New Zealand based goat milk formula brand, The LittleOak Company, has been launched in 443 Sprouts Farmers Market stores across the US, expanding its availability for American families.
LittleOak is the maker of the world’s first 100 per cent palm oil free infant formulas and toddler milks, offering an alternative to conventional formulas that is naturally A2 and lower in lactose than cow milk.
Started in 2016, it quickly became the fastest-growing goat milk brand in Australia and New Zealand, and expanded to the US market in February 2024, with a packaging operation based in California. LittleOak also released a single-serve sachet format in September, a first for the US market.
The company also expanded its Australian presence in 2024, opening warehouse facilities in Brisbane and Perth to reduce distribution times, stating it offers the fastest localised fulfilment of infant formula in the country.
LittleOak founder and CEO, Elke Pascoe, started the company to provide parents with the products she wished she had when raising her children.
“Now nine years later, we’re delighted to partner with Sprouts, one of the fastest growing retailers of natural and organic products in the country,” said Pascoe.
“This marks a major step in building the LittleOak brand in the US and underscores our ambitious growth strategy in this market, and intentional collaboration with like-minded retailers that share our commitment to natural, wholesome nutrition.”
While it's common for brands to follow a process of heating and treating the milk several times to make formulas and toddler drinks, LittleOak uses a world-first From Fresh process and heats its milk only once. This halves the heating process to preserve all the essential vitamins of goat milk.
“We have 25 percent fewer ingredients than the average toddler formula and deliver more natural nutrition than any other brand in the world. When manufacturing our products, we minimise processing to retain the quality of our ingredients, instead of resorting to synthetics,” said Pascoe.
“On average, the leading infant and toddler formulas in the U.S. use up to 46 different synthetic ingredients to deliver the nutrition that children need. These are ingredients we wouldn’t want to consume ourselves – let alone feed our children. As a mom, that just wasn’t acceptable to me.”
LittleOak is available in the US in Stage 3 (1-4 years) and can be purchased from Sprouts Farmers Market and select retailers, and online at thelittleoakcompany.com.
