Infant nutrition innovations: Experts spotlight synbiotics, immunity and essential nutrients

In light of the UNICEF-WHO goal to reach 50% exclusive worldwide breastfeeding this year, industry participants are devising creative ways to support the nutrition of expectant mothers and their infants.

Nutrition Insight speaks to experts from dsm-firmenich, FrieslandCampina Ingredients and Morinaga Milk to explore key innovations and trends in infant nutrition, focusing on synbiotics and lactoferrin for immunity and Bifidobacteria for gut health. 

We also discuss vital nutrients like folate for healthy fetal development and alternatives to breast milk with Gnosis by Lesaffre, Valio and AB-Biotics.

We previously discussed new vitamin A formulations and carbon-neutral farming practices, as the industry is prioritizing transparency, clean labels and eco-conscious solutions to satisfy parents and regulators. 

Synbiotics for immunity

Julia Duchastel, dsm-firmenich’s Early Life Nutrition segment lead for North America, shares two dominant trends where parents are prioritizing products that “support healthy immune system development first, followed by those that enhance cognitive development.” 

The company data reveals “healthcare professionals, particularly pediatricians, are the primary influencers of infant nutrition choices for mothers with infants aged 0–6 months.”

Consumers most strongly prefer “claims about infant nutrition products being ‘close to breast milk.’” Duchastel adds this indicates “parents’ desire for formulations offering the closest possible nutritional value and health benefits as breast milk.”

“Breast milk is the gold standard for infant nutrition and we strongly support the WHO’s recommendation for exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life.”

Duchastel adds that other consumer demands for claims about physical growth, development and brain development are driven by the importance of quality ingredients, as they directly impact developmental outcomes.

“For situations where breastfeeding isn’t possible, we’ve focused our innovation efforts on developing solutions that provide essential and optimal nutrition during this critical period.”

The company recently partnered with Lallemand Health Solutions to develop synergistic synbiotics, combining human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) with probiotic strains to enhance gut health and address immune and cognitive development concerns.

Breast milk is the gold standard for infant nutrition and folate is an essential nutrient in it. Bioactive lactoferrin for immunity

Parents are becoming more aware that a baby’s developing immune system is essential to preventing disease from birth, says Jouke Veldman, global marketing director of Early Life Nutrition at FrieslandCampina Ingredients.

“Our proprietary research reveals that 60% of parents rank immunity as their top concern for their infant’s health. Breast milk naturally contains key nutrients like lactoferrin and structures such as the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), which help support the immune system.”

“For babies who can’t be breastfed, these bioactive components can be effectively isolated or enriched in cow’s milk-derived ingredients and incorporated into infant milk formulas.”

Veldman explains that lactoferrin supports immune response and reduces infections in infants and MFGM. It contains bioactive components like phospholipids and Immunoglobulin G and shows immune and antiviral activity in vitro.

He says FrieslandCampina Ingredients ensures its ingredients retain their bioactive potential by minimal processing techniques. “Our Vivinal MFGM comes with a dry-blend quality, avoiding the need for inclusion in the liquid processing phase that could compromise the protein’s bioactivity.”

“Our Vivinal lactoferrin is processed using cutting-edge spray-drying technology, resulting in a high-quality powder form that’s more homogenous and has a smaller particle size distribution than alternatives in the market.” 

He suggests the company’s lactoferrin can be evenly distributed without altering final product properties, providing functional benefits to formulators and consumers.

Bifidobacteria for healthy gut

Echoing the importance of breast milk for infants, Saki Yamashita, assistant manager of the Marketing Strategy Team at Morinaga Milk, says not everyone can exclusively rely on it.

Lactoferrin supports immune response and reduces infections in infants and MFGM.“In that case, what is most important for the infants is to have a similar formula as close as breast milk functions. One of the important components that is highly compatible with breast milk is bifidobacteria.”

“It is now widely recognized that early supplementation of bifidobacteria is crucial for establishing and maintaining a healthy gut microbiota in infants, which also affects their long-term health condition later in life. The importance of early life nutrition has been repeatedly emphasized with the phrase ‘First 1000 days.’ During this period, infants undergo significant development of both body and gut microbiota, influenced by various factors such as delivery mode, medication and type of feeding.”

Yamashita says Morinaga Milk’s latest research reveals that “seeding Human- Residential Bifidobacteria (HRB), especially B. longum BB536, in early life could affect the gut microbial ecosystem by synthesizing host-interacting metabolites in addition to short-chain fatty acids.”

