New partial hydrolysate launched for infant formula
Bottle-fed babies at risk of developing cow milk allergy can benefit from a new partial hydrolysate for infant formula. Following successful anti-genecity tests in the laboratory, Arla Foods Ingredients is now seeking a partner for pre-clinical studies of the product.
The partial hydrolysate is to be marketed as a commercial ingredient, creating a new opportunity for many infant nutrition manufacturers. As most other hydrolysates on the market are integrated in existing infant formula products, initial interest in the ingredient is high, with several manufacturers putting themselves forward as potential test partners.
“This product completes our range of whey protein hydrolysates and meets a demand from a number of customers,” says paediatric team leader Sven Høgh Petersen. “With allergy a growing problem in industrialised countries, we have high expectations of this product area.”
Potential to build up tolerance
Hydrolysates – comprising pre-digested milk or whey protein – are an important means of controlling cow milk allergy in newborn babies who are not breast-fed and, consequently, are entirely dependent on infant formula. The extensively hydrolysed proteins used in hypoallergenic infant formula have a degree of hydrolysis (DH) higher than 20 – a measure that refers to the percentage of broken peptide bonds in the protein’s amino acid chain.
By comparison, the new partial hydrolysate has a DH of around 15 and is less bitter in taste. It is also unfiltered which, apart from making it more cost-effective and environmentally friendly in production, also means it contains traces of proteins and larger peptides. Believed to have a prophylactic effect, these traces may enable young consumers to build up their milk tolerance in later life.