Assessment of Lipid Quality and Composition of Commercial Infant Milk Formulas in Mexico: Emphasis on <i>Trans</i> Fatty Acid Isomers

Abstract

Objective : To assess the lipid quality focusing on trans fatty acids (TFA) content of standardized milk formulas marketed in Mexico for infants aged from 0 to 36 months. Material and Methods : A total of 27 infant formulas from eight different leading brands were analyzed. Nine of them belonged to stage 1 (age < 6 months), nine to stage 2 (age 6 to 12 months) and eight to stage 3 (age > 12 months). Acquired products were treated by duplicate for extraction of total lipid content with the modified Folch method before their expiration date. Fatty acids were esterified in an alkaline medium followed by an acid-catalyzed esterification. Analysis was performed on a gas chromatograph (5890 Series II; Hewlett-Packard, USA) with a flame ionization detector. Results : Thirty-four fatty acids (C8 to C22) were identified. Most products complied with ESPHAGAN compositional requirements. Only one product exceeded the suggested limit (>3%) for TFA. Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) content was consistently meager (≈78%), with low amounts of arachidonic (<0.35%) and docosahexaenoic acids (<0.2%). Conclusion : Most milk formulas complied with ESPHAGAN global recommendations. The content of TFA and LC-PUFAs was scarce in the majority of samples.