ΕΛΑΙΟΝ

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended as the primary and natural choice for infant feeding and nutrition, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). For the large proportion of infants who do not have access to breast milk, partial or complete substitution with specially formulated infant formulas and other baby foods is necessary.
The fat content of an infant’s diet during the early stages of life provides the essential energy required for growth and serves as a carrier of vital vitamins. Until today, a common practice in the food industry for the production of infant formulas and follow-on formulas has been the use of vegetable oils produced in tropical and Northern European countries, such as palm oil, coconut oil, and rapeseed oil.
Olive oil, in contrast to other vegetable oils, has a high content of fatty acids suitable for infant nutrition. This fact makes it an ideal raw material for use in infant formulas and follow-on formulas.
The ELAION project aims, for the first time at the national level, to utilize olive oil in the production of infant and follow-on formulas, through the establishment of a pilot infant milk production unit in the Region of Western Greece (Agrinio).