruszfeld, MD, PhD, with the Department of Neonatology at the Children’s Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland, discussed differences between whole goat milk formula and cow milk formula and the rationale for such a study.

“Why goat milk? Goat milk has been consumed by humans for thousands of years and is increasingly being studied as a protein source in infant formula,” Gruszfeld told Medscape Medical News. “Compared to cow’s milk, goat milk naturally contains less alpha-S1-casein and only A2-type beta-casein, both of which may contribute to softer curd formation in the stomach and better digestibility.”

In addition, allergens such as beta-lactoglobulin are present in lower quantities in goat milk. These properties make goat milk “a potentially beneficial option for infants who require formula feeding,” he said. 

The GIraFFE Study

Gruszfeld is part of a team that is conducting the Goat Infant Formula Feeding and Eczema (GIraFFE) Study, funded by the Dairy Goat Co-operative. Berthold Koletzko, MD, PhD, with Dr von Hauner Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Munich, Germany, is the trial’s principal investigator.

The double-blind, randomized controlled study was designed to examine whether a whole goat milk formula — one without added whey protein and with less vegetable fat than many standard formulas — supports normal infant growth and influences the risk for atopic dermatitis.

“We are now preparing the full results for submission to a peer-reviewed journal,” Gruszfeld said. “I can confirm that growth outcomes were comparable between the goat milk and cow milk formula groups, and there are some very interesting signals regarding allergy-related outcomes, especially the incidence of eczema. These findings will be shared in more detail upon publication.”

Counseling Families

Research such as the GIraFFE Study that adds to our understanding of nutrition in the pediatric population is always welcome, said Christopher Chiu, MD, cofounder and host of The Cribsiders pediatric medicine podcast.

Chiu was at a pediatrics conference in Florida bemoaning the lack of availability of infant formula during the shortage when a colleague mentioned that an imported goat milk formulation might be a promising alternative option.

“That was pretty much the first time I really heard about it,” said Chiu, associate professor of clinical medicine and director of education in the division of general internal medicine at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.

As goat milk formula products become available, physicians may want to update how they counsel families about formula.

Doctors should make clear that they are talking about goat milk-based formulas that are appropriately fortified and processed — not unmodified goat milk, Chiu said.

Giving unmodified goat milk to infants can lead to nutritional deficiencies and electrolyte imbalances. 

Despite differences between cow and goat milk, goat milk formulas are not a treatment option for patients with cow milk protein allergy because cross-reactivity has been demonstrated, Gruszfeld noted.

And regardless of whether an infant formula uses cow milk, goat milk, or soy as a source of protein, it is not meant to replace breastfeeding when breastfeeding is possible, he said.

“Breastmilk remains the gold standard in infant nutrition, and formula is intended for situations where breastfeeding is not possible, insufficient, or not chosen,” Gruszfeld said. “That said, it’s essential that formulas provide safe, complete, and well-tolerated nutrition. Optimizing their composition is particularly important as they are often the sole source of nutrition during a critical window of infant growth and immune development.”

The GIraFFE trial was sponsored by the Dairy Goat Co-operative in Hamilton, New Zealand, which manufactured and provided the products in the study, and the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries. Gruszfeld received funding from them for participation in the study. The Dairy Goat Co-operative supported his participation in a symposium at EAP 2025. Chiu had no conflicts of interest.