By Department of Health (January 2013)
This longstanding advice is set out by the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency.
The department is aware that there has been debate over the preparation of formula milks using water at a temperature lower than 70°C. This is a concern because our precautionary approach sets out that people should make up formula milks using water at a temperature of 70°C, or above, to help minimise the microbiological risk to infants.
Health professionals have been communicating this message and this has helped to achieve high levels of compliance when parents prepare formula milks as evidenced by the NHS infant feeding survey – UK 2010, chapter 5: Use of milk other than breastmilk.
The Chief Medical Officer and the Director for Public Health Nursing do not want to lose this impetus and have asked relevant health professionals including GPs, midwives, health visitors and pharmacists to continue to give this precautionary advice to parents. The equalities analysis sets out how this advice impacts on a wide range of people.