NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS

Abstract

There is provided a method of manufacturing a nutritional composition comprising carbohydrate in an amount of at least 250 g l.sup.−1 of composition. The method comprises the steps of: (i) combining a first gelling agent and water, (ii) heating the mixture produced in step (i) to a temperature of between 60° C. and 100° C.; (iii) combining a second gelling agent with the heated mixture of step (ii) with mixing; and (iv) maintaining the mixture produced in step (iii) at a temperature of between 70° C. and 100° C. for between 10 and 120 minutes; with a carbohydrate component being combined with the mixture during one or more of said steps. Also provided is a nutritional composition.

Claims

1-33. (canceled)

34. A method of maintaining blood glucose concentration in a subject, comprising ingesting a nutritional product, the nutritional product comprising a carbohydrate in an amount of at least 250 g l.sup.−1 of composition and is a gel and wherein the composition has a tonicity of no greater than 350 mmol l.sup.−1.

35. A method of manufacturing a nutritional composition comprising carbohydrate in an amount of at least 250 g l.sup.−1 of composition, said method comprising the steps of: (i) combining a first gelling agent and water; (ii) heating the mixture produced in step (i) to a temperature of between 60° C. and 100° C.; (iii) combining a second gelling agent with the heated mixture of step (ii) with mixing; and (iv) maintaining the mixture produced in step (iii) at a temperature of between 70° C. and 100° C. for between 10 and 120 minutes; wherein a carbohydrate component is combined with the mixture during one or more of said steps, and wherein the composition has a tonicity of no greater than 350 mmol l.sup.−1.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein step (i) comprises combining a first gelling agent, water and a sequestrant with mixing.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein a carbohydrate component which comprises a maltodextrin or starch is combined with the mixture during step (iii).

38. The method of claim 35, wherein step (iv) comprises maintaining the mixture produced in step (iii) at a temperature of between 70° C. and 100° C. for between 10 and 120 minutes and adding water to maintain the volume of the mixture.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the method further comprises the step of: (v) allowing the mixture of step (iv) to cool and/or separating the mixture into portions and/or filling moulds or containers.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein the nutritional composition produced by the method comprises carbohydrate in an amount of between 250 g l.sup.−1 and 500 g l.sup.−1 of composition.

41. The method of claim 35, wherein the nutritional composition produced by the method comprises a gel.

42. The method of claim 35, wherein the method comprises making a nutritional composition which comprises water in an amount of between 50% and 80% by weight.

43. The method of claim 35, wherein the first gelling agent comprises a gum and wherein the method uses a first gelling agent in an amount of between 0.5 g and 2 g per litre of final composition and wherein the method uses a first gelling agent in an amount of between 0.001 g and 0.005 g per 1 g of carbohydrate component.

44. The method of claim 35, wherein the second gelling agent comprises a gum and wherein the method uses a second gelling agent in an amount of between 0.5 g and 2 g per litre of final composition and wherein the method uses a second gelling agent in an amount of between 0.001 g and 0.005 g per 1 g of carbohydrate component and wherein the second gelling agent is distinct from the first gelling agent.

45. The method of claim 35, wherein the first gelling agent comprises gellan gum and the second gelling agent comprises xanthan gum.

46. The method of claim 35, wherein the carbohydrate component comprises a maltodextrin and wherein a sequestrant is used in an amount of between 0.0005 g and 0.005 g per 1 g of carbohydrate component.

47. The method of claim 35, wherein step (i) is performed until the first gelling agent is dispersed and wherein in step (ii) the components are mixed by stirring and wherein step (ii) is performed for between 30 minutes and 120 minutes.

48. The method of claim 35, wherein in step (iii) the carbohydrate component and second gelling agent are added to the heated mixture of step (ii) and wherein step (iii) is performed for between 10 minutes and 90 minutes and wherein step (v) includes a filtering step and wherein the method pasteurizes the nutritional composition during production and wherein the method comprises adding one or more of: flavour enhancer; anti-oxidant; preservative; flavouring; and/or sweetener in step (iv).

49. A nutritional product which comprises carbohydrate in an amount of at least 250 g l.sup.−1 of composition and is a gel and wherein the composition has a tonicity of no greater than 350 mmol l.sup.−1.

50. The nutritional product of claim 49, manufactured according to the method of claim 1.

51. The nutritional product of claim 49, wherein a carbohydrate component comprises a maltodextrin or starch.

52. The nutritional product of claim 49, wherein the first gelling agent comprises a gum and is in an amount of between 0.5 g and 2 g per litre of final composition.

53. The nutritional product of claim 49, wherein the second gelling agent comprises a gum is in an amount of between 0.5 g and 2 g per litre of final composition and wherein the second gelling agent is distinct from the first gelling agent.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0100] The present invention will now be illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0101] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a manufacturing method.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0102] A nutritional composition comprising carbohydrate in an amount of 360 g l.sup.−1 of composition was manufactured according to the method shown in outline by FIG. 1.