“One of the studies has shown that BB536 has a strong capacity to produce indole-lactic acid, an important tryptophan metabolite that plays a crucial role in immunomodulation during early life. As demonstrated in preclinical studies, BB536 can also make a high folate level. Incorporating BB536 into early-life nutrition products can support the healthier growth of infants.” 

Milk fat for safety and nutrition 

Sinikka Saikkonen, customer development manager at Valio, cites Innova Market Insights’ Top Health and Nutrition Trends 2025, saying consumers are becoming more engaged with the positive role of nutrition for health, which is reflected in infant nutrition.

BB536 has a strong capacity to produce indole-lactic acid, which plays a crucial role in immunomodulation during early life.“The other interesting trend is related to ingredients and more specific benefits they can provide. Consumer connection can be enhanced by highlighting the inclusion of standout ingredients like milk fat, MFGM and HMOs, or by emphasizing the absence of ingredients like palm oil or lactose. These features appeal to health-conscious parents and can stimulate market expansion.”

She explains that Valio uses milk fat as a source of fat in infant formulas and base powders because of its inherent structural and compositional similarities to human milk fat. “Components of milk fat, such as the sn-2 position of palmitic acid and the lipids in the MFGM, enhance absorption and have been shown to positively impact brain and immune functions, as well as gut health.”

Since “food safety is of utmost importance to manufacturers and parents,” Valio Prime skimmed milk powder was designed to meet the high standards for infant nutrition products. Saikkonen suggests its “ultra-purity and low spore count” make it suitable for dry blend line capacity in premium products.

Folates for healthy fetus

Silvia Pisoni, global market manager at Gnosis by Lesaffre, stresses infants need a balanced nutritional regimen for the first six months, including healthy fats, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin K2 and folate. “A healthy infant will double its birth weight by month six and thus needs significant nutrients to ensure all its systems develop optimally.”

She says the first six months begin in utero, where mothers can ensure their health and fetal development with Quatrefolic. “Adequate folate (vitamin B-9) intake is particularly important for pregnant women, with a requirement five to ten-fold higher than for women who are not pregnant.”

Folate is an essential nutrient in breast milk which helps lower the risk of low birth weight and premature birth.

Pisoni warns that “folate concentrations in breast milk and maternal blood may decline over breastfeeding.” Consumer confusion between folate and folic acid is a challenge, as folic acid supplementation in lactating women and infant formula can increase unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) levels, leading to adverse health effects.

“UMFA is not an issue if lactating women consume the active form of folate, such as Gnosis by Lesaffre’s Quatrefolic, the glucosamine salt of (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF). It is also safe and effective for women with MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) polymorphism, significantly minimizing the bioavailability of active 5-MTHF,” says Pisoni.

Pregnant women supplemented with Quatrefolic showed higher 5-MTHF levels than those taking the same level of folic acid, which can prevent fetal neural tube defects and support healthy homocysteine levels and prevent metabolism disturbance.

Colic affects around 20% of infants worldwide.“After two months, folate combined with vitamins B-6 and B-12 was more effective in reducing homocysteine blood levels than folic acid,” says Pisoni.

Probiotics against colic

Miquel Bonachera, co-founder of AB-Biotics, believes “consistency and safety” are essential in infant nutrition. Consumers will always emphasize this, reflected in regulations set by the European Commission and the US FDA.

He adds that there is undeniable growth in “consumers looking for products tailored to specific infant needs such as functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and for allergies like atopic dermatitis.”

Bonachera spotlights AB-Biotics’ probiotic strains that target infant health concerns, from colic and digestive health to immunity concerns. Colic affects around 20% of infants worldwide. 

“Our probiotic blend Bifidobacterium longum KABP-042 and Pediococcus pentosaceus KABP-041 supports the development of the infant microbiota and eases symptoms of FGIDs such as colic and constipation.”

“In combination, the strains have a unique mechanism of action, inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria and inducing anti-inflammatory cytokines while supporting intestinal barrier integrity using specific molecules called polyphosphates.”

He adds that the latest clinical trial on the blend, commercially known as AB-Kolicare, showed better efficacy in reducing colic symptoms than Lactobacillus reuteri DSM17938.

The clinical trial showed that the probiotic blend effectively reduced crying and fussing time in colic-prone infants, regardless of breastfeeding or formula-fed status.