Abbott launches first ready-to-feed whole milk infant formula in the U.S.

Abbott has introduced Similac 360 Total Care Made With Whole Milk, which the company says is the first and only commercially sterile, ready-to-feed liquid infant formula made with whole milk sold in the United States. The launch responds to a rising number of parents seeking whole-milk-based formulas, a category that has grown as families look for products with a fat profile closer to breast milk.

The new formula pairs whole milk with a blend of five human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) — prebiotics structurally identical to five found in breast milk — which Abbott says support immune function, brain development, and digestion. The company is marketing it as Similac's closest formula yet to breast milk, and notes it is non-GMO and free of artificial growth hormones, corn syrup, and palm olein oil.

“Parents have been asking for more whole milk options, and we wanted to give them something they couldn’t get anywhere else,” said Misha Pardubicka-Jenkins, Abbott’s U.S. vice president and general manager for pediatric nutrition, in the company’s announcement. She said Abbott chose a liquid-only rollout to combine the appeal of whole milk with the convenience of a ready-to-feed product and the added safety assurance of commercial sterility.

Karyn Wulf, M.D., a pediatrician and senior medical director in Abbott’s nutrition division, echoed that emphasis on convenience and safety, noting that ready-to-feed formulas eliminate the need for mixing and carry the reassurance of commercial sterility.

Pricing and where to buy it

Abbott is positioning the new product as an accessible entry point into the ready-to-feed category. While liquid formulas typically carry a price premium over powder, the company says it is launching the 8 fl oz and 32 fl oz sizes at prices similar to the per-feeding cost of its powdered Similac 360 Total Care line — an unusual move meant to widen access to ready-to-feed convenience.

The formula is available starting today at Target and Amazon, with distribution expanding to Walmart and additional retail, club, grocery, and pharmacy outlets in the coming weeks. It will be manufactured at an Abbott facility in the U.S.

What “commercially sterile” means

Abbott is drawing a distinction between this liquid product and its powdered formulas on safety grounds. Commercial sterility refers to an additional validated heat-treatment step, beyond standard manufacturing safeguards, designed to eliminate spores of harmful microorganisms such as Clostridium species. Both the FDA and CDC advise that parents of infants under two months old, or those with weakened immune systems, consider a commercially sterile liquid formula for babies not receiving breast milk. Abbott emphasizes that its powdered formulas remain safe and are manufactured under the same rigorous quality controls, meeting or exceeding industry testing standards.

The existing lineup stays put

The launch doesn’t replace anything already on shelves. Abbott confirmed its original Similac 360 Total Care ready-to-feed formula will continue to be sold in 2 fl oz and 8 fl oz sizes, and its powdered Similac 360 Total Care formulas are unchanged and will remain available across their existing sizes and price points. The new whole-milk product instead adds a category to Abbott’s broader infant formula portfolio, which has been on the market for more than a century under the Similac brand.

Reference

Abbott launches the first and only ready-to-feed liquid infant formula made with whole milk in the U.S. at similar price to its existing Similac powdered formula. News release. Abbott; August 31, 2026. Accessed September 4, 2026. https://www.multivu.com/abbott/9415851-en-abbott-launches-similac-360-total-care-made-with-whole-milk