BALDWIN, Alan James (c/- Fonterra Research Centre, Dairy Farm Road, Palmerston North, NZ)
VAN DE VEN, Willem Frank (c/- Fonterra Research Centre, Dairy Farm Road, Palmerston North, NZ)
MACKERETH, Antony Raymond (c/- Fonterra Research Centre, Dairy Farm Road, Palmerston North, NZ)
BALDWIN, Alan James (c/- Fonterra Research Centre, Dairy Farm Road, Palmerston North, NZ)
VAN DE VEN, Willem Frank (c/- Fonterra Research Centre, Dairy Farm Road, Palmerston North, NZ)
| WHAT WE CLAIM IS 1. A unitised high density composition comprising a cohesive mixture of one or more lipid compositions and one or more protein powders, the unitised high density composition having (1) a volume of at least about 50 cm , (2) a density of at least about 50% of the material density of the cohesive mixture, and (3) a moisture content of less than about 15% by weight. 2. A method of producing a unitised high density composition, the method comprising (1) providing a cohesive mixture of (a) one or more lipid compositions, and (b) one or more protein powders, and (2) compacting the mixture to produce a unitised high density composition having a volume of at least about 50 cm and a density of at least about 50% of the material density of the mixture. 3. A method of producing a unitised high density composition, the method comprising (1) mixing one or more lipid compositions and one or more protein powders to produce a cohesive mixture, and (2) compacting the mixture to produce a unitised high density composition having a volume of at least about 50 cm and a density of at least about 50% of the material density of the mixture. 4. A method of claim 2 or 3 wherein the composition produced by the method is packaged. 5. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the one or more protein powders comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of milk, whey, casein, egg, egg white, egg yolk, meat, beef, lamb, fish, shellfish, vegetable, legume, alfalfa, clover, pea, bean, kidney bean, soybean, lentil, lupin, mesquite, cocoa, carob, nut, peanut, rye, cereal, whole wheat, rice, hemp, wheat gluten, fungal, or algal protein, a protein concentrate thereof, a protein isolate thereof, a hydrolysate thereof, or any combination of any two or more thereof. 6. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the one or more protein powders is a non-agglomerated, agglomerated, roll-compacted, lyophilised, drum dried, spray dried or foam spray dried protein powder. 7. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the one or more protein powders comprises about 0.05 to about 12 % moisture by weight. 8. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the one or more protein powders comprises about 5 to about 99 % by weight protein. 9. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the one or more protein powders comprises about 0.1 to about 50 % by weight lipid. 10. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the one or more protein powders has a solubility index of about 0.1 to about 5 mL determined according to ADMI Solubility Index Test IDF Standard 129A (1988). 1 1. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the one or more lipid compositions comprises a moisture content of about 0.05 to about 15 % by weight. 12. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 1 1 wherein the one or more lipid compositions comprises about 1 to about 99.5 % by weight lipid. 13. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein the one or more lipid compositions is a liquid or semi-liquid lipid composition. 14. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the one or more lipid compositions comprises one or more plant oils, one or more animal oils, one or more marine oils, one or more milk fat compositions, or one or more algal oils, extracts thereof, hydrolysates thereof, or any combination of any two or more thereof. 15. A composition of claim 14 wherein the milk fat composition comprises cream, butter, ghee, cooked milk fat, anhydrous milk fat (AMF), a hard milk fat extract from one or more stages of milk fat fractionation, a soft milk fat extract from one or more stages of milk fat fractionation, a combination of hard milk fat extracts, a combination of soft milk fat extracts, a combination of hard milk fat extracts and soft milk fat extracts, buttermilk, a phospholipid extract of buttermilk, butter serum, a phospholipid extract of butter serum, beta serum, a phospholipid extract of beta serum, a sphingolipid extract, a milk fat globule membrane lipid extract, a phospholipid extract, a complex lipid extract, CLA-enriched milk fat, a CLA-enriched milk fat extract, a hydrolysate thereof, an extract of the hydrolysate, combinations of hydrolysed and/or non-hydrolysed compositions, or any combination of any two or more thereof. 16. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein the unitised high density composition comprises about 1 to about 99 % by weight protein. 17. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 16 wherein the unitised high density composition comprises about 1 to about 99 % by weight lipid. 18. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 17 wherein the unitised high density composition has a volume of about 50 to about 100,000 cm . 19. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 18 wherein the density of the unitised high density composition is about 50 to about 100 % of the material density of the components of the composition. 20. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 19 wherein the density of the unitised high density composition is about 0.5 to about 1.5 g/ml. 21. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 20 wherein the unitised high density composition comprises a moisture content of about 0.1 to about 15 % by weight. 22. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 21 wherein the unitised high density composition has a solubility index of about 0.1 to about 5 mL determined according to ADMI Solubility Index Test IDF Standard 129A (1988). 23. A composition or method of any one of claims 1 to 22 wherein the ratio of the one or more lipid compositions to the one or more protein powders is about 10:90 to about 45:55. |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to unitised high density protein and lipid compositions especially suited to storage and transportation. BACKGROUND
[0002] Bovine milk comprises about 87% water by weight on average (Tetra Pak Dairy Processing Handbook, 2003) so is uneconomical to ship internationally in liquid form. Most milk that is shipped internationally is spray-dried as either whole milk powder or skim milk powder and comprises no more than 3-4% residual water by weight. Whole milk and skim milk powders generally have bulk densities in the order of about 0.45 to
0.57 g/ml and 0.45 to 0.6 g/ml respectively (Tetra Pak Dairy Processing Handbook, 2003).
