Bobbie inaugurates new research and development hub dedicated to enhancing infant nutrition

US – Bobbie has announced the launch of a new research and development hub, Bobbie Labs, which the company has dedicated to enhancing infant nutrition.

The only mom-founded and led infant formula company in the US said Bobbie Labs is part of its commitment to invest US$100 million to increase infant formula access, quality, and options for all U.S. families by 2030.

The investment will be channeled to the families via funding critical research that will reimagine the future of infant feeding through the lens of research and data.

The hub is missioned to attract and engage best-in-class, next-generation talent to help modernize and destigmatize infant feeding for parents and researchers alike.

To drive this mission–and the infant formula industry at large–forward, Bobbie Labs is doubling down on research as a means of diversifying and expanding Bobbie’s future product offering, from metabolic formulas to infant and parent supplements.

The company noted that the facility is led by a team of scientific and academic experts, which will help Bobbie Labs evolve infant feeding while shaking the formula stigma within the research community and beyond.

The team includes Jeff Moore, Ph.D., VP of Bobbie Labs, Anthony Porto, MD, MPH, FAAP, Chief Medical Director, and Dina DiMaggio, MD, FAAP, Medical Research Director.

Through academic collaborations, independent research, and grant-funded work, Bobbie Labs currently has five active research projects and is exploring soliciting research proposals within the infant feeding knowledge, focusing on three pillars: ‘Nutrition, Society, and Planet, next year.

Under Nutrition,’ the hub aims to unlock new knowledge about breast milk and infant formula to optimize pediatric health and advance industry quality standards, while in ‘Society,’ it aims to examine the impact of infant feeding on social and psychological outcomes.

The company added that the hub categorically chose the ‘Planet’ segment, to understand the traceability of raw materials from farm to bottle and support end-to-end assessments of foods and packaging.

Anthony Porto, Bobbie Labs’ chief medical director, commented that the research projects selected will provide critical data on paced bottle feeding, infant protein digestion, iron levels, infant microbiota, infant formula shortage, and maternal mental health.

Laura Modi, CEO, and co-founder of Bobbie said: “While the formula shortage may be ending, the crisis isn’t over. To reform this industry from the ground up, we must turn to science and data to truly evolve policies and products, adapt evidence-based practices, and advance infant feeding knowledge.”

 “Bobbie Labs is proud to support this critical research portfolio – the work being done is for the betterment of the entire industry, no matter how you choose to feed your baby and it will fuel the future of infant and maternal nutrition in this country for the better”.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is calling on a panel of scientific advisors to meet next month to discuss how the regulatory agency can better ensure infant formula products are free of cronobacter bacteria, following a deadly Similac recall issued earlier this year which caused a nationwide formula shortage.

For all the latest food industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel.