Digestive Health

Digestive health shouldn't be taken for granted

‘Digestive Discomfort’ is a common health issue that impacts people at all life stages.

Parents often report this as a key concern for their babies and young children. Although the range of digestive discomfort symptoms differ with each child, these are usually easily identifiable (Refer to diagram below).

Symptoms of digestive discomfort can cause distress for both babies and caregivers, by potentially impacting a baby’s sleep patterns, bowel movements and crying times. This can drive parents to seek information on the causes and potential solutions. This makes infant digestive health one of the most discussed topics by parents online.

Why we’ve chosen to focus on digestive health

NZMP ingredients help to address ‘Digestive Health’ as a key focus area, because we know it is a key concern for parents.*

Babies can be highly sensitive to anything they eat because they have less mature digestive systems. Having a higher stomach pH and less effective digestive enzymes, impacts digestion of certain nutrients, such as protein. This can cause the digestive discomfort symptoms described above.

Breast milk is the ideal way to feed a baby. However, when a baby is unable to be breastfed or a mother chooses not to, a suitable infant formula which supports digestive function is important to support nutrient absorption and immune function. Parents will look for paediatric nutrition solutions which support digestive comfort.

Ingredients for Digestive Health

Paediatric Hydrolysates

A form of “pre-digested” proteins that are easily digested and rapidly absorbed by the human body – and this is one of the reasons they’re so popular in infant nutrition.
Suitable for Infants - particularly those facing feeding and digestion issues

Paediatric Grade Powders

Manufactured to meet the exacting standards required for the manufacture of formula for infants and young children.

NZMP™ has a broad range of ingredients to meet your needs

Explore the range

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Digestive discomfort is a key driver of brand choice

Our consumer research shows that colic, spit-up or regurgitation, and constipation are the most common symptoms of digestive discomfort.¹ For parents of formula fed-infants, digestive discomfort symptoms are a key driver of brand switching.

Parents whose infants experience digestive discomfort often change formulas without consulting healthcare professionals. Even when advice from healthcare professionals is sought, formula switching can be a common recommendation.

This means brands have an opportunity to improve market share by offering solutions that support digestive comfort. These solutions rely on manufacturers using appropriate and proven ingredients in their formulations.

The NZMP™ range offers a number of ingredients specially designed to support developing digestive systems, and have been shown to help improve digestive comfort outcomes for formula-fed babies.

77% of new products launched by market leaders are focused on digestive comfort

Source: Innova Customised Fonterra Research 2016

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NZMP™ Paediatric Whey Protein Hydrolysate 917

Research into NZMP™ Paediatric WPH 917 suggests it may alleviate some symptoms of digestive comfort to provide the following benefits:

Gas and bloating may be reduced due to WPH 917’s low lactose content².
Constipation may be eased because WPH 917 increases intestinal transit and gastric emptying rates compared to standard infant formula³.

Regurgitation and spit up may be reduced with WPH 917 (Koopman et al, 2009); Dallas et al, 2012).

Additionally, NZMP™ Paediatric WPH 917 delivers a superior amino acid profile and improved flavour compared to some alternatives (see Diagram).

Source: Fonterra sensory panel evaluations.

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References

[1] Fonterra Mothers & Health Care Professionals (HCPs) consumer research 2011 and 2012; NNB Fonterra Research
[2] Berseth et al, 2009; Savino et al, 2003; Vandenplas et al, 2014
[3] Dalziel et al, in Preparation
[4] DP refers to ‘degree of polymerisation’. DP3+ indicates that our GOS contains oligosaccharides with an average chain length of three or more linked saccharide units.
[5] The organic lactose used in GOS manufacture has been approved by the United Kingdom’s Organic Farmers and Growers, and the China Organic Food Certification Center.

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