IN Brief:
- A six-month Chinese trial found growth outcomes for formula containing Lacprodan IF-3070 were comparable with a breastfed reference group.
- The partially hydrolysed whey formula delivered non-inferior weight gain versus standard formula and showed no significant tolerability gap versus breastfeeding.
- The readout adds clinical support for hydrolysed whey use in infant formula as manufacturers balance growth, gut comfort, and regulatory access.
Arla Foods Ingredients says the first clinical publication on its partially hydrolysed whey ingredient Lacprodan® IF-3070 indicates that infant formula containing the ingredient supported weight-gain patterns close to those seen in a breastfed reference group over a six-month intervention in China.
The randomised, triple-blind trial enrolled healthy full-term infants aged 14 days or younger. Formula-fed participants received either a standard cow’s milk protein formula or a formulation in which around 40% of the protein came from partially hydrolysed whey, while a breastfed cohort was followed as a reference. The study’s primary endpoint was daily weight gain.
After six months, adjusted mean daily weight gain was 26.0 g/day in the partially hydrolysed whey group, 25.3 g/day in the standard formula group, and 26.4 g/day in the breastfed reference group. That left a 0.4 g/day gap between the Lacprodan® IF-3070 formula and breastfeeding, compared with 1.1 g/day for the standard formula. Researchers also reported that weight-for-age trajectories differed less from the breastfed reference in the partially hydrolysed whey group than in the standard formula group, while length-for-age increased more slowly in the standard formula cohort than in the partially hydrolysed whey cohort.
Tolerability data formed the other key part of the readout. No serious adverse events were reported, and the incidence of gastrointestinal disorders in the partially hydrolysed whey group was not significantly different from the breastfed reference. In the standard formula group, gastrointestinal disorders occurred more often than in the breastfed group. The published paper describes the ingredient as having a degree of hydrolysis of 11% to 16% and notes that both trial formulas contained at least 60% whey protein.
The result lands in a market that continues to prize clinically supported protein systems able to balance growth, tolerability, and regulatory fit. Arla has previously said Lacprodan® IF-3070 is cleared for use in the Chinese market and was among the hydrolysates covered by a 2024 US FDA decision allowing specified whey protein hydrolysates to be used in infant formula. The study was carried out at Peking University with formula manufactured by Junlebao Dairy Group, and the company says the paper is the first in a planned series of four publications from the wider study. The full paper is available here.
