Yili's Breast Milk Innovations Recognized at ESPGHAN 2025

HELSINKI, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- From May 14 to 17, 2025, the 57^th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) was held in Helsinki, Finland. At the meeting, Yili presented twelve of its latest key findings on breast milk, covering HMOs, lactoferrin, and the optimal balance of dietary fatty acids. Yili also hosted a dedicated seminar during the conference, drawing considerable attention from international delegates.

Among the more than 1,500 abstracts submitted to ESPGHAN 2025, a collaborative study by Yili, the team of Dr. Ai Zhao at Tsinghua University, and the National Center of Technology Innovation for Dairy in China stood out by receiving one of the highest scores. This was the first study to apply machine learning to uncover the nutritional complexity of breast milk. This study revealed that a targeted combination of DHA, EPA, and DSLNT can precisely modulate the gut microbiota of both mothers and infants, providing a novel theoretical framework for precise nutritional interventions in maternal and infant health.

Other groundbreaking discoveries presented by Yili, in collaboration with Tsinghua University, Nanchang University, China Agricultural University, and other institutions, were also a major highlight of the annual meeting. These studies revealed new insights into: how a mother's postpartum emotional state affects infant gut microbiota and early brain development; how a balanced dietary fatty acid profile can enhance lipid metabolism and cognitive function through gut microbiota modulation; and the potential of human milk fat substitutes (HMFS) to regulate gut microbiota, reduce fat accumulation, and support healthy physical development in infants.

At the seminar themed "Promoting Healthy Infant Development: Insights from Breast Milk, Gut Microbiota, and Nutritional Research," Dr. Ignatius Szeto, Assistant President of Yili Group, unveiled Yili's latest research findings on HMOs, highlighting their significant role in fostering infant gut health, immune function, nutrient absorption, and cognitive development.

During the roundtable forum, Professor Zhang Yumei, tenured professor at the School of Public Health of Peking University, elaborated on the four aspects of breast milk research, emphasizing the synergistic benefits of key components such as HMOs, lactoferrin, and nucleotides in supporting the immune, intestinal, nervous, and metabolic systems of infants. She commended Yili for proposing this comprehensive view of breast milk's health effects, taking the lead in establishing an AI-driven research and development paradigm for maternal and infant nutrition, and opening new frontiers in precision infant nutrition research. From a clinical trial perspective, Professor Marc Benning of Amsterdam University Medical Centre emphasized the importance of incorporating gut health biomarkers as key outcome measures in infant nutrition research.

To date, Pro-Kido, Yili's infant formula brand has launched a wide range of specialized nutritional solutions for infants worldwide, including ZhenHu, Aronurish, Seine Mouiller, and UITSTEKEND GEITENMELK.

Looking ahead, Yili will rely on its 15 global innovation centers to advance full value chain innovation and international collaboration in key areas of dairy research, aiming to better serve consumers worldwide.

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