We get quite a few inquiries about obtaining Neocate in other countries. Nutricia North America only ships to the US and Canada, however, Nutricia has offices and distributers all throughout the world! Today’s post is for those of you looking for Neocate in another country, whether you live there, are moving or are just taking an international family vacation. We hope for Neocate to be accessible to any child who needs it, anywhere in the world.

To find out if Neocate is available in a particular country, visit Neocate’s list of global contacts for more information.. On the left-hand side of the page, there is a click-down menu where you can select different countries to view the contact information for any Nutricia offices and distributers there. You can also contact Nutricia’s corporate office using the information listed below.

Nutricia Advanced Medical Nutrition: Head Office
Address: Danone Place Schiphol
Tower E, World Trade Centre Schiphol
1118BG, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 20 456 9537
Email: MedicalNutrition@Nutricia.com
Website: http://nutrition.nutricia.com

We most commonly get questions about how to obtain Neocate in Mexico, China and the Middle East. Occasionally, we get questions about where to obtain Neocate in Australia, New Zealand and English-speaking European countries. I’ve listed the contact information for these countries below.

Neocate in Mexico:

Danone Medical Nutrition México, S.A. de C.V.
Tel: (+5255) 5258 7204
Email: lorena.kurimurad@danone.com

Neocate in the Middle East & Africa:

Nutricia Middle East & Africa
Address: P.O Box 17542
Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971 4 805 6736
Fax: +971 4 881 5570
Email: feedback@nutriciame.com
Website: www.nutriciame.com

Neocate in China:

Nutricia China (Shanghai)
Address: Room 2401, 300 Huaihai Middle Road
Shanghai, P.R. China 200021
Tel: +86 21 6335 3780
Fax: +86 21 6335 3380
Email: danawang@nutriciachina.net
Website: http://www.nutriciame-clinicalnutrition.com

Nutricia- Distributer (Hong Kong)
Address: 15/F China Trade Centre, No. 122-124 Wai Yip Street
Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2 827 1616
Fax: +852 2 507 2829
Email: info@jacobsonmedical.com.hk
Website: http://www.jacobsonmedical.com.hk

Neocate in English-speaking European Countries:

Nutricia- Ireland
Address: Block 1, Deansgrange Business Park, Deansgrange Co. Dublin
Tel: +353 (0) 1 2890282
Fax: +353 (0)289 0255
Email: support.ireland@nutricia.com
Website: http://www.nutricia.ie/

Nutricia- United Kingdom
Address: Nutricia Ltd, White Horse Business Park, Newmarket Avenue
Trowbridge, Wiltshire, UK, BA14 OXQ
Tel: +44 (0) 1225 711688
Fax:+44 (0) 1225 711972
Email: resourcecentre@nutricia.com
Website : http://uk.nutricia.com/

Neocate in Australia & New Zealand:

Nutricia- Australia
Address: 12-24 Talavera Road, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113
Tel: +61 (0)2 8875 0300
Fax: +61 (0)2 9878 4841
Email: nccl@nutricia.com.au
Website: http://www.nutricia.com.au/clinical/

Nutricia- New Zealand
37 Banks Road, Mt. Wellington, Auckland
Tel: +64 (0)9 57 00970
Toll-free (NZ only): 0800 688 742
Fax: +64 (0)9 57 00971
Website: http://www.nutriciaclinical.co.nz/

I hope this post helps you to locate Neocate for your little one wherever you may need it!

-Mallory

As part of our ongoing “Carb Series”, today’s post will discuss the carbohydrates found in Neocate.  As you found in Sarah’s Carb 101 post, carbohydrates are the major source of energy for humans.  Children require about 50% of their total energy to come from carbohydrate (remember there are 4 calories in 1 g of carbohydrate).

