Oil blends, processes for the preparation thereof and their use in formulas
The invention provides oil blends, processes for the preparation thereof and their uses.
1. An infant formula which comprises an oil blend comprising at least two oils, each of which two oils has a reduced phytosterol level compared to such oil prior to reducing its phytosterol content, wherein at least one of the two oils is MCT oil or sn2-palmitate oil having a phytosterol content of less than 300 ppm; and the other of the two oils is selected from the following:
coconut oil having a phytosterol content of less than 450 ppm;
palm kernel oil having a phytosterol content of less than 900 ppm;
soybean oil having a phytosterol content of less than 1800 ppm;
rapeseed oil having a phytosterol content of less than 5800 ppm;
sunflower oil having a phytosterol content of less than 1600 ppm;
high oleic sunflower oil having a phytosterol content of less than 1500 ppm;
corn oil having a phytosterol content of less than 5900 ppm;
palm olein oil having a phytosterol content of less than 700 ppm;
palm oil having a phytosterol content of less than 530 ppm;
safflower oil having a phytosterol content of less than 8500 ppm; or
high oleic safflower oil having a phytosterol content of less than 1000 ppm,
and wherein the fatty acid composition of the infant formula is as follows:
0-10% C8:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
0-10% C10:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
0-22% C12:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
0-15% C14:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
5-55% C16:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
1-7% C18:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
20-75% C18:1 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
2-40% C18:2 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
0-8% C18:3 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids; and
Other fatty acids present in levels of less than 8% of the total fatty acids.
2. An infant formula which comprises an oil blend comprising at least two oils wherein at least one of the two oils is MCT oil or sn2-palmitate oil, and the other of the two oils is selected from the following: coconut oil, palm kernel oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, corn oil, palm olein oil, palm oil, safflower oil, or high oleic safflower oil, wherein the total phytosterol content in ppm of said oils within the blend is below the value obtained using the following formula (I)
[
∑
n
=
1
13
(
X
n
*
K
n
)
]
/
100
Formula
(
I
)
wherein
n is an integer of 1 to 13 and represents the number of said specific oils;
X n represents the percent by weight of a specific oil out of the total weight of said n specific oils;
K n represents a pre-determined threshold value of phytosterol content in ppm of a specific oil which value is reduced compared to the phytosterol content of said oil in ppm prior to reducing its phytosterol content;
wherein said pre-determined threshold values of phytosterol contents of the specific oils (K n ) are the following:
Oil
K n
coconut oil
450
palm kernel oil
900
soybean oil
1800
rapeseed oil
5800
sunflower oil
1600
high oleic sunflower oil
1500
corn oil
5900
palm olein oil
700
palm oil
530
safflower oil
8500
high oleic safflower oil
1200
MCT oil
1000
sn2-palmitate oil
300
and wherein the fatty acid composition of the infant formula is as follows:
0-10% C8:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
0-10% C10:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
0-22% C12:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
0-15% C14:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
5-55% C16:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
1-7% C18:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
20-75% C18:1 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
2-40% C18:2 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;
0-S % C18:3 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids; and
Other fatty acids present in levels of less than 8% of the total fatty acids.
3. The infant formula of claim 1 , wherein the:
coconut oil comprises a ratio of phytosterol esters: free phytosterols of greater than 0.6;
palm kernel oil comprises a ratio of phytosterol esters: free phytosterols of greater than 0.6;
soybean oil in which the comprises a ratio of phytosterol esters: free phytosterols of greater than 0.5;
rapeseed oil comprises a ratio of phytosterol esters: free phytosterols of greater than 1.7;
sunflower oil in which the comprises a ratio of phytosterol esters: free phytosterols of greater than 0.7;
high oleic sunflower oil comprises a ratio of phytosterol esters: free phytosterols of greater than 0.7;
corn oil comprises a ratio of phytosterol esters: free phytosterols of greater than 1.8;
palm olein oil comprises a ratio of phytosterol esters: free phytosterols of greater than 0.4;
palm oil comprises a ratio of phytosterol esters: free phytosterols of greater than 1;
safflower oil comprises a ratio of phytosterol esters: free phytosterols of greater than 1.1;
high oleic safflower oil comprises a ratio of phytosterol esters: free phytosterols of greater than 1.3;
MCT oil comprises a ratio of phytosterol esters: free phytosterols of greater than 0.5; or
sn2-palmitate oil comprises a ratio of phytosterol esters: free phytosterols of greater than 0.9.
