The fat product is manufactured by Advanced Lipids – a joint venture between AAK and Frutarom. INFAT is a specially structured vegetable oil with high level of SN-2 palmitate, also known as OPO, it mimics the structure of human milk fat, which the company says provides important benefits to the baby.
A study published last year found that babies fed with formula containing INFAT cry less and sleep more. Another showed it may have the potential to support healthy bone growth, and other benefits include better fat and calcium absorption, better comfort generated by softer stool, supporting healthy gut bacteria and better intestinal health, which enhances infant immunity.
Close to mother’s milk
Consumer awareness of these benefits has fuelled demand, particularly in China.
Ronald van der Knaap, CEO of Advanced Lipids, said mother’s milk will always be the gold standard of infant nutrition, but OPO ingredients like INFAT help formula manufacturers come as close to mother's milk as possible.
“Both Frutarom and AAK are extremely proud of the expert team at Advanced Lipids who have contributed so much to scientific and consumer awareness of the benefits of OPO for infants and their parents,” Van der Knaap said.
At this year’s Vitafoods event in Geneva, Switzerland, DairyReporter had the opportunity to speak with Avner Avissara, director of Advanced Lipids, about the product.