Recent trends in encapsulated bioactives for improving the delivery of infant milk fortifiers

Low birth weight and preterm infants have increased nutritional requirements due to their limited nutrient reserves and physiological immaturity. However, both preterm mother's milk and donor human milk are often deficient in bioactive compounds which are necessary for immune protection, gastrointestinal maturation, and neurodevelopment. Fortifiers are frequently incorporated into human milk to improve its nutritional and functional qualities. This review discusses key bioactive compounds with potential for incorporation into infant milk fortifiers and looks at encapsulating technologies designed to protect bioactives throughout processing and gastrointestinal transit because of the physiological immaturity of preterm newborns. However, the lack of studies on GRAS-approved carriers for infants limits confidence in the applicability of current encapsulation approaches, although some safe encapsulation techniques and carriers have been investigated in infant formulas; data on their use in milk fortifiers remain limited. Encapsulation may be a promising strategy for increasing the efficacy of milk fortifiers. However, this review still identifies existing challenges, including limited clinical validation, safety concerns, and regulatory hurdles, and proposes practical solutions to support the safe and effective clinical application of encapsulated bioactives in neonatal nutrition.