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The presence of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) esters and 2-MCPD esters in infant formulas have raised a number of food safety concerns. Here, a dietary exposure assessment was conducted for 3-and 2-MCPD esters in infant formulas available for consumption in Chinese infant and toddlers aged 0-3 years old. This work presents the occurrence data for 3-and 2-MCPD ester in 874 infant formulas purchased in China between 2015 and 2017. The concentrations of 3-MCPD esters ranged from ND to 1.469 mg/kg, with concentrations of 2-MCPD esters ranging from ND to 0.218 mg/kg. The LODs of 3-and 2-MCPD esters were 0.027-0.074 mg/kg. The mean exposures of infants and toddlers to 3-MCPD esters from formulas were lower than the tolerable daily intake (TDI, 2 μg/kg bw/day, established by EFSA), while high exposures (95th percentile) to 3-MCPD esters ranged from 0.907 to 2.520 μg/kg bw/day. On the whole, the health risk of Chinese infant and toddlers exposed to 3-MCPD esters was low, but the health risk of some infants aged 0-6 months with high formula consumption (95th percentile) raises some concern.

Background: Post-discharge optimal growth and nutritional intake have beneficial effects for neurodevelopment in preterm very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs) with extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR). The present study aimed to compare the effects of a nutrient-dense formula (NDF) to a post-discharge formula (PDF) on post-discharge growth of preterm VLBWIs with EUGR., Methods: Forty-eight preterm VLBWIs with EUGR at discharge were randomised to receive NDF (100 kcal per 100 mL; 2.6 g protein per 100 mL) or PDF (74 kcal per 100 mL; 1.95 g protein per 100 mL) for 1-6 months until body weight reached the 50th percentile on growth charts with corrected age. Volume, nutrient intake, anthropometry and biochemistry data were collected., Results: Volume intake was lower in the NDF group than the PDF group during the first 2 months of feeding (P = 0.039 and 0.018, respectively).There were no significant differences in volume intake during months 2-6 of feeding. Energy, protein, carbohydrate and fat intake were higher in the NDF group during months 1-6 of feeding. There were no significant differences in weight, length, and head circumference Z-scores during months 1-6 between the two groups. The △length Z-score from discharge to month 6 was significantly higher in the NDF group than the PDF group (P = 0.043). No differences existed between the two groups with respect to biochemistry., Conclusions: After discharge, preterm VLBWIs with EUGR fed a NDF gain anthropometric parameter Z-scores similar to those for a PDF within 6 months of follow-up. A NDF leading to gain in length requires further follow-up., (© 2020 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.)

Mineral oil hydrocarbon (MOH) contamination of various foods in the past few decades has raised much concern due to its potential adverse health effects. Since infant formulas (IF) is the major food source for infants, it is necessary to understand MOH contamination level in IF and consequent potential food safety risks. Data on the contamination of IF by mineral oil are lacking in China. On the other hand, the analysis of MOH in food is difficult. There is no harmonised standard analytical method for testing MOHs in IF. GC-FID/MS was chosen as the analytical tool being more convenient for surveys at a national level. Fifty-one IFs comprising dairy milk-based IFs (n = 39) and goat milk-based IFs (n = 12), including different stages (Stage 1, 2 and 3), package type (metal cans and paper boxes) were collected in China market in 2018 for this survey. 17 of 51 IFs were found positive, but trace levels MOAH were found (≤0.7 mg/kg). For the positive samples, all the MOSH and MOAH hump fell into the C16-C25 fraction. MOH humps were found in all the 12 goat milk-based IFs, even 4 samples are reported with quantifiable values which are higher than the method defined LOQ. The highest quantifiable MOH contamination level of goat milk-based IFs were MOSH = 3.5 mg/kg and MOAH = 0.7 mg/kg. Further root cause analysis of contamination is highly recommended to control the MOH contamination for goat milk-based IFs.

Mineral oil contaminants migrated from food contact materials have raised much concern in the past few decades. However, survey data of the occurrence of mineral oils in foods are only available for a limited variety of foods, which do not include the contaminants in Chinese milk powders. Thus, to conduct an analysis of mineral oils migrated into milk powder products from different packaging materials, 50 Chinese commercial samples (including 38 infant formulas), which were packaged in metal cans, paper containers, paper boxes and aluminium foil-plastic bags, were analysed. Mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH), polyolefin oligomeric saturated hydrocarbons (POSH) and aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) migrated into those samples were extracted and quantitatively analysed by on-line liquid chromatography coupled with gas chromatography (LC-GC). The results indicated no surface MOAH was detected in any of the samples, while 33 samples contained MOSH/POSH with surface contents of 0.10 ~ 5.09 mg kg -1 . Moreover, the amounts of those MOSH/POSH are closely related to packaging materials, among which the surface contamination values of products in metal cans were the lowest, followed by products in paper containers and boxes, and the values of samples in aluminium foil-plastic bags were the highest. In addition, the surface MOSH/POSH content exhibited a positive correlation with fat content in the samples due to their similar polarities.

This survey was performed to investigate the occurrence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination of raw milk from manufacturers of infant milk powder in China. A total of 1207 raw milk samples were collected overall from four seasons of 2016 in Northeast China, Northwest China, Northern China, and Central China (11 provinces and one municipality). Results showed that 56 of the 1207 raw milk samples (4.64%) were positive for AFM1, which were obtained from Heilongjiang (two samples), Gansu (one sample), Shaanxi (46 samples), Beijing (one sample), and Hunan (six samples) provinces. None of the raw milk samples from manufacturers of infant milk powder exceeded the Chinese limit (62.5 ng/L) in 2016. Only a few raw milk samples were not suitable for use in infant milk according to EU (European Union) or U.S. infant milk limits. Furthermore, based on this survey and previous studies, it is particularly important to avoid AFM1 contamination in raw milk during the winter.