Butterfat and milk fat globule membrane in infant formula
What it found
Whole goat milk used as the fat source in infant formula can supply more milk fat, short and medium chain fatty acids, sn-2 palmitic acid and milk fat globule membrane than formulas built on vegetable oils.
The authors say these features make the fat closer in composition and structure to human milk fat and may support digestion, brain development and immunity.
What they found
Studies in people
Stool frequency in infants
In a small randomised trial, infants fed a whole goat milk formula had more bowel motions per day than infants fed a whey-adjusted cow milk formula. A larger randomised trial found no difference in stool frequency between a whole goat milk formula and a cow milk formula, and both formula groups had lower stool frequency than breastfed infants.
Animal and lab studies
Milk fat globule membrane
Whole goat milk supplies native milk fat globules with their membrane, including phospholipids such as sphingomyelin, gangliosides and membrane proteins. Lab imaging showed that after processing, some intact membrane fragments and cytoplasmic crescents survive in the formula, at the droplet surface and in the water phase.
Studies in people and animals
Brain and immunity
Clinical studies in infants fed formula with milk fat globule membrane have shown higher levels of fatty acid oxidation products and certain phospholipids in blood, and some studies report better cognitive scores and fewer infections. The authors note it is not possible to link these effects to a single membrane component.
Other findings
Fatty acid profile
Goat milk fat has 15% to 18% of the medium chain fatty acids C6:0, C8:0 and C10:0, compared with 5% to 9% in cow milk. These fats are released and absorbed more readily in the gut, which may make goat milk fat easier to digest.
Palmitic acid position
Human milk has up to 70% of its palmitic acid at the sn-2 position of the fat molecule. Using whole goat milk without changing the whey to casein ratio lets a formula contain up to 31% of palmitic acid at sn-2, about half the human milk level but more than formulas made with vegetable oils only, which can be as low as 8%.
Cholesterol and plant sterols
Human, cow and goat milk fats have similar cholesterol levels. Formulas made only with vegetable oils contain very little cholesterol and much higher levels of plant sterols, and using whole goat milk raises cholesterol to about half the average level in human milk while lowering plant sterols.
What the authors conclude
“This review highlights the lipid composition of whole goat milk-based infant formula and its potential for infant nutrition to support healthy digestion, brain development and immunity.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say whole goat milk as the only protein source allows levels of milk fat, short and medium chain fatty acids, sn-2 palmitic acid and milk fat globule membrane to be maximised, giving formula a composition and structure closer to human milk fat globules.
- They conclude that these features have been shown to benefit digestion, and cognitive and immune development.
- They call for further work on the role of these components in allergy development and on the advantages of goat milk fat and milk fat globule membrane for infant nutrition and health.
How it was done
Most infant formulas use cow milk proteins and vegetable oils, which limits the amount of milk fat and milk fat globule membrane they can contain. The authors wanted to review whether whole goat milk, used without adjusting its whey to casein ratio, could supply more of these milk fat components and better match human milk.
They reviewed published research on the fat composition and structure of whole goat milk and infant formula made from it, including fatty acids, sn-2 palmitic acid, cholesterol, phospholipids, gangliosides and milk fat globule membrane proteins. They also looked at clinical studies in infants fed goat milk formula, and at animal and lab studies on digestion, brain development, immunity and allergy.
What it can’t tell you
- Clinical research in infants fed goat milk formula is scarce, so much of what is known about milk fat comes from breastfed infants and infants fed cow milk formula.
- Some of the evidence on digestion, brain development and immunity comes from animal and lab studies, which cannot show what happens in people.
- The review cannot show that goat milk formula prevents allergies, since only animal studies or small clinical studies have looked at that so far.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors are employees of Dairy Goat Co-operative (N.Z.) Ltd.
The paper
- Title
- Whole Goat Milk as a Source of Fat and Milk Fat Globule Membrane in Infant Formula
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Gallier S, Tolenaars L, Prosser C (2020). Whole Goat Milk as a Source of Fat and Milk Fat Globule Membrane in Infant Formula. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu12113486Free full textPubMed 33202897DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error