[0003] Other protein powders, such as milk protein concentrate and whey protein concentrate powders, or non-dairy powders such as soy protein powders, have similar bulk densities when spray dried, packaged, and shipped internationally. [0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved or alternative high density protein and lipid compositions for storage and transportation or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Accordingly, in a first aspect the invention relates to a unitised high density composition comprising, consisting of or consisting essentially of a cohesive mixture of one or more lipid compositions and one or more protein powders, the unitised high density composition having
(1) a volume of at least about 50 cm ,
(2) a density of at least about 50% of the material density of the cohesive mixture , and (3) a moisture content of less than about 15% by weight.
[0006] In a second aspect the invention relates to a method of producing a
composition of the first aspect, the method comprising (1) providing a cohesive mixture comprising, consisting of or consisting essentially of
(a) one or more lipid compositions, and
(b) one or more protein powders, and
(2) compacting the mixture to produce a unitised high density composition having a volume of at least about 50 cm and a density of at least about 50% of the material density of the mixture.
[0007] In a third aspect the invention relates to a method of producing a composition of the first aspect, the method comprising
(1) mixing one or more lipid compositions and one or more protein powders to produce a cohesive mixture, and
(2) compacting the mixture to produce a unitised high density composition having a volume of at least about 50 cm and a density of at least about 50% of the material density of the mixture.
[0008] The following embodiments may relate to any of the above aspects. [0009] In some embodiments mixing and compacting may be simultaneous (for example, extrusion). In other embodiments mixing and compacting may be sequential (for example, mixing, moulding and compressing in batches). In still other embodiments compaction may be carried out in multiple stages (for example, pre-compaction followed by compaction). It should be understood that the compaction step may be carried out using any suitable equipment for batch or continuous processing that is able to shape the cohesive mixture and apply pressure to the cohesive mixture to achieve the required density.
[0010] In one embodiment of a method described above, the method further comprises packaging one or more unitised high density compositions, preferably vacuum packaging one or more unitised high density compositions. In various embodiments 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20 blocks or more are packaged together in one package, and useful ranges-may be selected between these values (for example, about 1 to about 20). In various embodiments, packaging is conducted in an inert atmosphere. In one embodiment a plurality of the packaged compositions are loaded onto a pallet or into a shipping container in a standardised fashion to maximise utilisation of space.
[0011] In one embodiment the protein powder comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of milk, whey, casein, caseinate, egg, egg white, egg yolk, meat, beef, lamb, fish, shellfish, vegetable, legume, alfalfa, clover, pea, bean, kidney bean, soybean, lentil, lupin, mesquite, cocoa, carob, nut, peanut, rye, cereal, whole wheat, rice, hemp, wheat gluten, fungal, or algal protein, a protein concentrate thereof, a protein isolate thereof, a hydrolysate thereof, or any combination of any two or more thereof. The protein powder may be non-agglomerated, agglomerated, roll-compacted, lyophilised, drum dried, spray dried or foam spray dried protein powder.
