Range of aseptically produced infant foods having low concentrations of undesired by-products and methods for making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016262436-A1
Application number	US-201615153121-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 12, 2016
Priority date	Sep 7, 2007
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A range of infant food products wherein each product in the range includes minimal levels of undesired by-products produced during processing as indicated by less than about 15 micrograms furan per kg food product. Methods of production and use thereof are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of producing a heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food product from a plurality of ingredients, the method comprising the steps of:
precooking the plurality of ingredients separately; mixing the precooked ingredients; subjecting the mixed, precooked ingredients to ultra-high-temperature (UHT) sterilization; aseptically packaging the UHT-treated infant food product within a packaging container following UHT sterilization; and wherein the heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food product has reduced levels of undesired by-products produced during processing when compared to similar products processed using conventional retorting under sterilization conditions, as indicated by less than about 5 micrograms furan per kg food product.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food product contains less than about 2 micrograms furan per kg infant food product.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food product contains substantially no furan.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food product contains no added fish oil.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food product contains no added vitamin C.

6 . A method of preventing, treating, or delaying the onset of a nutritionally related disorder in an infant, comprising the step of:
administering to the infant a plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products suitable for one or more stages of infant development, wherein each of the plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products is produced by the method of claim 1 .

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the nutritionally related disorder is selected from the group consisting of obesity, malnutrition, diabetes, and heart disease.

8 . A method of producing a plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products, each of the plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products comprising a plurality of ingredients and being produced by the method comprising the steps of:
precooking the plurality of ingredients separately; mixing the precooked ingredients; subjecting the mixed, precooked ingredients to ultra-high-temperature (UHT) sterilization; aseptically packaging the UHT-treated infant food product within a packaging container following UHT sterilization; and wherein each of the plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products have reduced levels of undesired by-products produced during processing when compared to similar products processed using conventional retorting under sterilization conditions, as indicated by less than about 5 micrograms furan per kg food product.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food product contains less than about 2 micrograms furan per kg infant food product.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food product contains substantially no furan.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products comprises two or more heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products suitable for two or more stages of infant development.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products comprises at least one vegetable based product and at least one fruit based product for one or more stages of infant development.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products comprises a plurality of vegetable based products and a plurality of fruit based products for one or more stages of infant development.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products comprises at least one vegetable based product and at least one fruit based product for stage 1 of infant development, wherein stage 1 of infant development comprises from about 4 months to about 6 months of age.

15 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products comprises at least one vegetable based product, at least one meal, and at least one fruit based product for stage 2 of infant development, wherein stage 2 of infant development comprises from about 6 months to about 8 months of age.

16 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products comprises at least one vegetable based product, at least one meal, and at least one fruit based product for stage 3 of infant development, wherein stage 3 of infant development comprises from about 8 months to about 12 months of age.

17 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products comprises at least one vegetable based product, at least one meal, and at least one fruit based product for stage 4 of infant development, wherein stage 4 of infant development comprises from about 12 months to about 36 months of age.

18 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products comprises at least eight heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products that include:
(i) at least one vegetable based product and at least one fruit based product for stage 1 of infant development; (ii) at least one vegetable based product and at least one fruit based product for stage 2 of infant development; (iii) at least one vegetable based product and at least one fruit based product for stage 3 of infant development; and (iv) at least one vegetable based product and at least one fruit based product for stage 4 of infant development.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising at least three additional heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products in addition to the at least eight heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products of (i)-(iv), wherein each of the at least three additional heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products is produced by the same method and thus contain less than about 5 micrograms furan per kg food product, and wherein the at least three additional heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products comprise at least one meal for each of stages 2-4 of infant development.

20 . A method of preventing, treating, or delaying the onset of a nutritionally related disorder selected from the group consisting of obesity, malnutrition, diabetes, and heart disease, the method comprising the step of:
administering to the infant a plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products suitable for one or more stages of infant development, wherein the plurality of heat processed, aseptically packaged infant food products are produced by the method of claim 8 .

Assignees

• Nestec Sa

Inventors

• Weber Frank
• Hutschenreuter Simon Alexander
• Kalb Nadine
• Kuslys Martinas

Classifications

• A61P9/00

  Drugs for disorders of the cardiovascular system · CPC title

• A61P3/04

  Anorexiants; Antiobesity agents · CPC title

• A61P3/02

  Nutrients, e.g. vitamins, minerals · CPC title

• A61P3/10

  for hyperglycaemia, e.g. antidiabetics · CPC title

• A23L5/21 Primary

  by heating without chemical treatment, e.g. steam treatment, cooking · CPC title