In Bottled Up, we comb through messages and search histories on the phones of Aussie parents to uncover the parenting issues they aren’t talking about. We simplify their questions and provide support with expert advice from Pediatrician Dr. Santuri.

At Karicare Toddler, we get that parenting isn’t always easy. That’s why we have created the Bottled Up series to help provide parents with expert advice on the biggest issues they are facing with their little ones. Because good doesn’t need to be complicated.

If you haven’t found the information you are looking for in these episodes, our team is here to help with expert advice on all things parenting; chat online, call or email our Careline team of midwives, dietitians and nutritionists or read more related articles from our parenting and nutrition section

Yes, this series was built on the cases of real parents. It wasn’t scripted; the episodes are authentic and relevant to Aussie parents everywhere.

Karicare Gold Plus+ Organic range is made with Certified Organic and Certified Grass Fed* milk from NZ. Our Toddler product contains Omega-3 DHA, Prebiotics, key vitamins & minerals such as Vitamins A, B12, D for normal immune system function, and Iron and Zinc to support normal cognitive function. When prepared and consumed as directed. This product is specially designed to nutritionally supplement toddlers over 12 months of age, when their intakes of energy and nutrients may not be adequate. *Grass Fed: Our Grass Fed products are made with milk, including milk sourced from Certified Grass Fed farms. Certified by AsureQuality Limited.

Karicare Gold Plus+ Organic is manufactured in New Zealand and has a double certification - it is Certified Organic and Certified Grass Fed* by AsureQuality in New Zealand, and only less than 1% of dairy cows are under organic management in NZ. This certification means the selected farms must follow management practices of AsureQuality Standards for both Organic and Grass Fed, and each farm is audited annually. *Grass Fed: Our Grass Fed products are made with milk, including milk sourced from Certified Grass Fed farms. Certified by AsureQuality Limited.

Karicare Gold Plus+ Organic is manufactured and certified under the AsureQuality Certified Organic Standard and Certified Grass Fed Standard in NZ.

The liquid milk is certified as organic. Organic farming is an alternative farming and manufacturing system that uses organic based feed systems, materials/ingredients and manufacturing practices. Under the AsureQuality Organic Standard, organic food is produced using a ‘whole system approach’ to farming and production, which promotes biodiversity, sustainable growing practices and ethical treatment of livestock (e.g. good living conditions, feeds and exercise for animals). You can find out more information on the benefits of using certified organic and certified grass-fed milk.

Karicare Gold Plus+ Organic Toddler Milk is the first Toddler Milk to have a double certification for organic and grass fed: • BOTH Certified Organic and Certified Grass Fed*, under AsureQuality Standard in New Zealand. This means the liquid cows’ milk from New Zealand that is used in our product comes from carefully selected Certified Organic and Certified Grass Fed* farms. Farms that have the dual certification have to follow the strict guidelines and practices of BOTH certifications. • The Organic and Grass Fed certifications are under AsureQuality Standard in New Zealand. *Our Grass Fed products are made with milk, including milk sourced from Certified Grass Fed farms. Certified by AsureQuality Limited. You can find out more information on how Karicare Organic Gold Plus+ is made.

The Organic range has a shelf life of 18 months and comes in 900g tins.

Karicare Gold Plus+ Organic is available in stage 1, 2 and 3

The Top-tainer design incorporates 3 safety measures for tamper proofing. It has a wrap around protective sleeve that goes around the lid and can edge, a tab that needs to be broken before the lid can be opened and a securely fitted seal with a double walled interlocking design. The design also has an optimized scoop placement with the scoop attached under the lid out of the way of the milk powder. This means the scoop is not in the powder and can easily be found and accessed. This is also more hygienic, as you do not need to touch the powder to get the scoop or to store the scoop when not in use.

Nutricia is committed to sustainability today. We’re continuously working to reduce our carbon footprint at every stage of production, from the materials we use to transportation, recycling and more. We are committed to a sustainable tomorrow, because looking after our environment today will help us make quality products for a healthy future. That is why Karicare Toddler is embarking on a journey to be the first toddler milk drink brand in Australia and New Zealand to become carbon neutral. And we’re not stopping at one product. We are committed to making 100% of our products certified carbon neutral by 2030. You can find more information on carbon neutral.

For us, it means bringing you high-quality formulations while continuing to reduce our emissions day after day. We’ve set our sights on becoming certified carbon neutral by continuously measuring and reducing our carbon emissions at every step. To reach our carbon-neutral goal, we will: • measure our emissions • reduce waste and emissions • offset our impact through our work with Carbon Trust. You can find more information on carbon neutral.

With over 100 years of expertise in nutrition, Nutricia has proudly launched our probiotic-fortified milk drink, Karicare Family. Karicare Family is made with the goodness of high-quality New Zealand cow’s milk. The farms from which the liquid milk is sourced meet the NZ requirements and standards for dairy farming, including pasture management and milking hygiene, producing high-quality milk. Karicare Family contains probiotics, key vitamins (Vitamin A, B1, C and D3) and protein, to help nutritionally support the different generations (4 years and above) in your family. It also contains no added sugar or preservatives. Karicare Family is a good source of calcium and each serve also contains 1 billion active probiotics. Karicare Family is a formulated supplementary food and is designed to supplement a normal diet when intake of energy and nutrients may not be adequate.

