Our heritage: Similac® through the generations
More than 100 years of caring for moms and babies
For more than a century, the makers of Similac have been dedicated to giving moms and babies a strong start. Our most recent innovations are designed to help you do exactly that.
- Similac® Advance®: This formula has our unique blend of prebiotics, nucleotides, and carotenoids — nutrients naturally found in breast milk.
- Similac® SimplePac®: Our mom-friendly container revolutionized baby formula packaging.
But our story really begins at the turn of the last century. The year 1903 brought about many great things, including the Wright Brothers’ first flight, the first World Series of baseball, and the Moores and Ross Milk Company.
Two decades later, the Moores and Ross Milk Company developed the first commercial milk-based baby formula, and Similac was a hit with moms across the country. Following the success of Similac, the Moores and Ross Milk Company continued to make advancements in baby formula. In 1964, Ross Laboratories merged with Abbott Laboratories. And today, the Abbott Nutrition product line includes hypoallergenic, soy, organic, and sensitive formulas — and more — to help moms nourish babies no matter what their nutritional needs.
Whether you are formula feeding or supplementing breast milk, you can be confident knowing that Similac Advance is designed to be more like breast milk and to help build a strong immune system
StrongMoms® — where everything we do is inspired by moms — is brought to you by Similac.
1903
The Moores and Ross Milk Company was founded in Columbus, Ohio.
1925
The Moores and Ross Milk Company (today known as Abbott Nutrition) produced the first commercial milk-based infant formula — a new concept at the time.
1927
The new milk-based infant formula was named Similac®, for simulated lactation.
1951
Similac Concentrated Liquid, the first infant formula available in a form other than powder in the United States, was introduced.
1956
Ross Laboratories was created; it continued to develop Similac® infant formulas.
1959
Similac® With Iron, the first iron-fortified infant formula in the United States, was introduced.
1962
Similac® PM 60/40 was introduced for infants with special medical conditions.
1964
Ross Laboratories and Abbott Laboratories merged.
1966
Isomil®, a soy protein formula, was launched to address common infant feeding problems.
1985
Similac Natural Care®, a liquid breast-milk fortifier to bolster the nutritional intake of breastfed premature infants, was introduced.
1988
Similac® launched the first iron-fortified formula for premature and low-birth-weight infants in the U.S.
1989
Alimentum® was introduced as a hydrolyzed protein formula to be fed to infants who have gastrointestinal or other diseases that require a formula with predigested protein.
1993
The Welcome Addition Club® was launched to provide expectant and new moms with materials about infant nutrition.
1994
Similac NeoSure® debuted the first U.S. formula for premature infants after hospital discharge.
1998
Similac® Lactose Free — a milk-based, lactose-free infant formula — was introduced.
1999
Similac® With Iron Ready To Feed formula in a 32-fl-oz reclosable plastic bottle was introduced. This design won the Industrial Design Excellence Award the following year.
2001
Single-serve powder packets launched for easy bottle prep.
2006
Similac introduced a certified USDA organic infant formula, a first from a major formula brand. Also introduced in 2006 was Similac Special Care® 30 also was introduced in 2006. It was the first 30 CAL Ready To Feed formula for preterm infants.
2007
Similac® introduced two milk-based lactose-free formulas, Similac® Sensitive R.S. and Go & Grow®, a formula developed for older babies. Similac also launched 8-oz reclosable bottles.
2008
Similac launched Similac® Advance® EarlyShield™, designed to be closer than ever to breast milk; and Similac® SimplePac™: The mom-friendly Similac SimplePac represents our most significant redesign of infant formula powder containers, both in form and function. And in 2008, the Welcome Addition Club was reborn as StrongMoms® to reflect today's moms.
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