[0012] In one embodiment the protein powder has a density of at least about 0.2, 0.25,
0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, 0.5, 0.55, 0.6, 0.65, 0.7, 0.75 or 0.8 g/ml, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 0.2 to about 0.4, about 0.2 to about 0.6, about 0.2 to about 0.7, about 0.2 to about 0.8, about 0.3 to about 0.8, about 0.35 to about 0.8 g/ml).
[0013] In various embodiments the protein powder may be shaped, milled, sieved, or combination thereof.
[0014] In various embodiments the protein powder comprises a whey protein concentrate (WPC) or a whey protein isolate (WPI). [0015] In various embodiments the protein powder comprises whole milk powder, skim milk powder, or a milk protein concentrate (MPC).
[0016] In one embodiment the protein powder comprises less than about 0.05, 0.1 , 0.5,
1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1 1 or 12% moisture by weight, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 0.05 to about 1 , about 0.05 to about 2, about 0.05 to about 3, about 0.05 to about 4, about 0.05 to about 5, about 0.05 to about 6, about 0.05 to about 7, about 0.05 to about 8, about 0.05 to about 9, about 0.05 to about 10, about 0.05 to about 1 1 , and about 0.05 to about 12 %).
[0017] In various embodiments the protein powder comprises at least about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95 or 99 % by weight protein, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 10 to about 95, about 20 to about 95, about 30 to about 95, about 40 to about 95, about 50 to about 95, about 60 to about 95, about 10 to about 99, and about 70 to about 99 % by weight protein).
[0018] In various embodiments the protein powder comprises at least about 0.1 , 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 35, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 45, 46, 48 or 50 % by weight lipid, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 0.1 to about 2, about 0.1 to about 40, about 0.1 to about 50, about 1 to about 6, about 1 to about 10, about 1 to about 20, about 1 to about 30, about 1 to about 40, about 1 to about 50, about 20 to about 50, about 24 to about 42, or about 26 to about 40 % by weight lipid). [0019] In various embodiments the protein powder has a solubility index of less than about 0.1 , 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1 , 1.25, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5 or 5 mL, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 0.1 to about 5, about 0.5 to about 5, about 1 to about 5, about 2 to about 5, about 3 to about 5, about 0.1 to about 4, about 0.5 to about 4, about 1 to about 4, about 2 to about 4, about 0.1 to about 3, about 0.5 to about 3, and about 1 to about 3 mL). The solubility index is determined according to ADMI Solubility Index Test IDF Standard 129A (1988).
[0020] In various embodiments the addition of the one or more lipid compositions to the one or more protein powders changes the solubility index of the one or more protein powders by less than about 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 %, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 1 to about 10, about 2 to about 8 or about 4 to about 6 %). In other embodiments the addition of the one or more lipid compositions to the one or more protein powders changes the solubility index of the one or more protein powders by less than about 0.1, 0.5, 1 , 1.5 or 2 mL, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 0.1 to about 0.5, about 0.1 to about 1 , about 0.1 to about 1.5, and about 0.1 to about 2 mL). The solubility index is determined according to ADMI Solubility Index Test IDF Standard 129A (1988).
[0021] In one embodiment the lipid composition comprises a moisture content of about 0.05, 0.1 , 0.15, 0.2,0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1 , 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5,- 1 1 , 1 1.5,12, 12.5, 13, 13.5, 14, 14.5 or 15 % by weight, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 0.05 to about 1 , 0.05 to about 2, about 0.05 to about 4, about 0.05 to about 6, about 0.05 to about 8, about 0.05 to about 10, about 0.05 to about 12, about 0.05 to about 15, about 0.15 to about 0.5, about 0.15 to about 1 , 0.15 to about 2, about 0.15 to about 4, about 0.15 to about 6, about 0.15 to about 8, about 0.15 to about 10, about 0.15 to about 12 and about 0.15 to about 15 % by weight). [0022] In one embodiment the lipid composition comprises at least about 1 , 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91 , 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 99.5 or 100 % by weight lipid, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 1 to about 99.5, about 5 to about 99.5, about 10 to about 99.5, about 20 to about 99.5, about 30 to about 99.5, about 40 to about 99.5, about 50 to about 99.5, about 60 to about 99.5, about 70 to about 99.5, about 80 to about 99.5, about 90 to about 99.5, about 10 to about 20, about 10 to about 30, about 10 to about 40, about 10 to about 50, about 10 to about 60, about 10 to about 70, about 10 to about 80, about 10 to about 90, about 10 to about 100, about 85 to about 99.5, about 86 to about 99.5, about 87 to about 99.5, about 88 to about 99.5, about 89 to about 99.5, about 90 to about 99.5, about 91 to about 99.5, about 92 to about 99.5, about 93 to about 99.5, about 94 to about 99.5, about 95 to about 99.5, about 96 to about 99.5, about 97 to about 99.5, about 98 to about 99.5, about 85 to about 98, about 86 to about 98, about 87 to about 98, about 88 to about 98, about 89 to about 98, about 90 to about 98, about 91 to about 98, about 92 to about 98, about 93 to about 98, about 94 to about 98, about 95 to about 98, about 96 to about 98, and about 97 to about 98 % by weight lipid).
