Nutritional composition
The invention relates to a nutritional composition comprising carbohydrates, protein and a fat composition, wherein: (a) the nutritional composition has a total calcium content on dry matter of at least 3.5 g/kg; (b) the protein comprises casein; (c) the nutritional composition has a content of protein-bound calcium of 7.5 mmoles or less per 10 grams of casein; and (d) the ratio NPN to TN is 0.7 or less, with: NPN meaning non-protein nitrogen in the nutritional composition in grams per 100 grams of nutritional composition (g/100 g); and TN meaning total nitrogen (TN) in the nutritional composition in g/100 g. The invention further relates to a process for the preparation of the nutritional composition in powder form and to the composition for use in the prevention of gut discomfort and constipation in human subjects, in particular human subjects of 0 to 36 months of age.
1 . A nutritional composition comprising carbohydrates, protein and a fat composition, wherein:
(a) the nutritional composition has a total calcium content on dry matter of at least 3.5 g/kg;
(b) the protein comprises casein;
(c) the nutritional composition has a content of protein-bound calcium of 7.5 mmoles or less per 10 grams of casein; and
(d) the ratio NPN to TN is 0.7 to 1.0 or less than 0.7 to 1.0, with:
NPN meaning non-protein nitrogen in the nutritional composition in grams per 100 grams of nutritional composition (g/100 g); and
TN meaning total nitrogen (TN) in the nutritional composition in g/100 g.
2 . The nutritional composition according to claim 1 , wherein the fat composition comprises at least 20% by weight, based on total weight of the fat composition of triacylglycerols (TAG) originating from a bovine milk fat source.
3 . The nutritional composition according to claim 2 , wherein the bovine milk fat source is whole milk, cream or anhydrous milk fat.
4 . The nutritional composition according to claim 1 , wherein the fat composition comprises:
(a) 0.5-2.2% by weight, based on total weight of fatty acid acyl groups in TAG of butanoate groups (C4:0); and
(b) 18.0-35.0% by weight based on total weight of fatty acid acyl groups in TAG of long chain saturated fatty acid acyl groups having a chain length of 12 or more carbon atoms at the sn-1 and sn-3 position in TAG.
5 . The nutritional composition according to claim 1 , which further comprises at least one human milk oligosaccharide.
6 . The nutritional composition according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one human milk oligosaccharide is present in an amount of 0.05 to 2.0 grams per 100 grams of the nutritional composition on dry matter.
7 . The nutritional composition according to claim 1 in powder form.
8 . The nutritional composition according to claim 1 , wherein the fat composition comprises at least 45% by weight based on total weight of the fat composition of triacylglycerols (TAG) originating from a bovine milk fat source.
9 . The nutritional composition according to claim 8 , wherein the bovine milk fat source is whole milk, cream or anhydrous milk fat.
10 . The nutritional composition according to claim 1 , wherein the fat composition comprises:
(a) 0.6-2.0% by weight, based on total weight of fatty acid acyl groups in TAG of butanoate groups (C4:0); and
(b) 19.0 to 32.0% by weight, based on total weight of fatty acid acyl groups in TAG of long chain saturated fatty acid acyl groups having a chain length of 12 or more carbon atoms at the sn-1 and sn-3 position in TAG.
11 . The nutritional composition according to claim 1 , wherein the total calcium content on dry matter is 3.6 to 8.0 g/kg.
12 . The nutritional composition according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio NPN to TN is between 0.01 and 0.5.
13 . The nutritional composition according to claim 5 , further comprising at least a fucosylated lactose.
14 . The nutritional composition according to claim 13 , further comprising 2′-fucosyllactose.