Controlling the texture of high-protein nutritional compositions comprising micellar casein
Medical dairy products are highly concentrated in proteins and minerals. Formulation of such products is challenging, since viscosities can easily increase during processing and storage. It was found that using one or more chelating agents selected from the group consisting of a phosphoric acid, citric acid, a soluble phosphate salt, a soluble citrate salt, or a mixture thereof, the viscosity and the transparency of an aqueous micellar casein composition, comprising 6 to 20 g/100 ml of micellar casein and having a pH of about 6 to 8 could be controlled independently of each other. It was found that products become more viscous after addition of phytate, citrate, or orthophosphate, and that the viscosity depends on concentration and type of phosphate. Addition of hexametaphosphate leads to gel formation. In contrast, high concentrations of uridine monophosphate can be added without significantly affecting the viscosity.
1. A liquid nutritional composition comprising:
(a) 9 to 20 g of protein per 100 ml of the composition and having a pH of about 6 to 8, in which 70-100% of said protein comprises micellar casein, and
(b) about 20 to 120 mEq.L −1 of one or more chelating agents selected from the group consisting of a phosphoric acid, citric acid, cytidine monophosphate, orthophosphate, inositol hexaphosphate, hexametaphosphate, a soluble citrate salt, and mixtures thereof.
2. The liquid nutritional composition according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more chelating agents are selected from the group consisting of orthophosphate, inositol hexaphosphate, hexametaphosphate, and a mixture thereof.
3. The liquid nutritional composition according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more chelating agents are selected from the group consisting of disodium cytidine monophosphate, disodium orthophosphate, dodecasodium inositol hexaphosphate, hexasodium hexametaphosphate, trisodium citrate, and mixtures thereof.
4. The liquid nutritional composition according to claim 1 , wherein the chelating agent is selected from the group consisting of a phosphoric acid, citric acid, orthophosphate, inositol hexaphosphate, hexametaphosphate, a soluble citrate salt, and mixtures thereof.
5. The liquid nutritional composition according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more of fat, digestible carbohydrates and non-digestible carbohydrates.
6. A nutritional composition comprising:
(a) 9 to 20 g of protein per 100 ml of the composition and having a pH of about 6 to 8, in which 70-100% of said protein comprises micellar casein, and
(b) 20 to 120 mEq.L −1 of one or more chelating agents selected from the group consisting of cytidine monophosphate, orthophosphate, inositol hexaphosphate, hexametaphosphate, citrate, and a mixture thereof,
wherein citric acid, a soluble citrate salt or a mixture thereof is excluded as the sole chelating agent.
7. The nutritional composition according to claim 6 , wherein the one or more chelating agents are selected from the group consisting of disodium cytidine monophosphate, disodium orthophosphate, dodecasodium inositol hexaphosphate, hexasodium hexametaphosphate, trisodium citrate, and a mixture thereof.
8. The nutritional composition according to according to claim 6 , comprising about 20 to 100 mEq.L −1 of the one or more chelating agents.
9. The nutritional composition according to claim 6 , comprising one or more of fat, digestible and non-digestible carbohydrates.
10. The nutritional composition according to claim 6 , wherein the composition is a liquid composition.
11. A method of providing nutrition to a person in need thereof, comprising administering to the person a liquid nutritional composition comprising:
(a) 9 to 20 g of protein per 100 ml of the composition and having a pH of about 6 to 8, in which 70-100% of said protein comprises micellar casein, and
(b) about 20 to 120mEq.L −1 of one or more chelating agents selected from the group consisting of a phosphoric acid, citric acid, cytidine monophosphate, orthophosphate, inositol hexaphosphate, hexametaphosphate, a soluble citrate salt, and mixtures thereof.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the person is an elderly person, a person that is in a disease state, a person that is recovering from a disease state, a person that is malnourished, or a healthy person such as a sportsman or sportswoman or an active elderly.
13. A method of providing nutrition to a person in need thereof, comprising administering to the person a nutritional composition according to claim 6 .
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the person is an elderly person, a person that is in a disease state, a person that is recovering from a disease state, a person that is malnourished, or a healthy person such as a sportsman or sportswoman or an active elderly.