[0023] In various embodiments the lipid composition is a solid lipid composition or a liquid composition or a semi-liquid lipid composition.
[0024] In one embodiment the lipid composition comprises one or more plant oils, one or more animal oils, one or more marine oils, one or more milk fat compositions, or one or more algal oils, extracts thereof, hydrolysates thereof, or any combination of any two or more thereof.
[0025] In one embodiment the milk fat composition comprises cream, butter, ghee, cooked milk fat, anhydrous milk fat (AMF), a hard milk fat extract from one or more stages of milk fat fractionation (including H, SH, and SSH extracts), a soft milk fat extract from one or more stages of milk fat fractionation (including S, SS, and SSS extracts), a combination of hard milk fat extracts, a combination of soft milk fat extracts, a combination of hard milk fat extracts and soft milk fat extracts, buttermilk, a phospholipid extract of buttermilk, butter serum, a phospholipid extract of butter serum, beta serum, a phospholipid extract of beta serum, a sphingolipid extract, a milk fat globule (or
"globular") membrane lipid extract (including, for example, sphingolipids, ceramides, and cerebrosides), a phospholipid extract, a complex lipid extract, CLA-enriched milk fat, a CLA-enriched milk fat extract, a hydrolysate thereof, an extract of the hydrolysate, combinations of hydrolysed and/or non-hydrolysed compositions, or any combination of any two or more thereof. These compositions may be obtained from whole milk or colostrum, and any derivatives of whole milk or colostrum, including cream, cultured cream, and whey cream (milk lipid obtained from whey, including acid whey or cheese whey, preferably cheese whey). Cultured cream is cream from whole milk or colostrum that has been fermented with acid-producing microorganisms, preferably lactic acid bacteria.
[0026] In one embodiment, the lipid composition is heated before mixing with the protein powder. The lipid composition may be heated to at least about 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95 or 100 °C, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 20 to about 100, about 20 to about 70, about 20 to about 60, about 20 to about 50, about 30 to about 50 or about 40 to about 70 °C). [0027] In various embodiments the ratio of the one or more lipid compositions to the one or more protein powders is about 10:90, 15:85, 20:80, 25:75, 30:70, 35:65, 40:60 or 45:55, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 10:90 to about 45:55, about 10:90 to about 40:60, about 15:85 to about 40:60, about 20:80 to about 40:60, about 25:75 to about 40:60, about30:70 to about 40:60, about 10:90 to about 35:65, about 15:85 to about 35:65, about 20:80 to about 35:65, about 25:75 to about 35:65, and about 30:70 to about 35:65).
[0028] In various embodiments the unitised high density composition comprises at least about 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95 or 99 % by weight protein, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 1 to about 99, about 5 to about 99, about 10 to about 99, about 15 to about 99, about 20 to about 99, about 25 to about 99, about 30 to about 99, about 35 to about 99, about 40 to about 99, about 45 to about 99, about 50 to about 99, about 1 to about 95, about 5 to about 95, about 10 to about 95, about 15 to about 95, about 20 to about 95, about 25 to about 95, about 30 to about 95, about 35 to about 95, about 40 to about 95, about 45 to about 95, about 50 to about 95, about 1 to about 70, about 10 to about 70, about 15 to about 70, about 20 to about 70, about 25 to about 70, about 30 to about 70, about 35 to about 70, about 40 to about 70, about 45 to about 70, and about 50 to about 70, about 10 to about 60, about 20 to about 60, about 30 to about 60, about 10 to about 50, about 20 to about 50, about 10 to about 40, and about 20 to about 40 % by weight protein).
