Abstract
The biotin content of 153 baby foods made in Japan was microbiologically determined with Lactobacillus plantarum. Biotin concentrations ranged from 0 to 58.5μg/100g, and were highest in baby foods where ground cereals, meat and liver were the major food ingredients. Sixteen of the baby food samples, including “Rice or Bread gruel (pap), ” “ Chicken liver rice” and “Liver and vegetables” had more than 25μg/100g total biotin. On the other hand, baby fruit extracts were low in total biotin; concentrations below 5μg/ 100g were found in 28 of 30 samples, and biotin was undetectable in 4 samples. The daily biotin intake of infants fed baby foods and formulas was estimated to be 8.91μg at 5-6 months of age and 16.37μg at 7-8 months, which is likely to be lower than that recommended as a safe and adequate daily dietary intake by the US National Research Council These findings suggest that Japanese baby foods should be appropriately improved to maintain growth and good health in infants. Biotin should also be registered as a food additive in Japan.
