Optimised comfort concept for infant formula

INFANT formula contains more protein compared to human milk, and babies find it difficult to digest protein -- they can experience colic, constipation, regurgitation, and stool issues. According to Arla Foods Ingredients, altering the amount and types of proteins in formula can ease away baby’s problems.

The company’s new optimised comfort concept for infant formula contains alpha-lactalbumin, which is the most abundant protein in human milk. Due to its excellent amino acid composition, alpha-lactalbumin is a high-quality protein[1] that is a key ingredient in low-protein formulas with protein levels closer to human milk.

The concept also includes whey protein hydrolysates, which are high-quality proteins that have been broken down by enzymes effectively meaning they have been pre-digested.

The new optimised comfort, low protein formula concept incorporates Lacprodan® ALPHA-10, a whey protein concentrate with a minimum level of 41% alpha-lactalbumin as a proportion of total protein content; and Lacprodan® IF-3070, a partially hydrolysed whey protein (DH 9-15) with a mixture of small and larger peptides.

The concept product has been created to showcase potential optimised comfort applications. It contains 9.7g of protein per 100g serving and has a protein to energy ratio of 1.9g/100kcal.

Gut comfort is generally considered to be important for infant well-being and sleep, and discomfort can be emotionally and physically draining for both infants and parents. Furthermore, infant discomfort problems are the most common reason for parents to switch between formulas to find a solution to their infant’s gastrointestinal issues.[3] The number of global launches of infant formula products with on-pack messages relating to comfort has risen by a CAGR of 11.6% over the past five years.[4]

Arla Foods Ingredients, which supports WHO recommendations for breastfeeding up to the age of two, offers a range of high-quality ingredients for infant nutrition.