Open AccessFluoride content of powdered infant formula meets Australian Food Safety Standards
Author(s) -
Clifford Helen,
Olszowy Henry,
Young Megan,
Hegarty John,
Cross Matthew
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-6405.2009.00455.x
Subject(s) - infant formula , fluoride , chemistry , food science , medicine , zoology , inorganic chemistry , biology
Objectives:To identify the fluoride content of powdered formula for infants 0‐12 months in products available from Brisbane stores in 2006/07 and compare this with the fluoride content of infant formula products available in Australia 10 years earlier.Methods:A range of available infant formula powders were collected from major supermarkets and chemists in Brisbane, Queensland. The fluoride levels in infant formula powder samples were determined using a modification of the micro‐diffusion method of Silva and Reynolds 1 utilising perchloric acid and silver sulphate and measured with an ion selective (fluoride) electrode/meter. Fluoride content both prior to and after reconstitution, as well as estimated daily intake according to age was calculated.Results:Formula samples contained an average of 0.49 μg F/g of powder (range 0.24–0.92 μg F/g). After reconstitution with water containing 0mg/L fluoride, the fluoride content averaged 7.09μg F/100mL (range 3.367–22.72 μg F/100mL). Estimated infant fluoride intakes ranged from 0.0039 mg/kg/day for a 6‐12 month old infant when reconstituting milk‐based formula with non‐fluoridated water (0 mg/L), to 0.1735 mg/kg/day for a 0‐3 month old infant when reconstituting soy‐based formula with fluoridated water (1.0 mg/L).Conclusions:Infant formula powders contain lower levels of fluoride than previously found in Australia in 1996.Implications:This confirms that infants consume only a small amount of fluoride from milk‐based powdered infant formula. Although soy‐based infant formulas contain more fluoride than milk‐based products, the levels still comply with national food standards.