Carnitine content of liquid formulas and special diets

Carnitine is essential to the beta-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids in all tissues, but little is known about the carnitine content of foods and the daily requirement is unknown. Infant formula, formulas for tube feeding, food supplements, and chemically defined diets were radioisotopically analyzed for carnitine content. Low concentrations of 4 nmole/ml or less were found in products with a main protein source of soy protein isolate, casein, and egg white protein. Much higher concentrations, ranging from 50 to 656 nmole/ml, were found in milk and beef based products. This indicates that carnitine supplements should be considered when formula diets are used for long-term care.