[0103] The items outlined by FIG. 1 are as follows: [0104] 1—Purchase [0105] 2—Delivery [0106] 3—Storage [0107] 4—Water [0108] 5—Weighing/Measuring [0109] 6—Mixing (i) [0110] 7—Heating (ii) [0111] 8—Mixing (iii) [0112] 9—Heating [0113] 10—Equalising (iv) [0114] 11—Water [0115] 12—Filtration and Transfer [0116] 13—Cooling (v) [0117] 14—Analysis [0118] 15—Portioning/Packing [0119] 16—Storage

[0120] 480 g of gellan gum (first gelling agent) and 160 g of sodium citrate (sequestrant) were combined with 280 litres of water in a jacketed steam pan at ambient temperature (step (i)). The gelling agent and sequestrant components were added simultaneously to the water and mixed with constant stirring by a high shear mixer.

[0121] The mixture held within the pan was then heated with to a temperature of between 80° C. and 90° C. (step (ii)). During this step the mixture was stirred continuously by the high shear mixer.

[0122] Following this a carbohydrate component was added to the mixture in the pan (step (iii)) together with 480 g of xanthan gum (second gelling agent). The carbohydrate component comprised 148.4 kg of a maltodextrin of low dextrose equivalent. Heating of the mixture was continued during this operation with the target temperature being 80° C. to 90° C. The xanthan gum and carbohydrate component were added to the mixture with constant stirring with the high shear mixer with the xanthan gum being added first.

[0123] During step (iii) a number of other components were also added to the mixture. These were: 800 g orange flavouring; 800 g lemon flavouring; 400 g citric acid; 120 g acesulfamine K (sweetener); 80 g potassium sorbate (preservative); 80 g sodium benzoate; 40 g sodium chloride (flavour enhancer); log ascorbic acid (anti-oxidant); and 1 g riboflavin (vitamin B2).

[0124] Step (iii) was performed over a period of 60 minutes with the components being added steadily over that time with mixing.

[0125] Following step (iii) the mixture was maintained in the pan at a temperature of between 80° C. to 95° C. and stirred constantly with the high shear mixer (step (iv)) to ensure full dissolution/dispersion of the carbohydrate. Water was added to the mixture steadily to adjust its volume over a period of 30 minutes to adjust and maintain the total volume at 400 litres.

[0126] Finally, the mixture was removed from the pan and allowed to cool below 40° C. (step (v)) and then separated into portions.

[0127] The composition of the 400 litres of nutritional gel produced is shown by table 1.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Component Amount/g Water 269,800 Maltodextrin 148,400 Orange Flavouring 800 Lemon Flavouring 800 Gellan Gum 480 Xanthan Gum 480 Citric Acid 400 Sodium Citrate 160 Acesulfame K 120 Potassium Sorbate 80 Sodium Benzoate 80 Sodium Chloride 40 Ascorbic Acid 10 Riboflavin 1

[0128] This composition comprised a gel having carbohydrate in an amount of about 360 g l.sup.−1 of composition and a tonicity of less than 350 mmol l.sup.−1.

[0129] In an alternative embodiment, step (v) of the method can be modified by transferring the mixture to containers immediately upon the end of step (iv).

[0130] It will be appreciated that preferred embodiments of the present invention may provide a method of manufacturing a nutritional composition for athletes and active people which comprises a significant level of carbohydrate as an energy source.

[0131] Such compositions may be light on the stomach, easy to administer, easy to digest and promote hydration. Such compositions may allow the time when persons consume a significant energy boost to be managed independently of their hydration requirements. The ingestion of water or other hypotonic solution for re-hydration may thus be consumed sometime before, during, or after consumption of the gel.

[0132] The method of preferred embodiments may ensure that the nutritional composition does not break down too easily, and the carbohydrate does not come out of solution during manufacture. The method may give the nutritional composition properties that may ensure the duodenal osmo-receptors do not act to slow gastric emptying. It may also ensure a very palatable product that has a relatively long shelf life.

[0133] Nutritional compositions made by the method of preferred embodiments may comprise an isotonic gel which combines higher molecular weight carbohydrate with a gelling agent. Such compositions may be gels or jelly like compositions which are stable, have good mouth-feel, a tonicity of no greater than 350 mmol l.sup.−1, and can be packaged so that they can be easily carried and consumed.

[0134] The nutritional composition of preferred embodiments may facilitate a significantly lower fall in blood volume and a greater rise in blood glucose during exercise than known fluid replacements.

[0135] Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

[0136] All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

[0137] Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

[0138] The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment (s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.