BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Clinical Nutrition
A2 β-Casein Infant Formula with High sn-2 Palmitate and Casein Phosphopeptides (CPP) Supports Energy and Mineral Absorption in Chinese Infants
Li Wang 1
Wiola Mi 1
Hai Rong Liu 2
Nan Sheng 2
Hui Dong Huang 2
Xiao Jiang Jia 2
Emiliano Rial Verde 1
Xiao Yang Sheng 3
1. Bunge Nutrition, Shanghai, China
2. Junlebao Nutrition Research Institute, Shijiazhuang, China
3. Department of Developmental Behavioral Pediatric and Children Healthcare, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Abstract
Infant formula (IF) is essential when breastfeeding is not possible or sufficient. We previously reported that, in a randomized, double-blind clinical trial with 180 healthy infants, an A2 β-casein IF containing high sn-2 palmitate levels, and casein phosphopeptides (CPP) improved stool consistency, gastrointestinal comfort, crying time, and bone mineral density. Here, we present complementary, pre-specified, biochemical analyses from the same cohort. Relative to standard cow's milk IF, the A2 β-casein, high sn-2 palmitate and CPP IF reduced fatty acid and calcium excretion, reduced calcium fatty acid soap formation, increased hair iron and zinc content, and was associated with lower cortisol levels. These parameters were not different from the breastfed group in the study. Together, the previously published clinical outcomes and the biochemical findings presented here suggest that an IF designed to narrow the compositional gap with human milk may deliver some of the advantages of breastfeeding, providing a path for improving IF compositions. Clinical trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/, NCT04749290.
Summary
Keywords
A2 β-casein, Calcium absorption, casein phosphopeptides (CPP), fecalfatty acid soaps, infant nutrition, Mineral absorption, Sn-2 palmitate
Received
19 December 2025
Accepted
17 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Wang, Mi, Liu, Sheng, Huang, Jia, Rial Verde and Sheng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Li Wang; Xiao Yang Sheng
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.