New 'Staging' Concept For Infant Formula

VIBY J, DenmarkArla Food Ingredients today launched a new 'Staging' concept for the infant formula category, designed to reflect the changing composition of breast milk during lactation, at the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) annual meeting in London.

The concept is built around the company's Lacprodan® portfolio of protein ingredients that are extracted from whey proteins and provide the ideal amino acid profile to meet the needs of developing infants. Lacprodan milk protein fractions can be blended in varying proportions to create staged infant formulas mimicking the nutritional profile of breast milk more closely. This means manufacturers can create formulas where the overall quantity of protein is reduced to levels closer to those found in breast milk, but still provide all the nutrients formula-fed infants need to develop healthily.

"Traditionally, infant formulas for newborn babies have been much higher in protein than breast milk actually is, which means formula-fed babies typically ingest between 50% and 80% more protein than breast-fed infants. This often results in more rapid growth in bottle-fed babies and there is strong scientific evidence that this can lead to obesity and other health concerns in later life," said Pernille Hostrup, business development manager at Arla Food Ingredients.