The ingredients are therefore permitted to be used as the sole source of protein in infant formula in the US.
The announcement means the company is now working on FDA approval for its Kabrita brand infant formula (0-12 months) to be sold in the US; its toddler formula is already available in the US.
Alfred Haandrikman, manager R&D at Ausnutria Hyproca, said acquiring GRAS status is a milestone towards introducing its infant formula in the US.
Haandrikman said Kabrita stage 3 toddler milk became available in the US in 2014, making it the first goat’s milk based toddler formula on the market there.
The company has since expanded its product range in the US with yogurt pouches based on goat milk.
Kabrita is the main global goat’s milk infant formula and toddler formula, with both products currently sold in the EU, the Middle East, China and Russia.
Digestion and studies
Kabrita uses skimmed goat milk powder in combination with goat whey protein concentrate.
Haandrikman said the protein in Kabrita and in human milk is digested in a similar way in the digestive system of the infant, compared to cow’s milk infant formula, which is digested more slowly.
“The results of several case studies of infants using Kabrita after having discomforts with a cow’s milk formula, are also positive,” Haandrikman said.
Ausnutria Hyproca expects to publish the results of the studies in the coming year.
Collection
The company collects around 50m kilos of goat milk per year, which is used to produce Kabrita products. The goat milk is supplied by around 50 Dutch goat farmers.