Method of preparing casein hydrolysate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12582140-B2
Application number	US-202118004257-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2021
Priority date	Jul 6, 2020
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a casein hydrolysate by hydrolysis of casein with endogenous plasmin, and the casein hydrolysate obtainable by the method. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of preparing a casein hydrolysate without adding any exogenous enzymes such that an organic casein hydrolysate is obtained.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method of preparing a casein hydrolysate for a nutritional composition comprising:
i. providing a liquid solution comprising casein and endogenous plasmin, wherein the liquid solution comprises at least 90% by weight casein of the total protein content and wherein the liquid solution comprises whey protein in an amount of maximum 10% by weight of the total protein content, and wherein the source of casein and the endogenous plasmin is a milk product selected from the group consisting of a micellar casein isolate (MCI), micellar casein concentrate (MCC), micellar casein retentate (MCR), beta-casein depleted micellar casein isolate, beta-casein depleted micellar casein concentrate, milk protein concentrate (MPC), and microfiltration retentate of a milk product; ii) adjusting the pH of the solution of step i) to a pH 7.2 to 9; iii) subjecting the pH adjusted solution to a first heat treatment to inactivate microorganisms, wherein the first heat treatment is at a temperature of 85° C. to 180° C. for a period of 0.1 to 30 seconds; iv) subjecting the solution of step iii) to a second heat treatment at a temperature of from 25° C. to 45° C. for at least 6 hours to obtain a casein hydrolysate, and wherein the method excludes addition of exogenous enzymes.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pH adjusted solution of step ii) is homogenized.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first heat treatment in step iii) comprises heating to a temperature above 120° C. for a period of 0.1 to 10 seconds.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first heat treatment in step iii) comprises heating to a temperature of from 120° C. to 180° C. for 0.1 to 10 seconds.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first heat treatment is selected from ultra-high temperature (UHT) heat treatment or high pressure sterilization.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid solution comprising casein and endogenous plasmin comprises a milk fraction from bovine milk.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid solution provided in step i) comprises casein in an amount of at least 1% w/v.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the liquid solution provided in step i) comprises casein in an amount of from 1% w/v to 20% w/v.

9 . A natural casein hydrolysate for a nutritional composition obtainable by the method according to claim 1 , wherein the casein hydrolysate does not comprise added exogenous enzymes, the casein hydrolysate comprises at least 90% by weight hydrolysed casein of the total protein content and comprises whey protein in an amount of maximum 10% by weight of the total protein content.

10 . The natural casein hydrolysate according to claim 9 , wherein the casein hydrolysate comprises peptides, where at least 50% of the peptides have a molecular weight of 1000 to 3000 Da and less than 1% of the peptides have a molecular weight of 5000 Da or above.

11 . A method of making a nutritional composition comprising incorporating the natural casein hydrolysate made according to the method of claim 1 into a nutritional composition.

Assignees

• Arla Foods Amba

Inventors

• Ray Colin A
• De Moura Maciel Guilherme
• Andersen Jørgen
• Geng Xiaolu
• Huang Honggang

Classifications

• A23L33/18 Primary

  Peptides; Protein hydrolysates · CPC title

• A23V2300/26

  Homogenisation · CPC title

• A23V2300/24

  Heat, thermal treatment · CPC title

• A23V2300/28

  Hydrolysis, degree of hydrolysis · CPC title

• A23V2250/54246

  Casein · CPC title