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Docosahexaenoic Acid Stability in Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food.
Genevieve James1, Kevin Stephenson2, Meghan Callaghan-Gillespie3
1Dell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78723, USA.
Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 21, 2023
Summary
Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) enriched with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supports cognitive recovery in malnourished children. Most DHA is retained in RUTF, especially when added late in the manufacturing process.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Food Chemistry
- Pediatric Nutrition
Background:
- Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) is crucial for treating severe acute malnutrition in children.
- Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) inclusion in RUTF supports cognitive development but is susceptible to degradation.
- Iron content in RUTF may accelerate DHA peroxidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and assess DHA retention in RUTF formulations at benchtop and manufacturing scales.
- To evaluate the impact of different DHA forms and ingredient bases on stability.
- To determine the optimal stage for DHA addition during RUTF manufacturing.
Main Methods:
- Preparation of 27 benchtop RUTF formulations with varying DHA types and levels.
- Climate-controlled storage of pilot samples for seven months.
- Manufacturing scale RUTF production with DHA added at initial or final mixing stages.
Main Results:
- Benchtop RUTF samples showed similar relative DHA retention after storage.
- Less than 20% of DHA added early in manufacturing was lost before packaging.
- DHA retention was highest when added during the final mixing stage.
Conclusions:
- Most added DHA is retained in the final RUTF product.
- Adding DHA at the latest possible manufacturing stage maximizes its retention.
- Optimized RUTF production can ensure adequate DHA levels for cognitive support.