The carbohydrate source in Neocate is corn syrup solids.  This is probably the most asked about ingredient in the Neocate line of products!  Many parents aren’t sure if corn syrup solids are similar to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).  It is important not to confuse the two. HFCS is chemically altered in order to make it much sweeter so it can be added to a wide range of processed/packaged foods.  The corn syrup solids we use, along with the fats, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals are an important part of the nutritionally complete blend of nutrients in Neocate.  

Another question we get asked a lot is whether the corn syrup solids in Neocate are safe for children with a corn allergy.  It is important to remember that the corn syrup solids in Neocate are highly refined. This means that the ingredient goes through several steps in order to take out all of the protein from the corn (since proteins are what cause allergic reactions).  This leaves only the complex carbohydrate source from the corn.  So, even if your child has an allergy to corn proteins, Neocate is still an appropriate choice for them. 

The corn syrup solids used in Neocate are considered to be complex carbohydrates meaning they consist of large (branched) chains of sugars.  This is important for patients who have severe gastrointestinal (GI) conditions such as Short Bowel Syndrome. Studies suggest that obtaining a good source of complex carbohydrates may be beneficial for patients who have had GI resections^1-2. The complex carbohydrates help with gut adaptation and rehabilitation to ensure proper nutrient absorption is taking place. 

Got any questions on carbohydrates or the corn syrup solids used in the Neocate family of products? Let us know!

-Christine

1.  J. E. Bines, R. G. Taylor, F. Justice, et al., “Influence of diet complexity on intestinal adaptation following massive small bowel resection in a preclinical model,” Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, vol. 17, no. 11, pp. 1170–1179, 2002.

2.  J. Ksiazyk, M. Piena, J. Kierkus, and M. Lyszkowska, “Hydrolyzed versus nonhydrolyzed protein diet in short bowel syndrome in children,” Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, vol. 35, no. 5, pp. 615–618, 2002.

You may have heard that we recently launched a new product: Neocate Junior with Prebiotics. You may wondering, “what exactly are prebiotics?” so I wanted to take the opportunity to explain in this blog post, which I’ll call “Prebiotics 101”.

Understanding Fiber:

Prebiotics are a special form of fiber but before we get into the details, let’s start with an overview of fiber in general. Dietary fiber is a carbohydrate that our bodies can’t digest. It is found in plant foods that we eat each day such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. Among its many important functions, fiber adds bulk to the diet, makes us feel full, aids in digestion and prevents constipation.

There are two types of dietary fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is highly fermentable and dissolves in water, forming a gel during digestion.  Insoluble fiber is not generally fermentable and does not dissolve in water, traveling through the GI system unchanged.

Soluble Fiber:

Prebiotics are a special kind of soluble fiber that is resistant to digestion and selectively feeds the “friendly bacteria” in our digestive tracts. These bacteria are beneficial to our health. By nourishing the growth of friendly bacteria, prebiotics inhibit the growth of the “bad bacteria”. Studies show that prebiotics can help:

• Promote normal bowel function
• Strengthen the protective layer of the GI tract and help restore a healthy gut
• Decrease the incidence of diarrhea, constipation, vomiting and gas

The Difference Between Prebiotics & Probiotics:

Many people are confused about the difference between prebiotics and probiotics. Probiotics are live strains of beneficial bacteria that increase the number of beneficial bacteria in our guts when we consume them. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are a special type of fiber that support the growth of the beneficial bacteria already present in our guts.

It helps me to think about it with this analogy: You can increase the growth of your lawn in two ways:

1) you can plant grass seedlings, or
2) you can add fertilizer to stimulate the growth of the present grass.

If we think of the beneficial bacteria as grass, probiotics would act like seedlings and prebiotics act like the fertilizer.

Still confused about prebiotics? Ask away! That’s what we’re here for.

- Mallory

Last week for our Ingredient Series, Christine wrote about the fats in Neocate. In this post, I’ll expand on that and explain DHA and ARA in more detail.

As you may know, the Neocate Infant formula is available in the original formulation and the updated formulation, which contains DHA and ARA.

Docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid, better known as DHA and ARA, are types of fats (lipids) called long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (often abbreviated as “PUFAs”). DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid and ARA is an omega-6 fatty acid.

