Australian-based nutraceutical company breaks into infant formula market

Jun 29, 2021Little Baby

From ethical beginnings, Melbourne-based company Max Biocare has spent the last 21 years refining its portfolio of quality nutraceutical supplements to cater for the health, wellness and nutritional demands of families across the APAC region. Recently, they “gave birth” to a new range of nutrient-rich, optimized formulas for infants and children, abiding by the same quality standards.

With more than 100 different products under their belt and using only the highest standards for scientific and pharma quality possible, Max Biocare’s nutrition and scientific teams recently took on board ongoing suggestions from their Little Étoile Organic community. The challenge was to develop a premium, scientifically driven, optimized, fully compliant and competitive infant and toddler nutrition range to support the first critical 1,000 days of early life and beyond.

Little Étoile Organic, a division of Max Biocare, introduced a premium selection of naturally sourced, organic pouch and cereal products for children. So it was a natural progression to the new Little Étoile Nutrition range. Offerings include premium level, comprehensive nutrition formulas for early infants and toddlers, from stages 1 thru 4, in a range of styles, from cans to sachets.

The growing need amongst mothers who are unable to successfully breast-feed inspired the first step, with Max Biocare using its methodical approach to create a unique, fortified infant (0-6month) and follow-on (6-12 month) combination. Combining premium, Australian grass-fed cow’s milk blends with essential vitamins, minerals and formative nutrients, Little Étoile Nutrition’s Premium infant formula and Premium follow-on formula provide a firm nutritional foundation, enriched with 0.3% omega-3 DHA and EPA, and with an omega-3/6 ratio that conforms with international recommendations [1].

The next step was to address the challenging goal of creating an optimal toddler and growing up formula. Recognizing the trend back to tried and trusted cow’s milk from Australia’s clean sources, and away from sugary alternatives, the Little Étoile Nutrition’s Premium toddler formula and Premium Growing-up Formula keeps the ball rolling. Featuring the Opti-5® system, the range distills down the 5 key nutritional elements recognized as critical for continuing their healthy start to life, addressing growth and development, cognitive function, vision, digestive health, immunity. These formulas featuring premium prebiotic GOS, lutein, beta-carotene and one of the most generous DHA levels on the market.

As childcare continues to stretch back to cater to earlier age groups, and as circulating germs and allergens have become a global concern, immune health increasingly became a major focus for Little Étoile Nutrition. The addition of yeast beta-glucan [2-4] and lactoferrin [5-7] from Australian dairy sources to their stage 3 & 4 formulas, and to their strengthened Little Étoile Clinical Nutrition Optimum Stage 3 & 4 range, provides an extra, valuable layer of defense.

Immune health appears to be a major focus in the APAC region. During March and April 2021, Max Biocare conducted an online survey [8] involving a total of 2334 mothers with at least one toddler, residing in seven different countries, including 5 APAC countries. When asked which single benefit was the most important in a toddler milk, brain health (29.1%) and immune health (27.8%) were the two priority health areas.

This trend toward immune health is understandable, in view of the pandemic of 2020, when parents have become more conscious about maintaining their family’s health through good nutrition. Amongst the countries in the APAC region, Singapore topped the list of those focused on immune benefits, followed by China, Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam and lastly Thailand. Surprisingly, not even 10% of US respondent considered immunity to be of major concern.