Effect of electron beam on chemical changes of nutrients in infant formula.

Infant milk formula has recently been implicated as a transmission vehicle for an emerging foodborne pathogen, Enterobacter sakazakii, resulting in high mortality rates. Electron beam (e-beam) efficiently and non-thermally inactivates foodborne pathogens, including E. sakazakii, in infant milk formula. However, the effects of e-beam on chemical changes of nutrients in infant formula have not been determined. Therefore, the objective of this study was to fulfill this gap. Dehydrated infant milk formula was processed with e-beam at 0 (control) to 25 kGy. Amino acid, fatty acid, and mineral profiles (AAP, FAP, and MP, respectively), as well as protein degradation and lipid oxidation, were determined. There were no differences (P>0.05) in FAP, AAP, and MP. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis qualitatively detected three major protein bands in all samples up to 25 kGy. Densitometry analysis of SDS-PAGE gels confirmed no size degradation (P>0.05) as a function of increased e-beam dose. Totol-volatile-basic-nitrogen (TVBN) excluded (P>0.05) protein degradation due to microbial activity. There was no increase (P>0.05) in lipid oxidation, as assessed with thiobarbituric-reactive-substances (TBARS), except in samples processed at 25 kGy. Dehydrated formula has low water activity, which likely protected nutrients from e-beam-induced chemical changes. This study demonstrates that proteins, lipids, and minerals in infant milk formula are stable when processed with e-beam up to 25 kGy at low temperature and under anaerobic conditions.

Lipid peroxidation in human milk and infant formula: effect of storage, tube feeding and exposure to phototherapy.

Preformed lipid peroxidation products present in the feed may contribute to the total reactive oxygen radical load infants have to deal with and may play a role in the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. In this study, the occurrence of lipid peroxidation in human milk and feeding formulas for preterm babies was evaluated in vitro. Free linoleic acid (18:2) and its hydroperoxide (18:2OOH) were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and the concentration of 18:2OOH and the 18:2OOH/18:2 ratio were used as indices of peroxidation. In all feeds peroxidation products were present, but the proportion of peroxidized 18:2 was greater in infant formula. Storage of human milk (+4 degrees C for four days) increased lipid peroxidation. Exposure to light during tube feeding increased peroxidation in infant formula but not in human milk. Different procedures for preparation, storage and feeding may decrease the concentration of these potentially toxic peroxidized lipids in human milk and infant formula.

Risk factors for microwave scald injuries in infants.

An infant sustained second- and third-degree scald burns of the oropharynx from drinking formula heated in a microwave oven. The circumstances leading to the scald injuries were recreated. Factors contributing to the injury included the volume of formula, the initial temperature of the formula, and the temperature gradient between the liquid core and the bottle surface after microwave heating. These studies indicate that infant formula should be warmed only with extreme care in microwave ovens and should be tested for suitability of temperature prior to feeding.

[Incidence of UV rays on nutritional elements of baby foods according to the nature of the wrapping: white and dark glass]. / Etude expérimentale de l'incidence des rayons U.V. sur les éléments nutritionnels des "baby-foods" selon la nature du conditionnement: verre blanc-verre brun.

Drawing the inference from their experiment the authors have both pointed out the baneful influence of light on evolution of some vitamins and proved that the filter power of tinted packing is an important factor in this test mechanism: --vitamin C has a light development in an atmosphere without oxygen and is more sensitive about temperature than about light; --vitamin A is sensitive about both light and temperature. U.V. radiation applied to a product whose temperature is higher than 20 degrees C causes more damage to this product when packing is made of transparent glass; --the protector power of stained glass is still more obvious in vitamin B2.