GC-MS-based metabolomics and NMR investigation of Formula Milk

Breast milk (BM) is the gold standard in neonatal nutrition. When BM is not available, it can be substituted or integrated with commercial infant formulas, sold under different brands and formulations. The low-molecular-weight hydrophilic compounds in various formula milk (FM) brands and BM samples were analyzed by GC-MS and multivariate statistical data analysis. Results highlighted that FM formulations, besides being strongly different from BM, are diverse especially in regard to the addition of oligosaccharides and other nutrients. Moreover, the 1H NMR spectra of the aqueous and of the lipid fractions of FM samples exhibited differences due to the diverse formulations. Strengths and weaknesses of the two analytical approaches will be discussed also in the light of the nutritional reports.