Optimized comfort is at the heart of a new whey protein-based concept for infant formula developed by Arla Foods Ingredients.

Infant formulas contain significantly more protein than human milk, the company notes and, since protein is hard to digest, this can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort issues in infants, such as colic and constipation, resulting in excessive crying. Other problems are said to include regurgitation and stool issues. However, by altering the amount and types of proteins in formula, Arla believes it is possible to reduce these problems.

Arla Foods Ingredients’ new optimized comfort concept for infant formula contains alpha-lactalbumin, which is the most abundant protein in human milk. Due to its excellent amino acid composition, alpha-lactalbumin is a high-quality protein that is a key ingredient in low-protein formulas with protein levels closer to human milk.

The new concept also includes whey protein hydrolysates, which are high-quality proteins that have been broken down by enzymes, effectively meaning they have been pre-digested.

Arla Foods Ingredients says it is the world’s first commercial producer of alpha-lactalbumin and one of the world’s largest producers of both alpha-lactalbumin and whey protein hydrolysates. Its infant nutrition ingredients are manufactured in Denmark using milk that is non-GMO/GMO-free, Kosher and Halal-certified, and free of annatto.

The new optimized comfort, low protein formula concept incorporates Lacprodan ALPHA-10, a whey protein concentrate with a minimum level of 41% alpha-lactalbumin as a proportion of total protein content; and Lacprodan IF-3070, a partially hydrolysed whey protein (DH 9-15) with a mixture of small and larger peptides.

The concept product has been created to showcase potential optimized comfort applications. It contains 9.7g of protein per 100g serving and has a protein to energy ratio of 1.9g/100kcal.

Gut comfort is generally considered to be important for infant well-being and sleep, Arla says, and discomfort can be emotionally and physically draining for both infants and parents. Furthermore, the company notes that infant discomfort problems are the most common reason for parents to switch between formulas to find a solution to their infant’s gastrointestinal issues. The number of global launches of infant formula products with on-pack messages relating to comfort has risen by a CAGR of 11.6% over the past five years.