BIFORES Rethinking technological routes for more biomimetic infant formula at the lowest possible environmental and safety risks

The first 1,000 days of life and nutrition during this period are crucial for short- and long-term health. Despite improvements, infant formula does not fully mimic the health benefits of breastfeeding, hence the need to develop more biomimetic infant formula in terms of composition and/or nutrition-health impacts. In addition, IFMs must meet regulatory standards, dairy industry constraints, and consumer expectations by being microbiologically safe, stable, with minimal environmental impact, economically viable, and accessible to all. In other words, IFMs must be safe and sustainable. The BIFORES project proposes to rethink the production of NFPs by combining fermentation and minimal processing, while simultaneously addressing the challenges of health, safety, and sustainability of NFPs. Using the least processed ingredients and combining microfiltration with minimal or no heat treatment will help preserve the naturalness of NFP components, while fermentation by a complex consortium will provide bacterial diversity and metabolites, as found in human milk, as well as bioprotective flora.

The BIFORES project therefore aims to: 1) design new PPNs (nPPNs) by combining microfiltration and minimal heat treatment with fermentation, and characterize their composition, structure, and physical and functional properties; 2) evaluate the health benefits of these nPPNs in terms of nutrition, intestinal homeostasis, and brain development using in vitro and in vivo models; 3) evaluate the performance of these nPPNs via a multi-criteria analysis taking into account health benefits (nutrition, intestinal homeostasis, etc.), microbiological risk, and sustainability (energy cost, water resources). The environmental impact will be assessed via a life cycle analysis of the new technological pathways, taking into account the entire value chain, from ingredient production to the recovery of co-products. Thanks to a multidisciplinary approach in processes, microbiology, nutrition, physiology, data integration, and modeling, the BIFORES project will simultaneously address the major and sometimes contradictory challenges of NFP production. It will identify the best compromise to maximize health benefits and reduce the microbiological risks and environmental impact of these new PPNs, and identify sensitive areas for corrective action and further improvements.

In this project, SECALIM is in charge of WP3 “Multi-criteria (health benefit, microbial risk & sustainability) assessment of nIF performances” and supervises the thesis of Kousseila Tigrine, which began in January 2026.