• Chicago Tribune, Thursday, May 6, 2010 10:20 AM

Some mommy bloggers and nutritionists are critically targeting Mead Johnson Nutrition's Enfagrow Premium toddler formula, which comes in chocolate and vanilla flavors, Julie Wernau reports.

Rebecca Unger, a pediatrician at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, says the Enfagrow chocolate or vanilla formula is similar to adding three teaspoons of sugar to a glass of milk. "For a healthy child who doesn't have medical problems affecting growth and behavior and development, I don't think it's necessary," she says.

"What's next, genetically modifying moms to produce chocolate breast milk?," one blogger posted on Momlogic.com. Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, says the flavored formulas could lead children who drink it to crave sugary beverages.

"The toddler years can be particularly challenging since food preferences may be erratic and unpredictable," responds a Mead Johnson spokesman. "Products such as Enfagrow Premium can play a role in helping children achieve a more balanced, healthy daily diet."

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