Process for preparing infant formula using a static mixer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11985998-B2
Application number	US-201414917988-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2014
Priority date	Sep 13, 2013
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a lipid and protein component-containing composition comprising large lipid globules, preferably coated with polar lipids, and to the compositions obtained thereby. Optionally, the lipid and protein component-containing composition is spray-dried. The obtained compositions are for feeding infants and young children.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for preparing a lipid and protein component-containing composition selected from a group consisting of an infant, a follow-on formula, and a growing up milk, the composition including lipid globules, the process comprising:
a) providing an aqueous phase with a dry matter content of 10 to 60 wt. % (based on total weight of the aqueous phase), which includes at least one protein component;
b) providing a liquid lipid phase, which includes at least one lipid; and
c) mixing the lipid phase with the aqueous phase in ratio of 5 to 50% (w/w) at a pressure of no greater than 10 bar using a static mixer so as to obtain a lipid and protein component-containing composition with lipid globules, wherein the lipid globules have a volume-weighted mode diameter of less than 15 μm,
wherein the process does not include the use of a dynamic high pressure homogeniser or a dynamic high pressure homogenization step, wherein the static mixer used in step c) is configured and operates so as to achieve a pressure drop of 2 to 30 bar between inlet and outlet of the static mixer.

2. A process preparing lipid and protein component-containing composition selected from a group consisting of an infant, a follow-on formula, and a growing up milk, the composition including lipid globules, the process comprising:
a) providing an aqueous phase with a dry matter content of 30 to 50 wt. % (based on total weight of the aqueous phase), which includes at least one protein component;
b) providing a liquid lipid phase, which includes at least one lipid; and
c) mixing the lipid phase with the aqueous phase in ratio of 5 to 50% (w/w) at a pressure of no greater than 10 bar using a static mixer so as to obtain a lipid and protein component-containing composition with lipid globules, wherein the lipid globules have a volume-weighted mode diameter of less than 15 μm,
wherein the process does not include the use of a dynamic high pressure homogeniser or a dynamic high pressure homogenization step.

3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the liquid lipid phase provided in step b) is premixed with the aqueous phase provided in step a) prior to mixing step c).

4. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the static mixer exerts a low shear force during mixing.

5. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the lipid globules have a volume-weighted mode diameter of at least 1.0 μm and/or wherein at least 60% of said lipid globules have a diameter from 2 to 12 μm (% based on vol.-%).

6. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the protein component is selected from a group consisting of skim milk, whey, whey protein, whey protein isolate, whey protein hydrolysate, casein, casein hydrolysate and soy protein.

7. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the aqueous phase includes at least one further component selected from a group consisting of digestible carbohydrates, lactose, non-digestible carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

8. The process according to claim 2 , wherein a housing of the static mixer used in step c) is of circular cylindrical shape and has a length of 80 to 150 mm and a diameter of 2 to 10 mm.

9. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the static mixer used in step c) is operated with a flow rate of 1.5 to 8l/min.

10. The process according to claim 2 , wherein subsequent to step a) and prior to step c) the aqueous phase is sterilised or pasteurised.

11. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the lipid and protein component-containing composition obtained in step c) is reheated to 75 to 85° C.

12. The process according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the aqueous and the lipid phase includes polar lipids, in particular phospholipids in an amount of 0.5 to 20 wt. % (based on total lipid of the composition).

13. The process according to claim 2 , further comprising spray-drying the lipid and protein component-containing composition obtained in step c) with an atomization system employing a two-fluid nozzle or a rotary atomizer so as to obtain a spray-dried lipid and protein component-containing composition having the lipid globules.

14. The process according to claim 13 , wherein a pressure used for spray-drying is at most 10 bar, if a two-fluid nozzle is used.

15. The process according to claim 13 , wherein an inlet temperature for a drying gas used for spray-drying is at least 150° C.

16. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the mixing is performed at a temperature of from 40° C. to 90° C.

17. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the mixing is performed at a temperature of from 50° C. to 80° C.

18. A process for preparing a lipid and protein component-containing composition, the process comprising:
a) providing an aqueous phase comprising a protein component and a dry matter content of 10 to 60 wt. % (based on total weight of the aqueous phase);
b) providing a liquid lipid phase comprising a lipid; and
c) flowing the lipid phase and the aqueous phase in a lipid phase to aqueous phase ratio of 5 to 50% (w/w) into a static mixer with an inlet pressure of no greater than 10 bar and an outlet pressure that is 0.5 to 5 bar less than the inlet pressure to obtain the lipid and protein component-containing composition,
wherein the lipid and protein component composition comprises lipid globules having a volume-weighted mode diameter of less than 15 μm and is selected from the group consisting of an infant formula, a follow-on formula, and a growing up milk, and
wherein the process does not include the use of a dynamic high pressure homogeniser or a dynamic high pressure homogenization step.

19. The process according to claim 18 , wherein flowing the lipid phase and the aqueous phase in a lipid phase to aqueous phase ratio of 5 to 50% (w/w) into a static mixer occurs with a flow rate of 1.5 to 8l/min, and wherein at least one of the lipid phase or the aqueous phase is heated to a temperature of from 50° C. to 80° C. during the flowing.

Assignees

• Nutricia Nv

Inventors

• Van Den Brenk Joep
• Van Dijke Koen Cornelis
• Moonen Raoul Charles Johan

Classifications

• A23L33/19

  Dairy proteins · CPC title

• A23L33/17

  Amino acids, peptides or proteins · CPC title

• A23L33/16

  Inorganic salts, minerals or trace elements · CPC title

• A23L33/15

  Vitamins · CPC title

• A23L33/115

  Fatty acids or derivatives thereof; Fats or oils · CPC title