NETHERLANDS – FrieslandCampina’s new Human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) ingredient, 2’-fucosyllactose (2’-FL) to be used in infant formula has received USDA’s GRAS (Generally Recognised as Safe) certification and approved to be used in the European Union.
The company plans to launch its first human milk oligosaccharide by the end of the year and these approvals will see FrieslandCampina sale the products in the EU and US markets.
2’-FL is among the 200 different varieties of HMOs, the third most abundant component in human milk after lactose and fat.
They are non-digestible carbohydrates and 2’-FL is considered to be the most prevalent, vital in protecting and promoting the health of new-born infants2, particularly in respect to the immune system.
To support early nutrition instead or in addition to breastfeeding, FrieslandCampina has added the HMOs which are safe and well tolerated to infant formula products, according to clinical trials.
“Our 75 years of expertise in infant nutrition were essential in setting up a safe, smooth production process that ensures a continuously high-quality product such as 2’-FL.
DOMO is the market leader in oligosaccharides and has an extensive portfolio of infant nutrition ingredients, to which 2’-FL is the perfect addition, helping our customers to develop the next generation of infant formula,” said Aafke Keizer, Managing Director FrieslandCampina DOMO.
The company said the new ingredient, 2’-FL was developed through a collaborative partnership with U.S.-based Glycosyn, a biotechnology company developing products, based on molecules found naturally in human milk.
The new ingredient will be marketed under the brand name Aequival and the company said it was building a 2’-FL plant in Italy to enhance large scale production by the end of the year.
2’-FL has been developed using Glycosyn’s patented technology available in the global market.
Its first of these Glycosyn applications, covering the novel α1,2 fucosyltransferase used to produce 2’-FL in our production strain was issued as a US patent during 2015.
Godert Zijlstra, Business Development Director HMOs noted that the first HMO, Aequival 2’-FL will be available by the end of the year with planned launches of new infant formulations over the next years.
