As scientific understanding of infant nutrition deepens, infant formula is evolving to more closely resemble human breast milk.
The future of infant formula includes bioactive ingredients, genetically engineered components, and advanced prebiotics and probiotics, aiming to improve digestive health, immune function, and cognitive development.
Although infant formula provides essential nutrients, it lacks many bioactive compounds found in breast milk.
Ahern et al. (2019) emphasize that breast milk contains immune-modulating molecules, antimicrobial peptides, and live maternal microbiota, which formula does not yet fully replicate.
Formula companies have introduced fortified blends containing probiotics to support gut microbiota balance, HMOs to encourage beneficial bacterial growth, and lactoferrin and osteopontin to enhance immune function.
However, the global commercialization of infant formula presents ethical concerns.
Research by Baker et al. (2016) highlights the aggressive marketing of formula, often at the expense of breastfeeding promotion, particularly in low-income countries where formula feeding may increase infant mortality due to poor sanitation.
Recent breakthroughs include the use of genetically modified bacteria and yeast to produce human-like HMOs (Bych et al., 2019).
These bioengineered oligosaccharides show promise in reducing infections, supporting cognitive development, and strengthening the immune system.
Another exciting development is the addition of milk-derived exosomes, nanosized vesicles rich in microRNAs, proteins and other bioactive molecules, involved in intercellular communication, that may help regulate infant immune responses and promote gut-brain communication (Bakshi et al., 2023, Hock et al., 2017).
Despite these advancements, regulatory agencies continue to assess the long-term safety and efficacy of these ingredients.
Stricter labeling requirements and oversight are needed to ensure that bioactive-enriched formulas provide real health benefits and are marketed responsibly (Salminen et al., 2020).
The future of infant formula lies in precision nutrition, where formulations are tailored to individual infant needs.
While breastfeeding remains the gold standard, formula innovation continues to bridge the gap, providing better alternatives for infants who cannot be breastfed.
References:
Ahern, G., et al. (2019). Advances in Infant Formula Science. Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, 10, 75-102.
Baker, P., et al. (2016). Global trends and patterns of commercial milk-based formula sales: is an unprecedented infant and young child feeding transition underway?. Public Health Nutrition,19(14):2540-2550.
Bakshi, S., et al. (2023). A comprehensive review on infant formula: nutritional and functional constituents, recent trends in processing and its impact on infants’ gut microbiota. Frontiers in nutrition, 10, 1194679.
Bych, K., et al. (2019). Production of HMOs Using Microbial Hosts. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 56, 130-137.
Hock, A., et al. (2017). Breast milk-derived exosomes promote intestinal epithelial cell growth. Journal of pediatric surgery, 52(5), 755–759.
Salminen, S., et al. (2020). Infant Formula Supplemented with Biotics: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives. Nutrients, 12 (7), 1952.