These fatty acids are found naturally in human breast milk and several other foods. Fish, especially cold water fish, have very high amounts of DHA. Eggs are also a natural source of DHA, but to a lesser degree than fish. ARA is found mostly in animal products, such as eggs, meat and fish.

It has been known for many years that long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (DHA and ARA in particular) accumulate in the brain and eye of the fetus during gestation, especially during the last trimester of pregnancy.[1] More recent studies show that DHA and ARA may play an important role for brain and eye development during infancy as well.[2] Breast-fed infants receive DHA and ARA from their moms and studies show that breast-fed infants typically have higher blood levels of DHA and ARA in comparison to infants fed formulas without DHA and ARA. For this reason, and because of the important role DHA and ARA are thought to play with brain and eye development, many infant formulas are now fortified with DHA and ARA to more closely resemble the intake of breast-fed infants.

The DHA and ARA found in Neocate Infant with DHA and ARA are vegetarian and non-GMO (meaning they are not derived from genetically-modified sources). The source of DHA is C. Cohnii Oil and the source of ARA is M. Alpina Oil.

So now when you see the “DHA and ARA” banner on your can of Neocate (if you use the Neocate Infant with DHA and ARA), you’ll know exactly what it means!

We hope you found our Ingredient Series helpful. If you are curious about anything else in Neocate please ask us in the comments!

-Mallory

[2] Alan S. Ryan, James D. Astwood, Sheila Gautier, Connye N. Kuratko, Edward B. Nelson, Norman Salem . Effects of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on neurodevelopment in childhood: A review of human studies. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids - 26 February 2010 (10.1016/j.plefa.2010.02.007

I often get asked whether our Neocate^® formulas have all the vitamins and minerals a child would need to thrive for all stages throughout their lives. The answer is yes; but I thought I should explain further what the term “nutritionally complete” really means.

If a formula is considered nutritionally complete it can be used as a sole source of nutrition because it will provide all of the important carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals a child needs to grow and thrive.  For a nutritional product to be nutritionally complete and say so on its product label, it should be age-appropriate and provide all the nutrients a child would need for that specific age.  For example, infant formulas are designed specifically to meet the needs of infants.  As the infant grows into a toddler and older child, their nutritional needs differ and age-specific nutritionally complete products are needed to ensure they are meeting all their nutrient needs.

Having complete nutrition is important for children who are on very restrictive diets because of conditions such as food allergies, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and short bowel syndrome (SBS). When children cannot eat a wide variety of foods, it is common for them to have nutrient deficiencies as a consequence. One study¹ found that in children with food allergies, many were not receiving enough vitamin D, calcium, iron, vitamin E and zinc. This is a serious problem because inadequate nutrition in children could have long-lasting implications such as poor growth, delayed development, and failure to thrive.

One way to avoid nutrient deficiencies is by having a registered dietitian involved in your child’s care – they can assess your child’s nutritional status and give recommendations on what options may work for you and your family. Your chosen nutritionist can also help you to properly read food labels and really understand what is being put into your child’s food.  Just as important, finding a nutritional formula that has adequate (and even higher) amounts of important nutrients (such as calcium, iron, vitamin D, phosphorus and zinc) can help you ensure your little one is receiving proper age-specific nutrition to grow and thrive.

As I mentioned, all of the nutrition formulas in the Neocate family are nutritionally complete. If you are also using Neocate Nutra (a semi-solid amino-acid based medical food) don’t forget that it is meant to supplement formula and not replace it. Nutra contains lots of important nutrients like protein, fat, calcium, and vitamin D but just not enough to be the only source of nutrition.

Are there any vitamins and/or minerals you are worried your little one may not be getting enough of due to a restricted diet? Let us hear about it!

Christine

1. Salman et al, Dietary intakes of children with food allergies: comparison of the food guide pyramid and the recommended dietary allowances, J Allergy Clin Immunol 2002.