The chief medical officer and the director for public health nursing are behind the move.
The advice is set out by the DH and the Food Standards Agency and states that water should be at a temperature of 70°C or above.
The DH has sent out a letter to health professionals on the preparation of infant formula.
It says: ‘We are aware that there has been some recent public debate about the preparation of infant formula using water below a temperature of 70°C.
‘This is a concern as our precautionary approach sets out best practice and aims to minimise the risks to infants.
‘This is why we, the chief medical officer and director for public health nursing in England, are writing to health professionals to raise awareness of this important issue and to restate existing guidance.’
The letter states that the guidance is in line with WHO recommendations and aims to ensure that the potential microbiological risks associated with these products are kept to a minimum.
Using water at 70°C or above will kill harmful pathogens if they are present in the non-sterile powdered formula as well as helping reduce the risk of contamination that may occur in the home.
For more information, or for a PDF of the letter sent to health professionals, please click
here.
