Infant Formula Composition Q&A
Published by IFM
To advance infants' healthy growth and development, IFM member companies
continually advance scientific research about the nutritional requirements of
infants and young children, as well as the components of breast-milk.
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What goes into infant formula and how does a company
decide that it is good for a baby?
IFM member companies work with pediatricians, nutritionists,
microbiologists, toxicologists and other experts in their own laboratories and
in collaborative clinical trials to advance scientific knowledge and promote
proper infant feeding.
Infant food production has always been the most strictly regulated sector of
the food industry. Governments have developed extensive legislation to cover
every aspect of foods for infants and young children, and manufacturers must
comply with this stringent national legislation.
The WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission, the United Nations body that sets
international standards for foods, recognizes that infant formula is the only
nutritionally complete substitute for breast-milk. Infant formula, when used as
the sole source of nourishment, must, by law, meet all the energy and nutrient
requirements of infants during the first six months of life.
To advance infants' healthy growth and development, IFM member companies
continually advance scientific research about the nutritional requirements of
infants and young children, as well as the components of breast-milk. This
knowledge is constantly applied to improve infant nutrition products so that
their nutritional profiles are ever closer to the preferred standard of
breast-milk.
To address particular health issues, infant formula products have also been
developed for babies with special nutritional requirements, such as those born
prematurely or suffering from allergies, a metabolic or gastrointestinal
disorder, or an iron deficiency.
For example, in vitro and in vivo research has enabled infant
formula products to get closer to the composition of breast-milk and provide
health and nutrition outcomes for infant formula-fed babies that are as close
as possible to those of breastfed babies. Additionally, extensive analysis of
key nutrients in breast-milk and the ability of the body to absorb and utilize
these nutrients has led to development of infant formula products enriched with
protein, calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins A and
D.