ARA

The initials ARA stand for arachidonic acid, a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid, which belongs to the class of omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids occur naturally in breast milk. The content depends strongly on the mother’s diet. To ensure that babies who are not breastfed are also provided with enough of these vital fatty acids, ARA is added to infant formula, e.g. in the form of plant-based oils (e.g. from Mortierella alpina).