Podcast Summary: “How Laura Modi Is Rewriting Baby Formula”

The Dr. Hyman Show with Dr. Mark Hyman
Guest: Laura Modi, Co-founder & CEO of Bobbie
Date: December 10, 2025

Episode Overview

In this insightful episode, Dr. Mark Hyman sits down with Laura Modi, the trailblazing co-founder and CEO of Bobbie, the first women-led organic infant formula company in the U.S. Their conversation tackles the complexities and stigma around infant feeding, exposes major systemic and nutritional problems in America’s formula market, and explores how Bobbie and legislative advocacy seek to shift both culture and policy. This episode is essential listening for parents, caregivers, health advocates, and anyone interested in the intersection of nutrition, equity, and wellness innovation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Laura Modi’s Personal Journey & the Origins of Bobbie

• Initial Struggles with Breastfeeding:

  • Laura describes the guilt and stigma she experienced when she was unable to exclusively breastfeed due to mastitis, an infection of the milk glands ([00:00], [06:59]).
  • Vivid moment: Standing in a pharmacy aisle, she felt judged and ashamed when purchasing infant formula, an essential food, locked behind a case due to theft concerns.

    “...I had to ring the shame bell, the bell that says, can you come unlock this case? Because I need to get food because my body's unable to do this.” — Laura Modi [08:10]

• Systemic Shaming of Formula Feeding:

  • Laura reflects on the generational and cultural expectations, and the lack of accessible means to get breastfeeding support ([07:00]).
  • Emphasis on shifting the narrative: “We have to develop a new relationship with [baby feeding].” — Laura Modi [09:11]

2. The State of Infant Formula in America

• Nutritional Shortcomings:

  • U.S. formulas have barely evolved in 30 years, using outdated standards despite new science available worldwide ([01:06], [15:49]).
  • Heavy use of added sugars (often corn syrup), suboptimal fats, and protein ratios differ from natural breast milk ([09:49], [10:11]).

• Comparison with Europe:

  • The EU updates formula nutrition standards every few years, emphasizing nutrients like DHA for brain development ([15:49], [16:48]).
  • U.S. formulas often lack these nutrients or include only token amounts.

    “It’s real. 60% of your brain is DHA… and is so formative in those first thousand days.” — Dr. Mark Hyman [16:38]

• Industrial Formula as a Health Hazard:

  • Dr. Hyman expresses concern with ingredients:

    “I look, read the label… sugar and refined oils. I’m like, what is this? I wouldn’t feed this to my dog.” — Dr. Mark Hyman [05:17]

  • The downstream effect: epidemic of childhood obesity, allergies, eczema, and gut issues are increasingly believed to be linked to formula composition ([09:49], [13:06]).

3. What Makes Bobbie Different

• Ingredient Transparency & Sourcing:

  • 100% lactose (milk sugar), no added corn syrup or palm oil ([11:16], [13:15], [23:22]).
  • Grass-fed, small batch American dairy, expeller-pressed oils, and no industrial solvents like hexane ([13:54], [24:24]).
  • Avoids thickeners and emulsifiers (like carrageenan) that have been associated with gut disturbances ([25:37]).

• Nutritional Profile:

  • Whey-to-casein ratio matches breast milk (70:30), making it easier to digest ([13:15], [14:23]).
  • Includes DHA at EU levels, vitamin D, and options for adding targeted probiotics ([16:48], [61:07]).
  • Contains natural prebiotics (via lactose) instead of synthetic additives ([14:23], [29:14]).

  “If breast milk is a natural food coming from a human body, how do we get as close as possible...” — Laura Modi [25:20]

• Domestic Production and Quality Control:

  • Manufactured in the U.S. to reduce supply chain risks, ensure safety, freshness, and compliance with rigorous standards ([31:16], [41:53]).
  • “We have 2,000 quality checks for every batch.” — Laura Modi [42:30]

• Accessibility:

  • Matches the highest standards globally yet produced locally with the aim of greater affordability and accessibility ([17:17], [31:29]).

4. Systemic Barriers & Policy Issues

• Formula Market Monopolization:

  • U.S. formula supply is dominated by two companies; 2022’s contamination crisis exposed how fragile and centralized the system is ([20:49], [21:51]).
  • Laura: “We’ve allowed two companies essentially to create this dependency...” [20:49]

• WIC & SNAP Programs Limit Choice:

  • 50% of U.S. babies are fed through WIC, which restricts eligible parents to whichever formula brand won the state contract ([01:06], [51:24]).
  • “...It limits formula non-choice. Imagine now you are a parent...and you are told, here’s the brand and here’s the formula your baby can be on.” — Laura Modi [52:06]

• Calls for Legislative Reform:

  • Laura advocates for the “Made in America Infant Formula Act” — a bid for public-private partnerships to decentralize production, create incentives for new manufacturers, and promote higher nutrition standards ([43:32]).
  • Need for transparent labeling and safety regulations, mirroring models like cigarette warnings to inform and empower consumers ([44:32], [45:13]).

