Effect of high DHA and ARA fortification on non-enzymatic browning of infant formula powder

ABSTRACT

To investigate the effect of adding high-dose docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) on the stability of infant formula powders (IFs), IFs fortified with high-dose and low-dose DHA and ARA were compared and evaluated during storage at 37°C for six months. We specifically focused on the changes to IFs caking, amino acid content, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content. We found that during the storage process, there was no significant change in the amino acids of IFs following supplementation with high- or low-doses of DHA and ARA. However, HMF and color difference (∆E) increased with the length of storage time. A comparison between the high-dose and low-dose groups revealed that the addition of high-dose DHA and ARA did not cause an additional increase in the HMF but exacerbated the caking of IFs. The addition of high-dose DHA and ARA did not exacerbate the non-enzymatic browning of IFs.

KEYWORDS:

• Infant formula
• 5-hydroxymethylfurfural
• non-enzymatic browning
• docosahexaenoic acid
• color

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Brightdairy (Shanghai, China) for providing samples of infant formula powders.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contributions

Jia Hong-xin and Su Mi-ya designed the study. Jia Hong-xin and Su Mi-ya wrote the manuscript and were primarily responsible for its final content. Liu Hai-an collected test data and discussed over the course of the study. All the authors have read and approved the final final version of the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Shanghai State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission Enterprise Innovation Development and Capacity Enhancement Program [No. 2022013].