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Infant formulations are enriched with vegetable oils that confer not only calories, but also peculiar chemical attributes. Vegetable oils are particularly rich in phytosterols, a class of triterpene molecules analogous to cholesterol, but with different and largely unknown biological effects. The preparation and sterilization of infant formula provide opportune physicochemical conditions for oxidative reactions to occur. Oxidation of phytosterols during the preparation of infant formula can led to oxidized derivatives, known as phytosterol oxidation products [POPs], which harmful effects can be exacerbated given the wide variety of infant formulas characterized by their exclusivity of milk surrogates, required to fulfill specific needs in the nutritional development of a baby. In this review, the state-of-the-art regarding phytosterols and their presence in infant formulation is revised, stressing the need of further investigation in the field of food processing. Reconsidering infant formula manufacturing in the context of phytosterols oxidation will lead to several opportunities for food engineers and technologists in the food safety. Practical applicationsPhytosterols are plant-based bioactive lipids with health benefits. Therefore, they have been implemented as a supplement in infant formula through the addition of vegetable oils. Processing, packaging, and storage contribute to the oxidative process of these compounds. A surveillance of the entire food chain is needed to reduce the oxidative load in the final product.

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The average American consumes more than 50% of their total dietary energy from ultra-processed foods (UPFs). From a nutritional standpoint, as UPFs intake increases, fiber, vitamin, and mineral intake decrease. High consumption of UPFs, mainly from fast foods (FF) and ready-to-eat (RTE) food items, emerges as a critical public health concern linking nutritional quality and food safety. In the present work, a systematic database of the fatty acid composition of the most consumed UPFs in the Midwest is reported. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids were predominant in RTE (42.5%) and FF (43.2%), respectively. In addition, the fatty acid profile in UPFs is reported according to six food categories: meat and poultry, eggs and derivatives, dairy products, seafood, baby foods, and others. Meat and poultry, and dairy products were the dominant food categories among UPFs. Meanwhile, polyunsaturated fatty acids were abundant in the eggs and seafood groups UPFs (61.8% and 46.4%, respectively) regardless of the food group. Furthermore, no significant differences were found in sugar content in UPFs. Caloric content was positively correlated with sodium (ρ = 0.748) and price (ρ = 0.534). The significance of this study relies on providing new quantitative data on the fat, sodium, and sugar contents of the most consumed UPFs in the Midwestern area of the United States. This information suggests paying more attention to these nutritional attributes, aiming to reduce their incorporation in UPF preparations. Additionally, more quantitative data are needed regarding other nutritional parameters such as protein and lipid degradation in UPFs. K E Y W O R D Sfast foods, fatty acid composition, nutritional quality, public health, ready to eat, ultraprocessed foodsPractical Application: This study provides a profile of the fatty acid composition of the most consumed UPFs in the Midwestern region of the United States, as well as correlations with fat, sodium, and sugar contents in UPFs. The information offered a new perspective on the nutrition quality of UPFs, suggesting the reduction of the incorporation of these attributes in UPFs. Additionally, it will

Up to the 60% of the Western diet is characterized by consumption of high amounts of Ultra-processed foods (UPFs). From a nutritional standpoint, the high consumption of UPFs, including Fast-foods and Ready-to-Eat (RTE), emerges as a critical topic for public health linking nutritional quality and food safety. In the present work, we provide a systematic database of fatty acids composition of the most consumed UPFs in the US mid-western region. Saturate (SFA) and monounsaturated (MUFA) fatty acids were predominant in both FF and RTE, while health-beneficial polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids were abundant only in seafood meals. Nutritional and non-nutritional attributes were correlated, finding positive correlation between caloric and sodium content. The significance of this study relies on providing new quantitative data for the most consumed UPFs, with the opportunity to define priority interventions for more advanced precision nutrition, especially for vulnerable populations.

Baby Foods (BFs) and Infant formulas (IFs) are the main sources of nutrition for an infant throughout the 1st year of life. A variety of enriched products are commercially available for parents seeking to fulfill the nutritional needs of infants. Consequently, different bioactive lipids are present in BFs and IFs including dietary oxidative substances (DOxS) whose known toxicity has been associated with mutagenicity, cancer, and other chronic diseases. In this work, we performed an exposure assessment of 25 bioactive lipids on a total of 63 baby food samples (50 IFs and 13 BFs) commercially available in the US. To determine the dietary exposure to DOxS, we used EPA's SHEDS-HT probabilistic model. Even though β-sitosterol was the most exposed bioactive lipid with 75,4 μg/day, cholesterol was the most absorbed compound during the entire first year (19,320 μg/day). Additionally, we found 7α-hydroxycholesterol (7α-OH) as a potential DOxS biomarker of the BFs manufacturing process. This is the first time that an exposure assessment including DOxS ingested by infants after BFs and IFs consumption is performed, enabling much-needed information regarding these hazardous compounds and their potential effects on infants' health.

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Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and their nutritional value have become a trending topic in the scientific community because of their increasing demand, and their potentially adverse effects on human health. Besides the poor nutritional value attributed to UPFs, countless studies have also reported the presence of different dietary oxidized substances in these meals. DOxS are associated with several chronic diseases such as cardiometabolic diseases (CMD), cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease. In this study, a database of DOxS and other dietary metabolites detected in 63 UPFs meals part of the Western diet is reported. Significant differences were found in DOxS and phytosterol contents between ready-to-eat and fast food (FF). Putative biomarkers were suggested for RTE (brassicasterol) and FF (7a-OH and 7b-OH), as well as for all 6 different food categories: dairy (brassicasterol), eggs & derivatives (stigmasterol and b-sitosterol), meat & poultry (7a-OH), seafood, baby food (b-sitosterol), and others (campesterol). Ideally, the use of dietary biomarkers could potentially help in the future to identify in an early stage the presence of different chronic diseases, and even, prevent their development. Nevertheless, an exposure assessment is critical to understand the exposure level of DOxS and their relationship with different chronic diseases.