Fatty acid composition of breast milk in Galicia (NW Spain): A cross-country comparison

•Human milk in Northwest Spain is similar to the rest of Europe, with some particular features related to the Southern European Atlantic Diet (SEAD) typical of this geographical region (milk and dairy, pork, beef and sunflower and olive oils).•Galician breast milk is characterized by relatively high levels of linoleic acid (LA) and lower of α -linolenic acid (ALA), more according to a Mediterranean style than to a typical Northern diet.•Breast milk fatty acid profile (fattyacidome) differs widely between individual women showing woman-specific features, and also between different months of lactation.•Worldwide, the fatty acid profiles were rather similar, with the clear exception of Asiatic breast milk.•Oils, meat and fish intake are clearly reflected in the fatty acid composition of mothers’ milk and diet confers a clear and distinguishable fingerprint in the fat of this biological fluid. Based on the premise that the fatty acid composition of human milk can be substantially altered by diet, the current study investigated the fatty acid profile (fattyacidome) of breast milk in Galicia, a small region located in the north-west of Spain and characterized by the Southern European Atlantic Diet (SEAD). A cross-country comparison was also performed to assess worldwide variety and diet impact, reviewing the profiles reported various European, North and South American, Asian and African countries and Australia. Galician human milk appeared similar to the rest of Europe, with some particular features related to the SEAD (dairy, pork, beef and sunflower and olive oils), such as relatively high levels of linoleic acid and lower α-linolenic acid. The results also showed the existence of woman-specific profiles and significant changes over lactation in some fatty acids. Worldwide, the fatty acid profiles were similar, with the clear exception of Asiatic breast milk. The impact of fatty acids on infant health warrants further investigation.