Evolution of the lipid composition of infant formula
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Abstract
This brief communication aims to show the evolution of lipids in infant formulas, and is not intended to be a review (narrative or systematic) on the subject. It is limited to describing the evolution of the lipid profile of infant formulas in light of scientific knowledge learned over 100 years of history. Breast milk is the gold standard
for infant feeding, as it has a unique composition of nutrients and bioactive components. However, many infants do not receive breast milk, and to meet their nutritional needs, infant formulas were created. These formulas have been marketed for over a century.
This text describes the main changes in the lipid profile of infant formulas, as follows. These changes were: 1) replacement of dairy fat with vegetable fat to get closer to the gold standard (human milk); 2) addition of docosahexaenoic acid and, subsequently, addition
of docosahexaenoic acid incorporated into the phospholipid; 3) incorporation of palmitic acid in position 2, to also approach the gold standard (human milk).
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