A new generation of baby milks.

We know, there is nothing better for your baby than your breast milk. But sometimes breastfeeding is just not possible. This is where baby milks come into play. Enriching these formula milks with human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) bring them closer to the role model of mother nature.

You can already tell by the name – human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) – that these unique building blocks are only found in human breast milk. They do not exist anywhere else in nature in this form.
But, thanks to a complex technique, it has become possible to produce exact replicates of some of the most important HMOs so that they can be added to baby milks. During the last years, HMOs form a huge field of research, with 2FL being the most abundant and researched among them and therefore is approved for the manufacture of baby foods.

Every baby grows day by day and all the while their nutritional needs are changing with them. HMOs have a unique role in babies´ nutrition especially during the first year of life. ^[1] However HMOs content in breast milk gradually decreases over time. ^[2] Once a baby becomes more active and starts to explore new foods, other nutrients become more important for babies' further development, such as dietary fibres and vitamins. ^[3]

The new generation of baby milks with HMO are clearly marked on the back of the pack. You can, for example, find HMO or the abbreviation 2FL on the packaging or in the list of ingredients. 2FL stands for 2’-fucosyllactose – the most abundant HMO found in breast milk.

_{[1] Donovan & Comstock. Human Milk Oligosaccharides Influence Neonatal Mucosal and Systemic Immunity. Annals Nutr Metab 2016; 69 Suppl 2:42–51.• Bode. Human milk oligosaccharides: every baby needs a sugar mama. Glycobiology 2012; 22(9):1147-1162. [2] Samuel et al. Impact of maternal characteristics on human milk oligosaccharide composition over the first 4 months of lactation in a cohort of healthy European mothers. Sci Rep 2019; 9(1):11767. [3] World Health Organization (WHO). Infant and Young Child Feeding. 2009. ISBN 978 92 4 159749 4. [4] Castanys-Muñoz et al. 2'-fucosyllactose: an abundant, genetically determined soluble glycan present in human milk. Nutr Rev 2013; 71(12):773–789. • Plaza-Diaz et al. Human Milk Oligosaccharides and Immune System Development. Nutrients 2018; 10(8):1038.}