Thickener composition, thickened nutritive products, methods for preparing thickened nutritive products, and methods for providing nutrition

1. A thickened breast milk product comprising:

breast milk;

xanthan gum, said xanthan gum being present in an amount from 1 to 2% by weight and

a chelating agent comprising ascorbic acid from 0.001% to 0.005% by weight, to increase the bioavailability of at least one mineral selected from the group consisting of iron, zinc, and calcium relative to the absence of the chelating agent;

wherein the ratio by dry weight of xanthan gum to ascorbic acid is between about 2000:1.5 to about 1000:2.5.

2. The thickened breast milk product of claim 1 , wherein the xanthan is present in an amount sufficient to thicken the breast milk to a viscosity of between about 100-1000 centipoise.

3. The thickened breast milk product of claim 1 , wherein the bioavailability of calcium in said thickened breast milk product is at least about 80 percent of the bioavailability of calcium of unthickened breast milk.

4. The thickened breast milk product of claim 1 , wherein the bioavailability of iron in said thickened breast milk product is at least about 80 percent of the bioavailability of iron of unthickened breast milk.

5. The thickened breast milk product of claim 1 , wherein the bioavailability of zinc in said thickened breast milk product is at least about 80 percent of the bioavailability of the zinc of unthickened breast milk.

6. The thickened breast milk product of claim 1 , wherein the chelating agent is ascorbic acid; wherein the xanthan is present in an amount sufficient to thicken the breast milk to a viscosity of between about 100-1000 centipoise; wherein the bioavailability of calcium in said thickened breast milk product is at least about 80 percent of the bioavailability of calcium of unthickened breast milk; wherein the bioavailability of iron in said thickened breast milk product is at least about 80 percent of the bioavailability of iron of unthickened breast milk; and wherein the bioavailability of zinc in said thickened breast milk product is at least about 80 percent of the bioavailability of the zinc of unthickened breast milk.

7. A thickened food product made by a method comprising:

mixing a food product and a thickener composition in a ratio effective to thicken said food product;

said food product comprising at least one of calcium, zinc, or iron;

said thickener composition comprising xanthan gum, said xanthan gum being present in an amount from 1 to 2% by weight, blended with a chelating agent, said chelating agent comprising ascorbic acid from 0.001% to 0.005% by weight;

wherein the ratio by dry weight of xanthan gum to ascorbic acid is between about 2000:1.5 to about 1000:2.5;

said thickener added in an amount to provide an amount of chelating agent effective to increase the bioavailability to a dysphagic consumer of at least one of calcium, zinc, or iron relative to the absence of the chelating agent,

wherein the amount of thickener added thickens the food product to a viscosity of about 150 centipoise to about 2000 centipoise,

wherein the thickening composition comprises 40-60 wt. % xanthan gum and 40-60% dissolution agent.

8. The thickened food product of claim 7, wherein the bioavailability of calcium in said thickened food product is at least about 80 percent of the bioavailability of calcium in the food product without the xanthan gum and the chelating agent.

9. The thickened food product of claim 7, wherein the bioavailability of iron in said thickened food product is at least about 80 percent of the bioavailability of iron in the food product without the xanthan gum and the chelating agent.

10. The thickened food product of claim 7, wherein the bioavailability of zinc in said thickened food product is at least about 80 percent of the bioavailability of zinc in the food product without the xanthan gum and the chelating agent.

11. The thickened food product of claim 7, wherein the food product comprises water.

12. The thickened food product of claim 7, wherein the food product comprises vegetable oil.

13. The thickened food product of claim 7, wherein the food product comprises milk.

14. The thickened food product of claim 7, wherein the thickener composition further includes a dissolution agent.

15. The thickened food product of claim 7, wherein the thickening composition comprises 40-60 wt. % xanthan gum and 40-60% dissolution agent.

16. The thickened food product of claim 15, wherein the dissolution agent is maltodextrin.