Quality and Safety Aspects of Infant Nutrition

Abstract

Quality and safety aspects of infant nutrition are of key importance for child health, but oftentimes they do not get much attention by health care professionals whose interest tends to focus on functional benefits of early nutrition. Unbalanced diets and harmful food components induce particularly high risks for untoward effects in infants because of their rapid growth, high nutrient needs, and their typical dependence on only one or few foods during the first months of life. The concepts, standards and practices that relate to infant food quality and safety were discussed at a scientific workshop organized by the Child Health Foundation and the Early Nutrition Academy jointly with the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, and a summary is provided here. The participants reviewed past and current issues on quality and safety, the role of different stakeholders, and recommendations to avert future issues. It was concluded that a high level of quality and safety is currently achieved, but this is no reason for complacency. The food industry carries the primary responsibility for the safety and suitability of their products, including the quality of composition, raw materials and production processes. Introduction of new or modified products should be preceded by a thorough science based review of suitability and safety by an independent authority. Food safety events should be managed on an international basis. Global collaboration of food producers, food-safety authorities, paediatricians and scientists is needed to efficiently exchange information and to best protect public health.

Compositional Requirements of Follow-Up Formula for Use in Infancy: Recommendations of an International Expert Group Coordinated by the Early Nutrition Academy

“…The nutritional safety and adequacy of FUF and its components should be based on scientifically accepted evidence. The expert group agrees with previously published comments that the adequacy and safety of dietary products for infants should be determined by a thorough evaluation of its effects on physiological, biochemical, and functional outcomes in infants [1,22,23,24]. It also supports the conclusion that dietary products for infants should only contain components in amounts that serve a nutritional purpose or provide another benefit.…”

“…Modifications of FUF beyond established standards or the addition of other ingredients should be evaluated with regard to safety and possible benefits following current scientific standards, usually including clinical trials [1,22,23,24]. Documentation of the safety of an ingredient or compositional concept in IF usually but not always can be extrapolated to FUF, whereas benefit usually should be demonstrated specifically for the age periods in which IF or FUF are used.…”

Hypnotherapy is more effective than acupressure in the production of prolactin hormone and breast milk among women having given birth with caesarean section

“…Breast-feeding also aims to build the emotional and biological relationship between mother and the baby [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Young mothers having little experiences are commonly confused about the duration and initiation in breast-feeding.…”

Infant formula containing galacto-and fructo-oligosaccharides andBifidobacterium breveM-16V supports adequate growth and tolerance in healthy infants in a randomised, controlled, double-blind, prospective, multicentre study

“…We anticipated that the presence of this synbiotic concept could increase the established efficacy of a well-tolerated extensively hydrolysed whey-based infant formula for the management of allergic disease ( 20 , 21 ) . However, first, the nutritional safety and adequacy of the addition of such a new functional ingredient should be demonstrated following stringent evaluation ( 22 – 24 ) .…”