Infant formula evolves and advances in nutrition

摘要

Conagen have announced the discovery and development of a sustainable proprietary lactoferrin protein that mirrors the nutritional properties of lactoferrin from breast milk. The first-of-its-kind natural lactoferrin protein is produced via fermentation process at commercial-scale. Mother's milk is the best nutrition because it is the ideal way to bind and deliver iron for infant nutrition, but it is not sourceable at large-scale. Yet, lactoferrin is necessary as it plays an important role in the newborn immune system and contributes to healthy infant digestion and nutrition. Lactoferrin found in cow's milk has been useful for producing certain specialized infant formula in many countries, but its performance is not optimal as it takes more time for the protein to bind with iron than breast milk and it is not sustainable. The nutritional needs of an infant could be even better met with proteins that more closely match those in breast milk, like Conagen's lactoferrin.