Process for manufacturing an infant formula product with hydrolysed protein

Abstract

The present invention concerns a process for manufacturing an infant formula product comprising: (a1) providing an aqueous mixture having a protein component and a carbohydrate component, (a2) subjecting the aqueous mixture to a protein hydrolysis step, (a3) subjecting the aqueous mixture to a heat treatment step; (b) mixing the heat-treated aqueous mixture comprising hydrolyzed protein with a lipid component; (c) subjecting the aqueous mixture comprising the lipid component, the carbohydrate component and the heat-treated hydrolyzed protein component to a homogenization and emulsification step to obtain a homogenized oil-in-water emulsion having a total solids content in the range of 45-80 wt %; (d) conveying the homogenized emulsion into an extruder, independently adding digestible carbohydrates and optionally dietary fibres to the extruder and extruding the contents of the extruder to obtain an extruded material; (e) preparing an infant formula product from the extruded material. The invention further concerns Infant formula product obtainable by the process according to the invention and to a modular system suitable for performing the process according to the invention.

Claims

1. Process for manufacturing an infant formula product comprising the following steps: (a1) providing an aqueous mixture having a protein component and a carbohydrate component, (a2) subjecting the aqueous mixture to a protein hydrolysis step, (a3) subjecting the aqueous mixture to a heat treatment step, (b) mixing the heat treated aqueous mixture comprising hydrolyzed protein with a lipid component, (c) subjecting the aqueous mixture comprising the lipid component, the carbohydrate component and the hydrolyzed protein component to a homogenization and emulsification step to obtain a homogenized oil-in-water emulsion having a total solids content in the range of 45-80 wt %; (d) conveying the homogenized emulsion into an extruder, independently adding digestible carbohydrates and optionally dietary fibres to the extruder and extruding the contents of the extruder to obtain an extruded material; (e) preparing an infant formula product from the extruded material, wherein the total solids content of the homogenized oil-in-water emulsion of step (c) is in the range of 45-73 wt % and the extrusion of step (d) is performed at a temperature below 85° C.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous mixture of step (a1) has a total solids content of 10-40 wt %.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein protein hydrolysis is carried out at a pH in the range of 4 to 10.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the protein hydrolysis of steps (a2) is followed by an ultrafiltration (UF) step to obtain an UF retentate and a UF permeate, wherein the UF permeate is subjected to step (a3) or step (b).

5. The process according to claim 4, wherein the UF permeate is subjected to an evaporation step resulting in an increase of the total solids content of the aqueous mixture by 5 to 40 wt %.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein step (e) involves drying and milling of the extruded material.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the protein component of the infant formula has a weight ratio of whey protein to casein in the range of 9/1 to 1/9.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the total solids content of the homogenized oil-in-water emulsion of step (c) is in the range of 53-73 wt % total solids.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein the digestible carbohydrates, such as lactose and/or maltodextrin, are added in step (d) as a dry powder and the dietary fibres are added as a dry powder or as a concentrated liquid.

10. The process according to claim 1, wherein the extrusion of step (d) is performed at a temperature between 50-75° C.

11. The process according to claim 1, wherein the heat treatment of step (a3) is designed to obtain a microbial safe protein component.

12. The process according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous mixture of step (a1) has a total solids content in the range of 10-40 wt %.

13. The process according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous mixture subjected to step (b) has a total solids content in the range of 35-70 wt % prior to the mixing with the lipid component.

14. The process according to claim 1, wherein the total solids content of the aqueous mixture obtained in steps (a3) or (a2) is increased, prior to mixing with the lipid component.

15. The process according to claim 1, wherein skim milk and/or whey protein concentrate (WPC) are used as source of the protein component and carbohydrate component of the aqueous mixture in steps (a1).

16. The process according to claim 1, wherein the carbohydrate component in step (a1) comprises lactose, which lactose constitutes between 15 and 75 wt % of the total lactose contents of the infant formula product prepared in step (e).

17. The process according to claim 1, wherein the digestible carbohydrate that is added during step (d) comprises lactose and the amount of lactose added during step (d) lies between 0 and 80 wt % (on dry weight basis) of the total amount of lactose contained in the infant formula product obtained in step (e).

18. The process according to claim 1, wherein the digestible carbohydrate that is added during step (d) comprises lactose and the amount of lactose that is added during step (d) lies between 0 and 40 wt % of the total dry weight of the infant formula product obtained in step (e).

19. Infant formula product obtainable by the process comprising: (a1) providing an aqueous mixture having a protein component and a carbohydrate component, (a2) subjecting the aqueous mixture to a protein hydrolysis step, (a3) subjecting the aqueous mixture to a heat treatment step, (b) mixing the heat treated aqueous mixture comprising hydrolyzed protein with a lipid component, (c) subjecting the aqueous mixture comprising the lipid component, the carbohydrate component and the hydrolyzed protein component to a homogenization and emulsification step to obtain a homogenized oil-in-water emulsion having a total solids content in the range of 45-80 wt %; (d) conveying the homogenized emulsion into an extruder, independently adding digestible carbohydrates and optionally dietary fibres to the extruder and extruding the contents of the extruder to obtain an extruded material; (e) preparing an infant formula product from the extruded material, wherein the extrusion of step (d) is performed at a temperature of between 50-75° C.

20. The infant formula product according to claim 19, which is an infant formula, a follow-on formula, a toddler milk or a growing-up milk.

21.-22. (canceled)

23. The infant formula product according to claim 19, wherein the extruded material contains substantially all proteins and/or lipids that are nutritionally required for an infant formula or wherein the extruded material qualifies nutritionally as an infant formula.