4. The infant formula of claim 1 , wherein the ratio between phytosterol esters concentration in ppm of said oils within the blend is above the result obtained using the following formula (IV):
0.01
*
[
∑
n
=
1
13
(
X
n
*
R
n
*
K
n
)
]
/
[
∑
n
=
1
13
(
K
n
)
]
Formula
(
IV
)
wherein
n is an integer of 1 to 13 and represents the number of said specific oils;
X n represents the percent by weight of a specific oil out of the total weight of said n specific oils;
R n represents a pre-determined threshold value of the ratio between the phytosterol ester concentration (in ppm) and the free phytosterol concentration (in ppm) in the specific oil;
K n represents a pre-determined threshold value of phytosterol content in ppm of said specific oil which value is reduced compared to the phytosterol content of said oil in ppm prior to reducing its phytosterol content;
and wherein said pre-determined threshold value of the ratio between phytosterol esters concentration in ppm and free phytosterols concentration in ppm in the specific oils (R n ) are the following:
Oil
R n
coconut oil
0.6
palm kernel oil
0.6
soybean oil
0.5
rapeseed oil
1.7
sunflower oil
0.7
high oleic sunflower oil
0.7
corn oil
1.8
palm olein oil
0.4
palm oil
1
safflower oil
1.1
high oleic safflower oil
1.3
MCT oil
0.5
sn2-palmitate oil
0.9
and wherein said pre-determined threshold value of phytosterol contents of the specific oils (K n ) are the following:
Oil
K n
coconut oil
450
palm kernel oil
900
soybean oil
1800
rapeseed oil
5800
sunflower oil
1600
high oleic sunflower oil
1500
corn oil
5900
palm olein oil
700
palm oil
530
safflower oil
8500
high oleic safflower oil
1200
MCT oil
1000
sn2-palmitate oil
300
5. The infant formula of claim 1 , wherein said oil blend is a vegetable oil blend.
6. The infant formula of claim 1 , wherein the endogenic tocopherol concentration of the oil blend is at most 800 ppm.
7. The infant formula of claim 1 , wherein the w/w ratio between alpha tocopherols levels to non-alpha tocopherols levels of the oil blend is at least 5.
8. The infant formula of claim 1 , wherein the percentage of diacylglycerol (w/w) of the oil blend is at most 0.5%.
9. The infant formula of claim 1 , wherein the w/w ratio of cholesterol present in said formula to phytosterol in said formula is at least 1.
10. The infant formula of claim 2 , wherein the w/w ratio of alpha tocopherol levels to non-alpha tocopherols levels is at least 5.
11. The infant formula of claim 2 , wherein the percentage (w/w) of diacylglycerol in the oil blend is at most 0.5%.
12. The infant formula of claim 1 , wherein said formula comprises at least 5 mg cholesterol/100 g formula.
13. The infant formula according to claim 1 for administration to a subject, wherein the subject is an infant.
14. The infant formula of claim for administration to a subject, wherein said subject is a subject being under partial parenteral nutrition.
15. An infant formula according to claim 1 providing improved stability, improved, wettability, or reduced free fat compared to an infant formula comprising an oil blend of the same oils with higher phytosterol levels.
16. An infant formula accordingly to claim 1 providing increased lipolysis as compared to an infant formula comprising an oil blend of the same oils with higher phytosterol levels.
17. An infant formula according to claim 1 providing increased plasma cholesterol levels or increased absorption of fat soluble vitamins as compared to an infant formula comprising an oil blend of the same oils with higher phytosterol levels.