Frequently Asked Questions

Hydrolysate Formulas



It’s common to see or hear the phrase “protein hydrolyzed formulas” when reading about or discussing food allergies. Here’s some background information to help you understand what’s being said. 

Protein hydrolyzed formulas are formulas composed of proteins that are partially broken down or hydrolyzed. They are also called hydrolysates.

There are two broad categories of protein hydrolysates:

Partially Hydrolyzed Formulas (pHF)

Partially hydrolyzed protein formulas have had a portion of the protein in them broken down into short chains called peptides. These formulas also contain long protein chains.

Extensively Hydrolyzed Formulas (eHF)

The protein in extensively hydrolyzed formulas is further broken down and made up of both peptides (short protein chains) and free amino acids. Free amino acids are the building blocks of protein.   

Both partially and extensively hydrolyzed protein formulas are based on casein or whey, which are proteins found in milk. Extensively hydrolyzed formulas are considered hypoallergenic and most children with milk allergies can tolerate the smaller protein chains found in eHF formulas. However, some children with severe milk allergies still may not be able to tolerate these formulas since they are based on milk proteins and have some intact proteins, which can trigger an allergic response. Studies show that about 10—30% of allergic babies do not tolerate eHFs.1, 2

Related Links:

References:

  1. de Boissieu et al. Allergy to extensively hydrolysed cow’s milk proteins in infants; safety and duration of amino acid based formulas. J Pediatr. 2002; 141(2):271-273.
  2. Latcham et al. A consistent pattern of minor immunodeficiency and subtle enteropathy in children with multiple food allergies. J Pediatr. 2003; 143:39-47.