24. The infant formula product according to claim 19, wherein the extruded material contains substantially all proteins and/or lipids that are nutritionally required for an infant formula.

25. The infant formula product according to claim 22, wherein the extruded material qualifies nutritionally as an infant formula.

Description

FIGURES

[0122] The invention is illustrated by FIG. 1, depicting a preferred embodiment of the process according to the invention.

[0123] FIG. 1 depicts a preferred embodiment of the process according to the invention, wherein (a2), (a3), (b), (c), (d) and (e) represent steps (a2), (a3), (b), (c), (d) and (e) as defined herein. (1)=introduction of a source of protein and digestible carbohydrate; (2)=optional introduction of a second source of protein and digestible carbohydrate; (3)=introduction of a lipid component (4) introduction of a digestible carbohydrate component; (5)=optional introduction of a dietary fiber component; (6)=discharge of the infant formula product.

EXAMPLES

[0124] The following examples illustrate the invention.

Example 1: HA (Hypo-Allergenic) Infant Formula Product

[0125] A process flow was generated for production of an infant formula intended for infants being at risk of developing allergy against cow milk products, wherein the generated infant formula product comprises hydrolyzed protein.

[0126] In a first step, protein hydrolysate (flowrate 3545 kg/h), water (flowrate 14414 kg/h) and the required amounts of micronutrients, also referred to as ‘minors’ being vitamins and minerals, were compounded into an aqueous liquid with a total solids content (% TS) of 20 at a temperature of 35° C., and processed at a flowrate of 18129 kg/h. The results of this experiment would be very similar if intact protein was used as starting material and a protein hydrolysis step was implemented, because protein hydrolysis is not expected to significantly alter the total solids content of the aqueous mixture.

[0127] The aqueous liquid was subsequently heat treated at 121° C. with a residence time of 2.89 seconds to achieve an F.sub.0 of 2.4. After cooling, the heated solution is subsequently fed into an evaporator for concentration purposes during which water was removed at a flowrate of 12020 kg/h. After evaporation, the aqueous solution has a % TS of 60 and is conveyed with a flowrate of 8115 at a temperature of 60° C. to the oil injector. Oils necessary to produce the infant formula are injected into the aqueous stream at a flowrate of 2072 kg/h to reach a % TS of 70. The solution is subsequently fed into a homogenizer for homogenization and emulsification at 60° C. using a flowrate of 8115 kg/h. The homogenized oil-in-water emulsion is conveyed to the extruder.

[0128] During extrusion, lactose (1288 kg/h) and GOS (Vivinal GOS; concentrated liquid at 75 wt %, flowrate 1171 kg/h) were added. GOS is added as the final ingredient during the extrusion process. Extrusion is performed at 67° C. at a flowrate of 10574 kg/h. The extrudate as obtained contained 74% TS and was ready for drying using known technologies, such as flash or vacuum belt drying, to end up with a nutritional composition with a % TS of 98 which was produced at a flowrate of 8000 kg/h. No dry blending of further ingredients is required. A powdered composition was obtained that was ready for packaging.

Example 2

[0129] Data mentioned in example 1 were generated using the gPROMS gFormulatedProducts 1.2.2 simulation model from Process Systems Enterprise (PSE). Mass balance models used were steady state, meaning no accumulation in time is applied. Models were applied on a macro level without applying any discretization method.

[0130] For evaporation/concentration the mass balance of equation (1) was applied.

0=φ.sub.m.sup.in−φ.sub.m.sup.out−φ.sub.m.sup.evap   (1)

It states that the amount of evaporated water or water otherwise removed

[00001]$\left(\frac{\mathrm{kg}}{s}\right)$

from a stream, plus the outlet from a stream should be equal to an inlet stream. From this perspective the outlet total solids

[00002]$\left(\frac{\mathrm{kg}}{\mathrm{kg}}\right)$

were calculated via equation (2):

[00003]$\begin{array}{cc}{x}_{\mathrm{solids}}^{\mathrm{out}}=\frac{x_{\mathrm{solids}}^{\mathrm{in}}{\phi }_m^{\mathrm{in}}}{{\phi }_m^{\mathrm{out}}}& \left(2\right)\end{array}$

This was applied under the assumption that extracted water, extracted via evaporation or any other technology, is pure water.

[0131] The same approach was used for mixing of different streams either within compounding (i.e. preparation of an aqueous mixture prior to heat treatment step a), fat injection (i.e. step b) or extrusion (step d). Equation (3) applies for the total mass balance:

[00004]$\begin{array}{cc}{\phi }_m^{\mathrm{out}}=\underset{i=1}{\overset{N_{\mathrm{streams}}}{.Math.}}{\phi }_{m_i}^{\mathrm{in}}& \left(3\right)\end{array}$

The solids outlet of any mixer and/or extruder was calculated by adapting equation (3) in case multiple inlet streams were applied:

[00005]$\begin{array}{cc}{x}_{\mathrm{solids}}^{\mathrm{out}}=\frac{\underset{i=1}{\overset{N_{\mathrm{streams}}}{.Math.}}{x}_{\mathrm{solids},i}^{\mathrm{in}}{\phi }_{m_i}^{\mathrm{in}}}{{\phi }_m^{\mathrm{out}}}& \left(4\right)\end{array}$

For the drying step, independent of the drying technology, equations 1 and 2 were applied to calculate the water evaporation capacity.

[0132] These equations were applied in a flowsheet construction. The information passed between models in a product flow are the mass flowrate and the composition (kg/kg).