The Gap Between Infant Formula and Breastmilk Is Where Technology Steps In

Breastfeeding provides a plethora of benefits. It provides essential nutrition, boosts a baby’s immune system, and aids physical and mental development during the first few years of life. Breastfeeding has a broader social, environmental, and economic impact. Despite this, only a small percentage of infants are fed breastmilk throughout the first few months of their life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just 25% of American infants exclusively ingest breast milk throughout their first six months. For many parents and caregivers, infant formula is a crucial part of keeping babies healthy and fed.

Before the contemporary era of formulae, there were human-milk replacements. Because some infants were unable to be fed by their mothers, humans devised two alternative feeding methods. The use of a surrogate mother (e.g., a wet nurse) who would feed the kid human milk. Another option was to give the infant milk from another mammal. Cow, sheep, and goat milk were the most commonly used supplies. Using a wet nurse to feed infants who couldn’t be breastfed was the safest way to feed them until the end of the nineteenth century. Feeding animal milk grew more successful as cleanliness standards improved in the latter half of the nineteenth century, and distinctions in composition between human and other mammals’ milk were established. However, until newborn formulae based on cow milk with extra water and glucose were created, few infants survived. Liebig’s infant food was introduced in 1867, and it contained wheat flour, cow milk, malt flour, and potassium bicarbonate. Nonfat cow milk, lactose, oleo oils, and vegetable oils were used to create a “synthetic milk adapted” formula in 1915. Modern commercially prepared formulae were built on this foundation.

What Does Infant Formula Contain and What Does It Not Contain?

Breast milk is mainly replaced by infant formula. Despite the fact that breastfeeding is medically recommended, many mothers are unable to breastfeed their children. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive nursing for the first six months of a child’s life, followed by sustained breastfeeding until the child reaches the age of two. Many new mothers, on the other hand, struggle to produce enough milk for their newborns or lack the support they require to nurse. Furthermore, some babies have sensitive stomachs or metabolic abnormalities that require a special diet. For all of these reasons and more, infant formula can be a good choice.

Infant formula comes in a wide variety of powdered formulations that must be reconstituted with water before use. Despite the fact that many companies tout unique ingredients, the vast majority of them include the same basic elements. The most important factor is to ensure that infants get enough nutrition in a safe and consistent manner.

On a worldwide scale, the Codex Alimentarius, a joint food standards project overseen by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, defines the required components for formulas. Individual governments may apply additional requirements. The Codex lists over 30 suggested dietary elements, including vitamins and minerals, that must be present in infant formula. Lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates are the three essential components, and they are the primary building blocks that children require to grow and develop.

Three types of infant formula are available:

1. Cow milk-based formulas with added vegetable oils, vitamins, minerals, and iron. These formulae are safe for most healthy full-term infants.
2. Soy protein-based formulas. These contain additional fat calories from vegetable oils, corn syrup, and/or sugar (for carbohydrate). These formulas are suitable for babies who are lactose intolerant or allergic to the full protein content of cow milk and milk-based formulas.
3. Low-sodium formulas for newborns who need to limit their salt intake, and “predigested” protein formulas for babies who can’t manage or are allergic to proteins (casein and whey) found in cow milk and milk-based formulas.

Overview of the Infant Formula Market:

The global infant formula market was valued at USD 17.57 billion in 2020, according to Reports and Data, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.0 percent to USD 29.94 billion by 2028.

Danone, Nestlé (Gerber), Abbott (Similac), and Mead Johnson (Enfamil), among others, are eager to develop infant formula that closely resembles breast milk. This is a challenging task. Aside from lactose and fat, mother’s milk contains hundreds of other components that are difficult to mimic in a lab because they vary from one mother to the next—and even from one feeding to the next.

In the Future, Innovation Will Improve Infant Formula

Though the process is arduous, infant formula research and development is paving the way for formulas that closely resemble mother’s milk and provide the same benefits. Lactoferrin, the second most abundant protein in human milk, is an example of a component found in mother’s milk but not in formula. Lactoferrin is particularly important in the development of an infant’s immune system as an antibacterial and antiviral agent. It also assists babies in absorbing iron from breast milk.

Lactoferrin is a tough ingredient to include in baby formula. Lactoferrin from bovine (cow) is utilized as a substitute in numerous formulations. This is less than ideal because bovine lactoferrin is extracted from cow milk through a costly purifying process that also removes other nutrients.

Conagen, a synthetic biology company situated in Boston’s biotech industry, recently announced the invention of a technology for generating lactoferrin that is nearly identical to the lactoferrin found in breast milk. Using biological engineering approaches, Conagen researchers developed a fermentation process—the same process used to manufacture bread, cheese, and wine—to produce an improved version of lactoferrin. Lactoferrin from Conagen is proven to be more similar to human lactoferrin than any other choice. This bioengineered component has the potential to make baby formula even closer to mother’s milk than it has ever been previously.