DISCUSSION
Should Infant Formula lipids contain cholesterol? Authors: Laurence Eyres, Anny Dentener, Sally Xiong, Jing Zhou Big business Infant nutrition is a major food industry segment especially in strong dairy-orientated countries like New Zealand and Australia. The latest figures from Statistics NZ show infant formula exports in 2019 of about 120,000 tonnes. The business grew by 30% over the year before to earn export revenue of more than $1.7 billion NZD. For comparison, exports in 2015 were worth $450 million. Four major blenders, packers and exporters dominate the trade – Fonterra, Synlait, Danone Nutricia and GMP. A2 Milk markets and sells a major brand of infant formula in China but is not a manufacturer. New Zealand accounts for about 7% of the global trade in formula.
Considerations The nutritional superiority of human breast milk has instigated much research over the last 50 years and lipids have been a major part of that work, especially in New Zealand. The lipid work has explored options for matching the fatty acid composition and adding both arachidonic acid (omega-6) and
Clinically proven SN2 palmitate ingredient
DHA (omega-3). Modified triglycerides and complex lipids such as phospholipids and gangliosides that simulate the human milkfat globule membrane (MFGM) have also been studied but as far as we know few studies have investigated adding fats with known cholesterol levels to attain a certain targeted value. The original infant formula, based on bovine, ovine or caprine milks, has had little modification of the fat structure nor ingredient implementation over the years. Animal fats have been substituted by vegetable fats because of theoretical nutritional advantages and, in the case of anhydrous milkfat (AMF), cost and the commercial opportunity in AMF sales. Several aspects are significant about this substitution. Milk fats are present in milk as droplets surrounded by the milkfat globule membrane. They also contain cholesterol and its esters whilst vegetable fats contain little or no cholesterol in any form. An early and popular global formula “Enfamil�, (Eyres,1989) had a traditional fat blend of soft beef fat, maize oil, and coconut oil to produce a refined blend with a fatty acid profile closer to typical human milkfat combined with skim milk powder.
Night sleep
that mimics the fat structure and properties of human milk. Ph: 09 272 2092 enquiry@invita.co.nz www.invita.co.nz
October/November 2020
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