Infant Formula Grade Arachidonic Acid ARA Oil 40% CAS 506-32-1 Pale Yellow Liquid

Arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4 n-6, CAS 506-32-1) is a long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid that infants cannot synthesise efficiently in the first months of life, yet it accounts for up to 15 percent of the fatty acids in the grey matter of the brain. This infant formula grade is a triglyceride oil produced by submerged fermentation of Mortierella alpina, a non pathogenic soil fungus, then refined, bleached, deodorised and blended to a guaranteed 40 percent ARA of total fatty acids.

For infant nutrition the analytical profile matters as much as the headline content. The oil is specified on peroxide value, anisidine value and acid value, the three parameters that describe oxidative damage and that decide whether a finished formula will develop a fishy or painty note on shelf. Every lot is nitrogen blanketed from the refinery outlet to the sealed drum, and pallets ship under temperature control so the peroxide value measured at release is the value the formula house receives.

• ARA 40% of total fatty acids: consistent incorporation into infant formula at the 0.2 to 0.5 percent of fat level used for brain and eye development claims
• Peroxide value 2 meq/kg maximum: protects against oxidation off notes in a product with a two year shelf life
• Anisidine value 10 maximum: secondary oxidation controlled, so the oil performs through the full retort and drying process
• TRIGLYCERIDE FORM: the natural form, absorbed without the ethyl ester hydrolysis step and accepted by infant formula regulations
• Single cell fermentation origin: no fish or algal allergen, no ocean supply chain risk, and a stable supply independent of wild catch
• Full regulatory dossier support: GRAS and Novel Food documentation, allergen and GMO statements, and fatty acid profile by GC

The oil is used in infant formula and follow-on formula, growing up milks, and in supplements positioned for infant and maternal nutrition. Typical addition is 0.2 to 0.5 percent ARA of total formula fat, normally blended with a DHA source at an ARA to DHA ratio between 1:1 and 2:1 to mirror the fatty acid composition of human milk.

Because ARA is highly unsaturated, it should be added after the homogenisation stage where the process allows, or premixed into the oil blend under nitrogen. Antioxidant systems based on mixed tocopherols and ascorbyl palmitate are recommended, and a nitrogen flush of the finished packaging headspace is essential. Our technical note provides a suggested blending sequence and shelf life data at 25 and 40 degrees C.

Packing is 1 kg amber glass bottle for pilot work, 5 kg plastic drum for trials, and 20 kg iron drum with food grade inner liner for production, all nitrogen blanketed and sealed with tamper evident closures. Drums are labelled with lot number, ARA content, peroxide value at release, production date and storage temperature.

Store at -18 degrees C for long term holding or between 2 and 8 degrees C for routine use; the oil should be warmed to 40 degrees C and mixed before sampling to redissolve any crystallised fraction. Shipments leave within 7 to 15 working days under temperature controlled conditions with COA, specification, allergen statement and GMO declaration attached.

Each batch is released with a Certificate of Analysis reporting ARA and full fatty acid profile by GC, peroxide value, anisidine value, acid value, moisture, unsaponifiable matter, heavy metals and microbiological counts. A 200 g retention sample is stored at -18 degrees C for 24 months so a stability question can be checked against the original material.

We provide a regulatory support package covering GRAS status, EU Novel Food compliance for infant formula use, allergen and non GMO statements, and a HACCP based food safety declaration. Third party testing by SGS or Eurofins can be arranged, and clean label documentation is issued in English for registration files.