Rossijskij Vestnik Perinatologii i Pediatrii (Mar 2016)
Milk fat globule membrane: Innovation discoveries just for today
Abstract
The previous requirements for baby foods are reconsidered with regards to the novel results of an investigation of breastmilk composition and properties. The need to switch babies over to formula feeding requires that the foods should be better manufactured and brought much closer to the milk of a breastfeeding mother. The possibility of optimizing the fat fraction of milk formulas for healthy babies is of particular interest. The adaptation of the fat fraction of milk formulas was previously aimed at fortifying the foods with essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, by removing butterfat completely and adding to the formula a complex of vegetable oils that are sources of arachidonic and docosahexaenic acids. Special attention is now drawn to the so-called minor components of the fat fraction of breast milk, its fat globules in particular, the core of which is present as hydrophobic triglycerides comprising 95-98% of the globules. The remaining 2-5% of the globules is the lipid-protein membrane that also contains small amounts of vitamins and enzymes. This membrane is named milk fat globule membrane (MFGM); its components are indispensable for the adequate development of a child. To fortify milk formulas with complex lipids as a MFGM component for babies during the first year of life is a promising area for the further improvement of the manufacture of infant foods.
