Infant formula HMOs get EU novel food approval

Following a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessment of Chr. Hansen’s HMOs lacto-N-tetraose (LNT), 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL) and 3'-sialyllactose (3'-SL), the human milk oligosaccharides have been approved for safe use in the EU. They will be used in infant formula and several other categories at the highest dosage levels approved in the HMO market.

According to Jesper Sig Mathiasen, senior vice president, Chr. Hansen HMO, these approvals now mean that formula-fed infants can benefit from formula with HMOs in concentrations closer to nature and its structural variations.

HMOs are the third most abundant solid component of breast milk with many different variations, and benefits stemming from their structural diversity. Breast milk contains significant amounts of HMOs LNT, 3-FL and 3'-SL (all included in Chr. Hansen’s 5 HMO Mix together with 2'FL and 6'-SL).

Discoveries from Chr. Hansen’s team of scientists and other scientists have shown the benefits of HMOs. In relation to the newly approved ones, early science shows:

• LNT contributes to the benefits of breastfeeding for infants and a well-balanced gut microbiome by helping to limit the growth of undesired microorganisms.
• 3-FL increases in concentration over the course of lactation and thereby becomes the most abundant HMO in human breast milk over time.
• 3'-SL provides sialic acid, a nutrient that is needed for healthy development. It further interacts with immune cells, supporting their maturation and contributing to a balanced immune response.

Chr. Hansen’s 5 HMO mix includes the newly approved HMOs alongside 2'-FL, the most abundant HMO in the breast milk of most women and 6'-SL, which should provide sialic acid and support immune system development.

Image credit: iStock.com/PeopleImages