[0029] In various embodiments the unitised high density composition comprises at least about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95 or 99 % by weight lipid, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 1 to about 99, about 5 to about 99, about 10 to about 99, about 15 to about 99, about 20 to about 99, about 25 to about 99, about 30 to about 99, about 35 to about 99, about 40 to about 99, about 45 to about 99, about 50 to about 99, about 1 to about 95, about 5 to about 95, about 10 to about 95, about 15 to about 95, about 20 to about 95, about 25 to about 95, about 30 to about 95, about 35 to about 95, about 40 to about 95, about 45 to about 95, about 50 to about 95, about 1 to about 70, about 10 to about 70, about 15 to about 70, about 20 to about 70, about 25 to about 70, about 30 to about 70, about 35 to about 70, about 40 to about 70, about 45 to about 70, and about 50 to about 70, about 10 to about 60, about 20 to about 60, about 30 to about 60, about 10 to about 50, about 20 to about 50, about 10 to about 40, and about 20 to about 40 % by weight lipid).
[0030] In various embodiments the unitised high density composition comprises a volume of at least about 50, 51 , 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 2500, 5000, 7500, 10,000, 12,500, 15,000, 17,500, 20,000, 22,500, 25,000, 27,500, 30,000, 35,000, 40,000, 45,000, 50,000, 55,000, 60,000, 65,000, 70,000, 75, 000, 80,000, 85,000, 90,000, 95,000 or 100,000 cm 3 , and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 50 to about 30,000, about 100 to about 30,000, about 200 to about 30,000, about 400 to about 30,000, about 600 to about 30,000, about 800 to about 30,000, about 1000 to about 30,000, about 2000 to about 30,000, about 4000 to about 30,000, about 6000 to about 30,000, about 8000 to about 30,000, about 10,000 to about 30,000, about 15,000 to about 30,000, about 20,000 to about 30,000, about 50 to about 50,000, about 100 to about 50,000, about 200 to about 50,000, about 400 to about 50,000, about 600 to about 50,000, about 800 to about 50,000, about 1000 to about 50,000, about 2000 to about 50,000, about 4000 to about 50,000, about 6000 to about 50,000, about 8000 to about 50,000, about 10,000 to about 50,000, about 15,000 to about 50,000, about 20,000 to about 50,000, about 50 to about 75,000, about 100 to about 75,000, about 200 to about 75,000, about 400 to about 75,000, about 600 to about 75,000, about 800 to about 75,000, about 1000 to about 75,000, about 2000 to about 75,000, about 4000 to about 75,000, about 6000 to about 75,000, about 8000 to about
75,000, about 10,000 to about 75,000, about 15,000 to about 75,000, about 20,000 to about 75,000, about 50 to about 100,000, about 100 to about 100,000, about 200 to about 100,000, about 400 to about 100,000, about 600 to about 100,000, about 800 to about 100,000, about 1000 to about 100,000, about 2000 to about 100,000, about 4000 to about 100,000, about 6000 to about 100,000, about 8000 to about 100,000, about 10,000 to about 100,000, about 15,000 to about 100,000, and about 20,000 to about 100,000 cm 3 ).
[0031] In one embodiment, the density of the unitised high density composition comprises at least about 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95 or 100% of the material density of the components of the composition, and useful ranges may be selected between these values (for example, about 60 to about 100, about 65 to about 100, about 70 to about 100, about 75 to about 100, about 80 to about 100, about 85 to about 100, about 90 to about 100, about 60 to about 90, about 65 to about 90, about 70 to about 90, about 75 to about 90, about 80 to about 90, or about 85 to about 90 %).
