Bunge introduces Betapol® Organic, a breakthrough for manufacturers of organic infant milk formula

The first Certified Organic OPO on the Chinese and European markets

On 6 September 2021, Bunge Loders Croklaan (BLC) launched Betapol® Organic, the first China and EU Certified Organic OPO (Oleic-Palmitic-Oleic or SN-2 palmitate) for infant milk formula. Inspired by the natural composition of human breast milk, Betapol® Organic is the latest offering in the company’s infant nutrition portfolio.

“As the inventor of the OPO category, and as part of our ongoing innovation efforts, we are proud to announce that our Betapol product is now Certified Organic,” said Dr. Emiliano Rial Verde, Vice President of Bunge Loders Croklaan Nutrition. “We’ve seen the demand for organic infant milk formula growing, but clinically proven ingredients with organic certification are lacking. Now, we are the first in the market to offer our customers a premium OPO ingredient with dual EU¹ and Chinese² Organic certifications.”

Increased consumer demand for organic products

Food brands are striving to have products that align with the values of their consumers. Organic certified products are part of this trend. Mintel reported that the global number of organic Infant Milk Formula (IMF) product introductions has grown from 5% in 2015 to 13% in 2021. The Asian organic baby food market constitutes 20% of the global market and is growing at a rapid pace of 12% a year since 2015³. China is fuelling the market with a year-on-year growth of over 20% in organic baby food, and 30% in organic IMF⁴. Stricter standards for organic certification have also led to a rise in consumer confidence and thus demand for organic products. With the introduction of Betapol® Organic, BLC is working to meet these market demands.

Enabling growth for infant formula manufacturers

Betapol® from BLC is an established infant formula ingredient with clinical benefits proven since the 1990s. OPO is a uniquely structured lipid that is naturally present in mother’s milk. The presence of palmitic acid in the middle position (SN-2 palmitate) has been clinically proven to improve energy intake, reduce constipation, increase bone mineral density, positively affect healthy gut bacteria, improve fine motor skills, reduce crying and result in better sleep⁵.

The introduction of Organic Certified Betapol®, the first EU Organic and China Organic Standard certified OPO, marks another milestone for Bunge Loders Croklaan (BLC). Grounded in BLC’s ambition to be a growth enabler for its customers, Betapol® Organic allows the production of organic infant milk formulas with the clinically proven benefits of OPO which, until now, were only available to conventional formulas.

Growing the organic portfolio of Bunge Loders Croklaan

Next to infant milk formula ingredients, BLC is growing its organic portfolio, offering a steady and scalable supply chain of organic oils and fats, ranging from sunflower, rapeseed, soy and palm to shea and coconut. The company is also broadening its network of organic farmers to develop reliable organic supply chains customers can trust.

Betapol® nutritional lipids portfolio history

As the inventor of the OPO category, and with over 30 years of experience in Infant Nutrition lipids, Bunge Loders Croklaan’s fats and oils are essential for infant formula manufacturers to reach the highest nutrition, safety, and quality standards.

Betapol®:The very first enzymatically processed fat blend bringing infant milk formula closer to nature by mimicking the lipid structure of mother’s milk. Betapol® is the original OPO (SN-2 palmitate) product with 55% of palmitic acid in the SN-2 position.
Betapol® Plus: The products with the highest SN-2 palmitate levels on the market to mimic the levels naturally occurring in mother’s milk (65% to 75%); winner of the Food Ingredients Europe Innovation Award 2019.
Betapol® Select: High SN-2 palmitate levels with the right balance of OPO and OPL (linoleic acid in positions 1 or 3) to mimic the fat composition of Chinese mothers’ milk and, with tailored OPO-OPL ratios available.

Bunge Loders Croklaan (BLC) is a leading global producer and supplier of sustainable plant-based lipids for the food manufacturing industry. It operates as the global B2B edible oils business of Bunge. Its products are used in a wide range of applications from bakery and confectionery to culinary and infant nutrition. With in-depth knowledge of ingredients, applications and processes, the BLC team closely cooperates with customers to develop tailored solutions and create unique innovative products in the marketplace.