Infant formula development: past, present and future.

TL;DRAbstract

Currently available infant formulas can be separated into those intended for normal term infants and those designed for infants with special needs, i.e. infants with low-birth-weight, with allergies to milk proteins, or with metabolic disorders. New formulas are developed when groups of infants with special nutritional needs are identified. A recent example is the introduction of a soy fiber-containing formula for refeeding infants after diarrhea. Existing formulas continually change with new nutritional knowledge; an example is the addition of taurine when its role is visual function became known. The composition of human milk serves as a valuable reference for improving infant formula. However, human milk contains living cells, hormones, active enzymes, immunoglobulins and components with unique molecular structures that can not be replicated in infant formula. Additionally, unlike human milk, infant formula must remain stable on the shelf for up to 36 months. These fundamental diffe

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