Application of an LC–UV method to estimate lutein recovery during infant formula manufacture

Lutein is a carotenoid that is considered to be important to the integrity of the retina and is therefore increasingly being supplemented into bovine milk-based paediatric formulae to levels equivalent to those found in human milk. A simple analytical method has been developed and intra-laboratory validated to facilitate routine in-process control of lutein addition. The method involves dilution of a carotenoid premix, followed by C30 reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separation of lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene, with detection and quantitation at 450 nm. The method performance parameters include range (0–700 ng mL−1), method limit of detection (0.08 μg g−1), recovery (95.5–109.5%) and precision (1.2% RSDr). The method has been applied to an evaluation of lutein recovery (95.6–104.2%) through the manufacture of paediatric formulae, which confirms that lutein loss through the entire process is insignificant.