Study finds wide variation in antioxidant content of infant cereals

Writing in the Food Chemistry​ journal, scientists at the University of Manitoba in Canada evaluated the antioxidant properties and smell of infant cereal foods, using breast milk as control.

The scientists said little research has been done on the antioxidant activity of infant cereals. They said more work was due because evidence of the health benefits of antioxidants is strong and infant cereals are introduced at a crucial time in infant development when nutritional requirements can no longer be met by breast milk alone.

Considerable variation​

Looking at nine commercial infant cereals and six with added breast milk, the scientists found considerable variation in antioxidant levels and phenolic content.

The range of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH ) scavenging activity was from 47.80 per cent to 74.01 per cent. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) ranged from 2.66 to 18.67 g of Trolox eq./kg. Total phenolic content (TPC) ranged from 166 to 2771 mg of ferulic acid eq./kg.

The product with the highest antioxidant activity in the group of nine commercial cereals was My Organic Baby Barley Baby Cereal. But the electronic nose found that the product had “a negative aroma quality”​ when using breast milk as a gold standard.

Aroma problem ​

As a bad smelling infant cereal product can reduce appetite and therefore have a negative effect on nutrition, aroma quality is an important consideration alongside antioxidant activity. The scientists said high phelonic acid levels in cereals may have negatively affected the smell of some products.

Although it is therefore a high antioxidant content that can be associated with poor smelling products, the scientists were optimistic that this could be corrected. They wrote: “Future work will aim to develop infant cereals with both high antioxidant capacity and good aroma quality.”​

Regarding the work already completed, the scientists said the data gathered for the latest study would be helpful for developing novel infant cereal formulas and guiding mother’s infant cereal feeding.

The science, testing and regulation surrounding antioxidants will be discussed at the upcoming NutraIngredients Antioxidants 2010 Conference. For more information and to register, please click here​ .

Source: Food Chemistry
doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.01.056
An evaluation of the antioxidant properties and aroma quality of infant cereals​
Authors: Wende Lia, James Friel, and Trust Beta