There is no stage for this product. The product is suitable for people aged 4+ years.

It is 900g can. Shelf life is 18 months.

It is made in New Zealand with NZ cow’s milk.

The product is suitable for people aged 4+ years.

There is no upper age limit for this product. It is suitable for people aged 4+ years. If you are not sure whether you can consume the product, please consult with your healthcare professional.

It means that the product contains standard cow’s milk powder which has fortified with additional nutrients such as Vitamin A, B1, C, D3, calcium and probiotics.

Karicare Family is made with New Zealand cow’s milk and has been fortified with probiotics, key vitamins and calcium. Karicare Family is a good source of calcium and each serve also contains 1 billion active probiotics. Karicare Family is a formulated supplementary food and is designed to supplement a normal diet when intake of energy and nutrients may not be adequate.

Karicare Family should not be used in conjunction with other toddler milk drinks or fortified milk drinks as the nutrients received from multiple sources may exceed the recommended daily intake (RDI) for the different age groups. If you decide to move your child from a toddler milk to Karicare Family, we would suggest a hard transition (straight swap) to reduce the risk of doubling up the fortified nutrients. If you are in doubt, please contact Nutricia Careline 1800 438 500 or consult with your healthcare professional.

Karicare Family has no added sugar. The sugar in Karicare Family is lactose, the sugar naturally found in milk.

There is no artificial flavouring in Karicare Family. Karicare Family has a similar taste to other unflavoured toddler milk drinks, with a flavour similar to milk and milk powders. If your child is refusing it due to the taste, you can incorporate Karicare Family into their favourite food and drinks for an extra nutritional boost. However, before adding the feed to food or drinks, please prepare the milk as per the preparation instructions on the tin to ensure the right amount of nutrients are being delivered.

Please prepare the drink in accordance with the instructions on the tin. The formula should be prepared with warm, safe drinking water instead of boiling water as high heat warming and incorrect preparation may limit the benefits of the Bifidobacterium breve M-16V. Do not use a microwave oven to warm drink as it may produce uneven hot spots and degrade the nutrients.

Yes, you can serve the product cold. For a cold drink, store in the fridge until chilled. Stir before use. It is best consumed within 1 hour of being cooled.

One tin of Karicare Family can make approximately 25 serves (~6.25 litre of milk).

After opening, keep the container airtight and use contents within 4 weeks.

No, the powder does not need to be refrigerated. The viability of the bacteria during transportation and shelf-life has been extensively tested and the formulation has been designed to ensure the amount of probiotic consumed is in line with the requirements for nutritional benefit.

Scorched particles are a common occurrence in the milk manufacturing process and although unsightly, they are harmless and do not pose a risk to food safety. This is experienced by all manufacturers of infant formulas.
Scorched particles are formed during the process of manufacturing milk powder; this involves transforming liquid milk into a dried particle by passing milk through an evaporator to remove water.
The concentrated milk is then sprayed into a hot drying chamber which converts it into dried powder particles. Scorched particles are formed from being heated, and range in colour from light brown to black.
Whilst we try to make every possible effort to minimise the incidence of scorched particles, the high temperatures we use are necessary to produce safe and nutritious milk powder. Please be assured that these particles are not harmful to your baby and the presence of scorched milk particles does not affect the safety of the product.
If you have any concerns, please contact our Careline on 1800 438 500 (AU) or 0800 438 500 (NZ) who are happy to help.

Scorched milk particles can range in colour from yellow, orange, brown or black (see examples in photos below).

Scorched milk particles are often formed during the process of manufacturing milk formula powders. This involves transforming liquid milk into powdered milk through a heating process. Liquid milk is passed through an evaporator to remove water then the concentrated milk is sprayed into a hot drying chamber which converts it into dried powder particles. During this process, scorched milk particles may form when milk particles are overheated.
Whilst we make every effort to minimise the incidence of scorched particles, the high air temperatures required to convert the liquid to powder in a nutritionally and microbiologically safe manner, occasionally results in some particles experiencing more heat than others. This can lead to what is known as a “scorched particle” - something experienced by all manufacturers of powdered milk formula.

To help confirm if what you are seeing in your formula is a scorched particle, you can press it against a hard surface. If the particle crumbles into powder, this is consistent with it being a scorched milk particle. You can also check by dropping it into hot water. After some time in the water, it should soften and will generally dissolve with time and gentle agitation.

At Karicare, the health and wellbeing of your babies and toddlers is our priority, and we’re extremely committed to the safety and quality of our products. Understandably for parents or carers, finding a dark particle in your formula can be alarming, but whilst unsightly, scorched milk particles are not harmful, and will not adversely affect the safety or nutritional value of the product.