  “Have you ever walked down a formula aisle? There needs to be a little bit more joy in it. But it’s all consuming… We need to do a better job allowing a parent to make a decision…” — Laura Modi [46:42]

5. The Breastfeeding vs. Formula Binary Myth

• Most Families Combo Feed:

  • 86% of babies are breastfed in some capacity, but combo feeding is the norm, and it can actually help extend breastfeeding duration ([32:57]).
  • “...introducing formula might actually help [mothers] breastfeed longer.” — Laura Modi [33:51]

• Message Shift:

  • Move past stigma and acknowledge that exclusive breastfeeding isn’t always possible, nor should it be the only “acceptable” feeding method ([09:11], [55:14]).
  • “Your best is best.” — Laura Modi [01:50], [55:14]
  • Dr. Hyman: “Not breast is best, but your best is best.” [55:55]

6. The Microbiome, Probiotics, and the Next Frontier

• Microbiome Disruption:

  • Higher rates of C-section births, antibiotic use, and low-quality formula contribute to poor gut health and immune system issues in children ([27:27], [28:02]).
  • The importance of Bifidobacterium infantis and human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) for fostering a healthy gut ecosystem ([29:14], [29:30]).

• Innovation Opportunities:

  • Laura and Bobbie are pushing for continual evolution in formula to better mimic the beneficial complexity of breast milk ([30:04]).
  • “The opportunities to continue to get closer and closer to breast milk are there.” — Laura Modi [30:04]
  • “The microbiome is a big unlock if we can figure that out.” — Dr. Mark Hyman [59:29]

7. Support for Parents & Feeding Culture

• Supporting the Whole Family:

  • Bobbie’s “Feeding Room” service provides holistic, judgment-free support for both formula and breastfeeding questions ([57:03]).
  • “We need to reduce the guilt and the shame and stop projecting our own opinions, our personal experiences.” — Laura Modi [58:26]

• Societal and Workplace Structures:

  • U.S. mothers face “conflicting messages” with encouragement to breastfeed for a year but little to no paid leave or support ([36:29]).
  • Equity and dignity in feeding choices are essential ([54:25]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Formula Stigma:
  “Your ability to not be able to breastfeed shouldn't be seen as a medical problem... I was riddled with guilt.”
  — Laura Modi [00:00], [08:23]

• On Formula Inequality:
  “50% of babies born in the country rely on WIC... it limits choice. Frankly, I think it's a sign that inequality starts day one.”
  — Laura Modi [01:06]

• On Formula Ingredients:
  “The label… was like sugar and refined oils. I'm like, what is this? I wouldn't feed this to my dog.”
  — Dr. Mark Hyman [05:17]

• On Market Disruption:
  “We’ve allowed two companies essentially to create this dependency... the consequences to that.”
  — Laura Modi [20:49]

• On Parental Shame and Culture:
  “We gotta lower the judgment, lower the bullying. Let’s allow people to be their best and also treat them as smart individuals to make their own choices.”
  — Laura Modi [59:10]

• On Navigating Choices:
  “Your best is best is one of the most important things to consume.”
  — Laura Modi [01:50], [55:14]

• On Reform:
  “The entire system needs to be rethought through... a form of relief and recovery and reform.”
  — Laura Modi [41:15]

Key Timestamps

• 00:00–09:11 Laura's personal experience and shame around formula feeding
• 09:49–13:15 Sugar content, obesity, formula composition, cow’s milk vs. breast milk
• 13:54–17:17 Ingredient sourcing, standards, why Bobbie is different
• 20:49–25:37 Centralized supply, 2022 shortage, monoculture issues
• 27:27–30:35 Microbiome, probiotics, importance of gut health
• 32:42–35:04 Beyond the binary, supporting parents, combo feeding realities
• 41:15–43:32 Need for system-wide reform, decentralization, legislative actions
• 44:32–48:35 Importance of transparency, organic standards, labeling confusion
• 51:24–54:50 WIC and SNAP’s limitations, the impact on low-income families
• 55:07–59:10 Encouragement and empowerment, resources for parents, supporting all feeding choices

Conclusion

This episode is an empowering, practical, and science-driven guide to the future of infant nutrition. Laura Modi and Dr. Mark Hyman highlight not only the urgent need for nutritional and systemic reform but also champion a new era of empathy, transparency, and choice for all parents. Whether you’re a parent, policymaker, or healthcare professional, their conversation lays out a vision where every baby has equitable access to nourishment and every parent can feed without shame.

If you’re interested in learning more:

• Bobbie Formula
• Dr. Mark Hyman
• Look into policy work: the “Made in America Infant Formula Act” and WIC reform discussions