Enzymotec improving infant formula
infant formulas said to be closer to the fat found in human milk.
Nutritional oil company Enzymotec has launched a new ingredient for infant formulas said to be closer to the fat found in human milk.
InFat has a specific triglycerides' composition, with a high palmitic acid (carbohydrate chain) concentration, making it more nutritious for infants and also easier to blend with other oils.
"InFat is simply a better nutritional solution for babies. Incorporating it into infant formulas will increase baby's energy and calcium intake, one of the problems that infant formulas producers have to deal with," said Iris Bendek, the head of triglyceride research group at Enzymotec.
In vegetable oils, most of the palmitic acid is located at the alpha (sn-1,3) positions of the triglycerides. However, in human milk, most of the palmitic acid is in the beta (sn-2) position. InFat has been made with up to 90 per cent of the total palmitic acid located at the beta (sn-2) position of the triglyceride, offering advantages for both nutrition and application, explained Bendek.
Vegetable oils cause the digested palmitic acid to form indigestible, insoluble soaps with calcium, resulting in significant calcium and energy loss for the infant, claims Bendek.
