Tailored infant formula: BLC develops lipid solution mimicking Chinese mothers’ milk fat

20 Jan 2021 --- Bunge Loders Croklaan (BLC) has revealed a new lipid solution, Betapol Select, which mimics the composition of Chinese mothers’ milk fat. As each mother produces unique breast milk, this move to break down the infant formula market’s homogeneity marks a step toward narrowing the gap between breast milk and infant formula.

“Personalization is a clear trend in the market, and it is starting to permeate into the infant nutrition market too. We are responding to this trend with the new Betapol Select, but we see this as the beginning,” Dr. Emiliano Rial Verde, vice president of nutrition at BLC, tells NutritionInsight. 

“Our objective is to cater to all relevant variations in mother’s milk composition and to accompany our customers in the journey to get closer and closer to nature,” he continues. 

This is BLC’s first product aiming to personalize the formula to a region-specific group of people. It was developed using data of babies born and raised in China who have mothers of Chinese origin.

While China is an ethnically diverse country, the spokesperson explains that data is not yet granular enough to highlight ethnic differences. 

“As we collect more data, we will find more and more region-specific – and, perhaps, country-specific differences.”

Personalizing differences
Rial Verde says that BLC chose to create a product for Chinese babies as this region has the largest and most sophisticated infant formula market. 

“Chinese parents are well-informed. They understand infant formula ingredients and are constantly looking for products that get closer to the gold standard of mothers’ milk. If you put this together with ongoing personalized nutrition trends, we believe we have a value proposition that will resonate with Chinese parents.”

Rial Verde describes personalization as a “clear trend” in all markets. He notes that three-quarters of Chinese consumers agree that a healthy diet varies from person to person. 

“Personalized nutritional advice based on in-home tests is another indicator of this trend taking root. Consumers recognize that nutrition is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and we are starting to address this with Betapol Select.”

He believes that these demands are driven by global consumers understanding the link between diet and health. Another factor is the increasing information allowing consumers to understand their nutrition and metabolism in better detail.

Unpacking the science
Oleic-Palmitic-Oleic (OPO) and Oleic-Palmitic-Linoleic (OPL) are lipids naturally present in mother’s milk. In Chinese mothers’ milk, the fat composition contains a higher level of OPL, followed by OPO. In contrast, Western mothers tend to have OPO as the most prevalent triglyceride.

Therefore, Betapol Select aims to mimic the Chinese balance by providing a high level of palmitic acid in the center position (SN-2 palmitate) with the right combination of OPL and OPO triglycerides.

In the past decades, SN-2 palmitate has been clinically proven to improve energy intake, increase bone mineral density, reduce constipation, increase healthy gut bacteria, reduce crying and improve sleep. 

In terms of the concrete benefits of giving babies a fat composition specific to their nationality, Rial Verde explains it is still unknown exactly which aspects of breastfeeding are likely to lead to a healthier baby.

“However, we believe that pursuing better tailoring of the infant formula composition to the uniqueness of each mother and baby will end up in healthier, stronger babies. Region-specific tailoring is only the beginning of this journey, but the journey is guided by mother’s milk.”

Fine-tuning the R&D process
Rial Verde further explains that the team had to “fine-tune” the manufacturing conditions and enzymatic reactions to be able to produce specific levels of OPL and OPO that are in line with the scientific data on Chinese mother’s milk composition.

Another challenge was avoiding the oxidation of linoleic acid, which can be very sensitive. 

“It takes much more care to handle and process the raw material to produce the quality we deliver to customers. Getting the product to customers also requires extra attention.”Each woman produces unique breast milk, but there are some common themes within specific regions.

An expanding range
BLC’s Betapol range includes the original OPO product, with up to 55 percent of palmitic acid in the SN-2 position. The company also recently launched Betapol Plus, touted as the highest OPO product on the market, with up to 75 percent of palmitic acid in the SN-2 position.

“With the launch of Betapol Select today and award-winning Betapol Plus last year, we are expanding our infant nutritional lipids portfolio in all geographies and getting closer than ever before to mother’s milk,” says Rial Verde. 

He continues that research in infant nutrition made BLC understand that macronutrients in human breast milk vary – not only with lactation stages, daily and within feeds, but also regionally. 

“These regional differences are influenced by the mother’s origin and diet. Our new solution combines the benefits of Betapol with the OPL and OPO balance naturally present in Chinese mother’s milk fat.”

Other companies have also been looking into regional variation. In September, Quantum Hi-Tech Biological (QHT) researchers found that Chinese mothers are less likely to secrete the 2’-FL HMO than North and South American populations but more likely than African populations.

Meanwhile, DSM is placing a greater emphasis on personalization within the HMO arena. However, Louise Vigsnaes, head of biology in HMO innovation and business development at DSM, noted that COVID-19 might make it even more unlikely that HMOs will be approved in China in the near future. 

By Katherine Durrell