Nutritionally balanced composite meal for infants and small children and a method of producing said meal

1. A method of producing a nutritionally balanced composite meal for infants, comprising at least one carbohydrate containing meal component and at least one protein containing meal component, the method comprising:

a) heat-treating said carbohydrate containing meal component and said protein containing meal component separately,

b) disintegrating, homogenizing or mincing said carbohydrate containing meal component and said protein containing meal component prior to step c), and

c) packaging said carbohydrate containing meal component and said protein containing meal component separately,

wherein said heat-treating comprises cooking of said carbohydrate containing meal component and said protein containing meal component at ambient pressure and with time/temperature conditions that guarantee gelatinization of starch and inactivation of enzyme inhibitors; and

said heat-treating is conducted such that Insulinaemic Index (II) (white wheat bread reference determined) of said composite meal is not more than 100% above the Glycaemic Index (GI) (white wheat bread reference determined) of said composite meal.

2. The method according to claim 1 , in which said carbohydrate containing meal component and said protein containing meal component in step a) are subjected to heat-treatment by boiling, oven-baking, steam injection, infra-red-or microwave treatment, or combinations thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said packaging step comprises freeze-drying said carbohydrate containing meal component and said protein containing meal component and storing said freeze-dried carbohydrate containing meal component and said protein containing meal component at ambient temperature or below +8° C. in airtight and light protected packages; or wherein said packaging steps comprises freezing and storing said carbohydrate containing meal component and said protein containing meal component in a freezer in air-tight and light protected packages immediately after the heat-treating step.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said carbohydrate containing meal components and said protein containing meal component are separately divided and frozen into suitable portions adjusted for the age of the infant.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the heat-treating step (a) is conducted such that starch in said carbohydrate containing meal component is fully gelatinized.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the heat-treating (a) is conducted such that carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) levels for the composite meal are kept lower than 72 mg/kg protein as measured using ELISA methodology.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the heat-treating step (a) is conducted such that the carbohydrate containing meal component and the protein containing meal component have a value, obtained by multiplying the Glycaemic Index (GI) (white wheat bread reference determined) and the Insulinaemic Index (II) (white wheat bread reference determined) of said composite meal (GI×II), that does not exceed 10,000.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, the heat-treating step (a) is conducted such that:

said carbohydrate containing meal component is fully gelatinized;

carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) levels in said composite meal are kept lower than 72 mg/kg protein as measured using ELISA methodology;

the composite meal has a value, obtained by multiplying the Glycaemic Index (GI) (white wheat bread reference determined) and the Insulinaemic Index (II) (white wheat bread reference determined) of said composite meal (GI×II), that does not exceed 10,000; and

the Insulinaemic Index (II) (white wheat bread reference determined) of said composite meal is not more than 100% above the Glycaemic Index (GI) (white wheat bread reference determined) of said composite meal.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carbohydrate containing meal component is selected from the group consisting of cereals, pseudo-cereals, tubers, legumes and combinations thereof.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the protein containing meal component is selected from the group consisting of meat, fish, poultry, egg, milk, protein rich vegetable sources from the group consisting of soy, quinoa, cereals, myco-protein and combinations thereof.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said carbohydrate containing meal component or said protein containing meal component further comprises at least one probiotic bacteria.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the probiotic bacteria is selected from the group consisting of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Roseburia, Akkermancia, Prevotella and a combination thereof.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said carbohydrate containing meal component further comprises at least one prebiotic carbohydrate.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the prebiotic carbohydrate is selected from the group consisting of inulins, fructans, arabinoxylans, arabinogalactans, galacto-oligosaccharides, beta-glucans, resistant starch, lactulose, raffinose, melibiose and combinations thereof.