Cholesterol-enriched milk lipid composition suitable for infant nutrition, method of production, and nutritional compositions comprising the milk lipid composition
The present invention pertains to methods of producing cholesterol-enriched milk lipid compositions suitable for infant nutrition by membrane-based fractionation of dairy based whey, to the cholesterol-enriched milk lipid compositions as such, and to their uses as food ingredients.
1 . A milk lipid composition, derived from whey, comprising total cholesterol in an amount of 4-12% w/w relative to total lipid, and:
the total lipid in an amount of 10-60% w/w relative to total solids;
phospholipids in an amount of at least 40% w/w relative to the total lipid;
a weight ratio between the total cholesterol and trans-fatty acids of at least 2.0;
total protein in an amount of 30-80% w/w relative to the total solids; and
a sum of total alpha-lactalbumin (ALA), total beta-lactoglobulin (BLG), and caseino macropeptide (CMP) constitutes at most 70% w/w of the total protein.
2 . The milk lipid composition of claim 1 , having a weight ratio between the total cholesterol and the trans-fatty acids of at least 2.2, at least 2.4, at least 2.6, or at least 2.7.
3 . A nutritional composition comprising:
the milk lipid composition of claim 1 , the milk lipid composition contributing with at least 20% w/w of the total cholesterol of the nutritional composition; and
one or more additional food ingredients; and
the total cholesterol in an amount of at least 10 mg/100 g the total solids, at least 50 mg/100 g the total solids, at least 80 mg/100 g the total solids, at least 100 mg/100 g the total solids, or at least 150 mg/100 g the total solids;
wherein the nutritional composition has a weight ratio between the total cholesterol and the trans-fatty acids of at least 2.0.
4 . The nutritional composition of claim 3 , comprising at least one component that is not derivable from whey.
5 . The nutritional composition of claim 3 , wherein the nutritional composition comprises the total cholesterol in an amount of 10-1000 mg/100 g the total solids, 50-800 mg/100 g the total solids, 80-800 mg/100 g the total solids, 100-600 mg/100 g the total solids, or 150-500 mg/100 g the total solids.
6 . The nutritional composition of claim 3 , wherein the nutritional composition is an infant formula, a follow-on formula, or a growing up formula.
7 . The nutritional composition of claim 3 , wherein the milk lipid composition contributes with at least 40% w/w of the total cholesterol of the nutritional composition, at least 60% w/w, or at least 80% w/w.
8 . The nutritional composition claim 3 , having a weight ratio between the total cholesterol and the trans-fatty acids of at least 2.2, at least 2.4, at least 2.6, or at least 2.7.
9 . A method of making a nutritional product, wherein the nutritional product comprises the milk lipid composition of claim 1 ;
wherein the nutritional product is an infant formula; and
wherein the method comprises increasing content of one or more of:
cholesterol,
the phospholipids,
sphingomyelin, and
ganglioside of the nutritional composition; or
wherein the method comprises reducing the content of the trans-fatty acids relative to the total cholesterol, the total lipid, or total phospholipid of the nutritional composition.