Enhanced stability and clean label: 6 reasons why our new dry vitamin A is a game-changer for early life nutrition

Summary

• Vitamin A has a critical role in infant development but poses challenges when incorporated into early life nutrition solutions.
• Our new Dry Vitamin A Palmitate for Early Life Nutrition solves key formulation challenges with a form that’s stable and suitable, with high vitamin A content, and optimal particle size for infant nutrition fortification.
• This innovation is part of our ongoing commitment to bridge the nutritional gap between breastfed infants and those relying on infant nutrition products, helping to provide all babies the best start in life.

Vitamin A is essential for infant development, playing a crucial role in eye health, immune function, cell growth, and skin health.¹ However, its instability has long challenged manufacturers looking to formulate shelf-stable infant nutrition solutions. Now, we’re revealing an innovative new form of Dry Vitamin A Palmitate for Early Life Nutrition (ELN)—a breakthrough ingredient that combines stability with clean label demands to resolve persistent challenges in infant nutrition formulation.

In this blog, we’ll explore the crucial role of vitamin A in infant development and why it poses such formulation challenges. Plus, we share how Dry Vitamin A Palmitate helps you meet growing consumer demand for clean label infant nutrition, while also enabling more stable and efficacious formulations.

The Vitamin A dilemma: Essential for growth, challenging for formulators

Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for healthy infant development and, despite being a required component in infant nutrition, it is notoriously difficult to incorporate into nutrition products. This challenge has left formulators in a constant battle against instability, with vitamin A prone to degradation during processing and storage, potentially compromising the nutritional efficacy of early life nutrition products. The stakes are high. Vitamin A deficiency is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness affecting up to 30% of children under 5 globally.^2,3 Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is particularly prevalent in developing countries, yet supplementation for infants remains uncommon—despite the vitamin's essential role in immune function, cell growth and differentiation, and skin health.⁴

Adding to the complexity is the rising tide of consumer awareness around ingredient transparency and what goes into the infant nutrition products they buy. Today's parents are more informed and discerning than ever, with 67% expressing concerns about additives in infant nutrition products.⁵ A shift towards clean label solutions has created a new imperative for early life nutrition formulators: deliver optimal nutrition without compromising on ingredient purity.

6 ways Dry Vitamin A Palmitate addresses long-standing challenges in early life nutrition formulation

Our new form of dry vitamin A is the result of extensive research and development, aimed at overcoming stability issues while meeting consumer demand for clean label products.

Dry Vitamin A Palmitate for ELN was developed with 6 factors in mind:

1) Stability. The dry form significantly enhances product stability. Tests in vitamin-mineral premixes showed relative vitamin A retention of over 90% after 6 months of storage at 25°C and 60% relative humidity.

2) Clean label formulation. To help manufacturers meet consumer preferences for shorter ingredient lists, Dry Vitamin A Palmitate for ELN is stabilized with mixed tocopherols only. It's free from:

• Synthetic antioxidants
• Added silica
• Other flow agents
• Allergens (mixed tocopherols are extracted from soybeans but are not considered an allergen by regulation (EU) 1169/2011)
• GMOs
• Added sugars

3) Particle size and integration. At least 85% of the particles pass through sieve No. 60 (250μm), the standard sieve size used in infant nutrition manufacturing. This fine particle size ensures smooth integration into early life nutrition products, promoting uniform distribution of vitamin A.

4) Versatility. The product is suitable for both dry and wet blending applications in infant nutrition products and early life nutrition premixes. It's also appropriate for use in various food preparations and dietary supplements.

5) Certifications. Dry Vitamin A Palmitate for ELN is certified Halal (in accordance with HFCE) and Kosher, broadening applications across different markets and consumer groups.

6) Shelf life. When stored at temperatures below 15°C, the product maintains its efficacy for 24 months from the date of manufacture.

This innovative formulation ensures infants receive stable, potent vitamin A in a clean-label product, bridging the gap between nutritional efficacy and consumer demand for shorter ingredient lists.

Bridging the nutrition gap: from innovation to impact

At dsm-firmenich, our team is driven by a singular vision: provide every infant the best start in life. Our new Dry Vitamin A Palmitate is more than just an ingredient—it's a catalyst for transformation in early life nutrition. We're not just focusing on stable, bioavailable nutrients; our vision extends to early life nutrition products that also support the developing infant microbiome. As part of our science-backed portfolio, including HMOs and essential fatty acids, this new vitamin A form helps narrow the compositional and functional gap between infant nutrition solutions and breast milk—the gold standard for infant nutrition. This breakthrough opens doors to advanced nutrition solutions that support infant health globally, recognizing the critical impact of the first 1,000 days on lifelong well-being.