[0032] In various embodiments the density of the unitised high density composition is at least about 0.5, 0.51 , 0.52, 0.53, 0.54, 0.55, 0.56, 0.57, 0.58, 0.59, 0.6, 0.61 , 0.62, 0.63, 0.64, 0.65, 0.66, 0.67, 0.68, 0.69, 0.7, 0.71 , 0.72, 0.73, 0.74, 0.75, 0.76, 0.77, 0.78, 0.79, 0.8, 0.81 , 0.82, 0.83, 0.84, 0.85, 0.86, 0.87, 0.88, 0.89, 0.9, 0.91 , 0.92, 0.93, 0.94, 0.95, 0.96, 0.97, 0.98, 0.99, 1, 1.01 , 1.02, 1.03, 1.04, 1.05, 1.06, 1.07, 1.08, 1.09, 1.1 , 1.1 1 , 1 .12, 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, or 1.5 g/mL, and useful ranges may be selected between these values (for example, about 0.5 to about 1.5, about 0.6 to about 1.4, about 0.7 to about 1.3, about 0.5 to about 1.2, about 0.6 to about 1.2, about 0.7 to about 1.2, about 0.8 to about 1.2, about 0.81 to about 1.2, about 0.82 to about 1.2, about 0.83 to about 1.2, about 0.84 to about 1.2, about 0.85 to about 1.2, about 0.86 to about 1.2, about 0.87 to about 1.2, about 0.88 to about 1.2, about 0.89 to about 1.2 and about 0.9 to about 1.2 g/ml).
[0033] . In various embodiments the unitised high density composition comprises a moisture content of about 0.1, 0.5, 1 , 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 1 1 , 12, 13, 14 or 15 % by weight or less, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 0.1 to about 1 , about 0.1 to about 2, about 0.1 to about 3, about 0.1 to about 4, about 0.1 to about 5, about 0.1 to about 6, about 0.1 to about 7, about 0.1 to about 8, about 0.1 to about 9, about 0.1 to about 10, about 0.1 to about 15, about 1 to about 2, about 1 to about 3, about 1 to about 4, about 1 to about 5, about 1 to about 6, about 1 to about 7, about 1 to about 8, about 1 to about 9, about 1 to about 10, about 1 to about 15, about 1.5 to about 3, about 1.5 to about 4, about 1.5 to about 5, about 1.5 to about 6, about 1.5 to about 7, about 1.5 to about 8, about 1.5 to about 9, about 1.5 to about 10 and about 1.5 to about 15 % by weight moisture or less). [0034] In various embodiments the unitised high density composition comprises a solubility index of about 0.1 , 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5 or 5 mL as determined by ADMI Solubility Index Test IDF Standard 129A (1988), and useful ranges may be selected between these values (for example, about 0.1 to about 5, about 0.5 to about 5, about 1 to about 5, about 2 to about 5, about 3 to about 5, about 0.1 to about 4, about 0.5 to about 4, about 1 to about 4, about 2 to about 4, about 0.1 to about 3, about 0.5 to about 3, and about 1 to about 3 mL).
[0035] In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.
[0036] It is intended that reference to a range of numbers disclosed herein (for example, 1 to 10) also incorporates reference to all rational numbers within that range (for example, 1 , 1.1, 2, 3, 3.9, 4, 5, 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 9 and 10) and also any range of rational numbers within that range (for example, 2 to 8, 1 .5 to 5.5 and 3.1 to 4.7) and, therefore, all sub-ranges of all ranges expressly disclosed herein are hereby expressly disclosed. These are only examples of what is specifically intended and all possible combinations of numerical values between the lowest value and the highest value enumerated are to be considered to be expressly stated in this application in a similar manner. [0037] To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0038] Figure 1 is a flow diagram showing production of a unitised high density composition from one or more lipid compositions and one or more protein powders.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0039] The inventors have surprisingly found that powders that have a bulk density less than or equal to 50% of the material density can be replaced with a powder/lipid blend of the same or similar composition that can be compressed to a bulk density of about to 50 about 85%) or more or about 60 to about 85% or more of the material density. The material density of protein powders, the density without any voids or entrapped air, can be calculated from the data of at least Buma (1965) and Rahman (1995). For example, the material density, p m is the inverse of the specific volume, v m of the mixture without any voids or entrapped gases.
100401 p.. = -
[0041] The specific volume of the mixture is the sum of the volumes of each component in the mixture which ignores the effect of any interactions between components that affect the density.
[0042] v m =∑ i x i v i
[0043] The specific volume of each component may be a function of temperature, although many of those for solid components are constant. Constant values are casein 0.71429 L/kg, whey 0.74074 L/kg (including both native & denatured), lactose 0.62854 L/kg (calculated from data of Buma, 1980), sucrose 0.62972 L/kg (from Rahman, 1995, page 197), and ash 0.34483 L/kg. The specific volumes of water and lipid are functions of temperature. For water the specific volume is given by the expression from Irvine & Liley (1984, page 22). The milk fat specific volume is calculated from the temperature, T in Celsius using the following equation.
