Fluoride content of powdered infant formula meets Australian Food Safety Standards.
OBJECTIVE
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 microg F/g of powder (range 0.24-0.92 microg F/g). After reconstitution with water containing 0 mg/L fluoride, the fluoride content averaged 7.09 microg F/100mL (range 3.367-22.72 microg 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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Clifford
Helen
H
Queensland Health, Southport, QLD 4215. helen_clifford@health.qld.gov.au
Olszowy
Henry
H
Young
Megan
M
Hegarty
John
J
Cross
Matthew
M
D001315:Australia; D005459:Fluorides / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000592:standards; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012449:Safety; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
D005459:Fluorides