Spray-dried 3-fucosyllactose

1. A nutritional composition comprising a spray-dried powder,

wherein the spray-dried powder comprises at least 80%-wt. 3-fucosyllactose which has been produced by microbial fermentation,

wherein the spray-dried powder contains ≤15%-wt. of water and is free of genetically-engineered microorganisms and nucleic acid molecules derived from genetically-engineered microorganisms, and

wherein the nutritional composition further comprises at least one probiotic microorganism.

2. The nutritional composition of claim 1 , wherein the spray-dried powder comprises at least 85%-wt 3-fucosyllactose.

3. The nutritional composition of claim 1 , wherein the 3-fucosyllactose is present in amorphous form.

4. The nutritional composition of claim 1 , wherein the spray-dried powder comprises ≤7%-wt. of water.

5. A process for the manufacture of the spray-dried powder of the nutritional composition of claim 1 , wherein the process comprises

a) purifying the 3-fucosyllactose from a fermentation broth;

b) providing an aqueous solution containing the 3-fucosyllactose of a); and

c) subjecting the solution of b) to spray-drying to obtain the spray-dried powder.

6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the purifying the 3-fucosyllactose from a fermentation broth a) includes one or more of

i) removing the microbial cells from the fermentation broth to obtain a cleared process stream;

ii) subjecting the cleared process stream to at least one ultrafiltration;

iii) treating the cleared process stream at least one time with a cation exchange resin and/or at least one time with an anion exchange resin;

iv) subjecting the cleared process stream to at least one nanofiltration and/or diafiltration;

v) subjecting the cleared process stream to at least one electrodialysis;

vi) treating the cleared process stream at least one time with activated charcoal; and/or

vii) subjecting the cleared process stream at least one time to a crystallization and/or precipitation.

7. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises the 3-fucosyllactose in an amount of at least 20% (w/v), optionally at least 30% (w/v), and optionally at least 35% (w/v), and up to 45% (w/v), optionally at least 50% (w/v), and optionally at least 60% (w/v).

8. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the aqueous solution comprising the 3-fucosyllactose is spray dried at a nozzle temperature of at least 110° C., optionally at least 120° C., optionally at least 125° C., and less than 150° C., optionally less than 140° C., and optionally less than 135° C.

9. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the aqueous solution comprising the 3-fucosyllactose is spray-dried at an outlet temperature of at least 60° C., optionally at least 65° C., and less than 80° C., optionally less than 70° C.

10. The nutritional composition of claim 1 , wherein the nutritional composition is an infant formula.

11. The nutritional composition of claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional HMO, wherein said at least one additional HMO is a neutral HMO or a sialylated HMO.

12. The nutritional composition of claim 11 wherein the at least one neutral HMO is selected from the group consisting of 2′-fucosyllactose, lacto-N-tetraose, lacto-N-neotetraose and lacto-N-fucopentaose I.

13. The nutritional composition of claim 11 , wherein the at least one sialylated HMO is selected from the group consisting of 3′-sialyllactose, 6′-sialyllactose, sialyllacto-N-tetraose (LST)-a, LST-b, LST-c and disialyllacto-N-tetraose.

14. The nutritional composition of claim 2 , wherein the spray dried powder comprises at least 90%-wt 3-fucosyllactose.

15. The nutritional composition of claim 2 , wherein the spray dried powder comprises at least 98%-wt 3-fucosyllactose.

16. The nutritional composition of claim 1 , wherein the spray dried powder comprises ≤10%-wt. of water.

17. The nutritional composition of claim 1 , wherein the spray dried powder consists essentially of 3-fucosyllactose.