01 Jul 2019 --- Fourteen varieties of oligosaccharides – a type of prebiotic that aids the growth of beneficial bacteria and protects against harmful varieties in the gut – naturally occur in goat milk baby formula, according to new Australian research. This discovery could be used to help protect infants against gastrointestinal infections, with oligosaccharides stopping pathogens such as E. coli – which is responsible for almost a third of children’s diarrhea cases – from attaching to intestinal cells. Although bovine milk ingredients are often utilized in infant formula applications, this finding may pave the way for the increased use of goat milk ingredients.