Whilst the formula is safe to use and nutritionally complete, we are continually striving to improve your experience with our products. As an aid to our drive to continually improve your experience as a user of our product, if you find a scorched milk particle in your formula, please share this with our team for our awareness. For this or any other concerns you may have, please contact Careline at 1800 438 500 (AU) or 0800 438 500 (NZ) who are happy to help. Or e-mail nutriciacareline@danone.com Please ensure you leave your best contact number and e-mail address so the team can respond to your enquiry. Please provide as much information as possible, including: - Photo - Batch number and best-before date (you can find this on the bottom of the tin) - Store name and location of purchase

We have a comprehensive quality and food safety program in place with the objective of preventing all potential sources of contamination during the manufacturing process. Upon entering the high care manufacturing area, all operators in our factory must change into personal protective equipment, including hair nets, face masks, disposable gloves, coveralls, and boots. During manufacturing, cans enter the production line upside down and are flushed with ionised compressed air to dislodge any possible foreign matter that may be present inside the can. The formula itself is made in an enclosed system and sifted through two 2mm x 2mm sieves before being filled into the can. Before our products are released into market, we perform a wide range of tests to ensure they meet our high standards. Every batch is tested on physical, chemical, sensory, and microbiological properties.

1. Wash hands before preparing formula and ensure the formula is prepared in a clean area. 2. Wash bottles, teats and caps. Sterilise by boiling for 5 minutes or use an approved sterilising agent. 3. Boil fresh drinking water and allow it to cool until lukewarm (usually around 30 minutes). 4. Follow the feeding guide on the tin for number of scoops and mls of water required for one serve. 5. Use only the enclosed scoop. Always use a dry scoop. Fill the scoop lightly and level off using the built-in leveller. Stir or shake briskly to dissolve the powder. 6. Test the temperature of the formula with a few drops on the inside of the wrist. It should feel just warm, but cool is better than too hot. 7. Serve immediately. Discard unfinished drinks.

When the formula is manufactured, we remove the oxygen from the tin and replace it with nitrogen and carbon dioxide before sealing the tin. This helps slow oxidation and significantly extend shelf life. Once the tin is opened it is again exposed to oxygen, meaning that the powder starts to 'age' more rapidly. Once a tin has been opened, it needs to be used within 4 weeks. After 4 weeks we can no longer guarantee that the Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) on the package is correct, meaning that you cannot be sure that baby is receiving the nutrition detailed on the package. For a baby under 6 months this is extremely important, but for an older child it is less crucial as they are having additional foods in their diet. Even though you may be careful about opening the tin every time you use it, each time the lid is opened the formula is exposed to potential contamination. As the formula is a food source for babies as well as potential bacterial contamination, keeping a tin past four weeks may put your baby at risk of a tummy upset. Each product has a 'limiting ingredient' (usually encapsulated fish oils), and this may spoil after the can has been open for a month, making the product quality and taste less than ideal. It is a good idea to put the date you opened the tin on the plastic re-closure lid. This way you can keep track on how long a tin has been open. Storing an open tin in the fridge or freezer is not recommended either as moisture will get into the powder and cause clumping.

At Karicare, the health and wellbeing of your babies and toddlers is our priority. We’re committed to the safety and quality of our products, and any instance of concern from our customers is taken seriously. Karicare’s strict testing and protocols ensure that no plastics or contaminants are present within our products when they leave our manufacturing facility. Independent testing for recent individual customer enquiry We have been undertaking an investigation following a recent customer enquiry. The results of a comprehensive analysis undertaken by a reputable independent laboratory have been received this morning, and it has been confirmed the black foreign matter was identified to be a piece of gel nail polish; 3 layers - gel base, black polish and glitter. The testing confirms the matter did not originate from our factory. Our strict protocols and rules on site for all factory employees include: - Fingernails must be kept short and clean - No nail polish, artificial nails, or false eyelashes are allowed. This rule applies to all staff, contractors and visitors who go into the production area, and this rule must be followed - In the production area where our products are filled and sealed, gloves must be worn at all times Testing confirms no contamination in manufacturing process Prior to the release of products, Danone Nutricia NZ Laboratory conducts a thorough testing of each batch on its physical, chemical and microbiological parameters. Foreign matter testing is included as part of this testing regime. All parameters met the specifications for this product at the time of release. Our testing indicates no contamination occurred during the manufacturing process, as all on-line controls were present and fully functioning at the time of production. Based on the investigation above, we can confirm there are no issues with this batch and it is safe to continue using. We hope that this explanation brings our Karicare users some reassurance. Scorched milk particles – common and harmless to health of infants We’re also aware there are a small number of other concerned Karicare users who have identified small black particles in their formula. We know that instances whereby parents identify black particles in their formula can be alarming and understand this is most commonly scorched milk particles. Scorched milk particles are a common occurrence caused when the powder becomes heated during the manufacturing process and appear in the formula as small black or brown particles. Whilst this anomaly is unsightly, the particles are harmless and do not pose a risk to food safety and the health of infants. Scorched milk particles are commonly experienced by all manufacturers of infant formula. Commitment to quality and safety At Danone Nutricia, the health and wellbeing of our Karicare users is our priority. We would like to reassure our Karicare families of our commitment to the quality and safety of our products. We encourage Karicare users with any questions or concerns to contact our Careline team on 1800 438 500