[0044] v c . =
[0045] The described unitised high density compositions, otherwise described as compacts or blocks, allow greater use of storage space, reduced freight costs due to reduced volumes, and reduced environmental impact due to reduced packaging needs. The inventors have found that the ratio of lipid to powder can be adjusted to provide commercially useful formulations, as shown in the examples below. The inventors have surprisingly found that in some embodiments the unitised high density compositions comprise a structure that readily crumbles on application of appropriate force reverting to a powder.
1. Definitions
[0046] The terms "anhydrous milk fat" and "AMF" are used interchangeably herein and refer to the milk fat fraction produced by the almost complete removal of water and non-fat material by phase inversion of cream or dehydration of butter. AMF (also known as "anhydrous butteroil" if additives are present) is typically prepared from cream or butter from whole milk but may also be prepared from colostrum. Methods commonly used-for the preparation of AMF are disclosed in Tetra Pak Dairy Processing Handbook, 2003, incorporated herein by reference. Preferred AMF is typically about 60%, about 70%, about 80%, about 90%, about 95%, greater than about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, about 99%, about 99.5%, or 100% lipid, with AMF of about 98% to about 100%, particularly about 99% lipid, 99.5% lipid or greater being more preferred. Food regulations commonly require <0.2% moisture for AMF or anhydrous butteroil and <0.7% moisture for butteroil. AMF is frequently further fractionated into "hard" (H) and "soft"(S) fractions, the latter can be further fractionated into "soft hard" (SH) and "soft soft" (SS) fractions, the latter can again be further fractionated into "soft soft hard" (SSH) and "soft soft soft" (SSS) fractions. As will be appreciated, each fraction differs in fatty acid composition. Non-limiting exemplary fatty acid compositions for AMF and derivative fractions are shown in Tables 1 to 5 of published international application
WO2009/020405, incorporated herein by reference. [0047] The term "beta-serum" means an aqueous dairy ingredient separated from dairy streams containing greater than 60% fat which have been through phase inversion from an oil-in-water to a water-in-oil emulsion, as described below. Cream is the preferred starting material for the production of beta-serum. For example beta-serum is produced during the production of butter-oil (also known as anhydrous milk fat or AMF) from cream as shown in Figure 2 of WO 2006/041316, incorporated herein by reference. Preferably the beta serum is dried; preferably dried beta-serum is a powder.
[0048] The term "CLA-enriched milk fat" means milk fat that comprises a higher level of c-9, t-1 1 CLA or a salt, ester or precursor thereof than normal milk fat, and, optionally, a higher level of one or more other CLA isomers. CLA-enriched milk fat may prepared by known techniques including but not limited to supplementary free fatty acid feeding of pasture fed cows by, for example, feeding cows with fish oil and sunflower oil according to known methods. CLA-enriched milk fat is typically prepared from whole milk but may also be prepared from colostrum. A typical composition of CLA-enriched milk fat is described in published international PCT application WO 2005/107736 that is hereby incorporated by reference. CLA-enriched milk fat may also be prepared by supplementing milk fat with CLA. In one embodiment the CLA-enriched milk fat comprises at least about 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 or 50% by weight CLA, preferably c-9, t-1 1 CLA or a salt, ester or precursor thereof and useful ranges may be selected between any of these forgoing values (e.g. from about 4% to about 7%).
[0049] The term "comprising" as used in this specification means "consisting at least in part of. When interpreting each statement in this specification that includes the term "comprising", features other than that or those prefaced by the term may also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprises" are to be interpreted in the same manner.
[0050] The term "conjugated linoleic acid" (CLA) means one or more CLA isomers selected from isomers of 9,1 1 -octadecadienoic acid and 10,12-octadecadienoic acid, in free or esterified form, or salts thereof, or mixtures thereof, including the cis-9,cis-l 1 , cis-
9, trans-l 1 , trans-9,cis-l 1 , trans-9,trans-l 1 , cis-10,cis-12, cis-10,tl2, trans- 10,cis- 12, and trans- 10,t 12 isomers, preferably the cis-9,cis-l 1 , cis-9,trans-l 1 , trans- 10,cis- 12, and cis-
10, cis-12 isomers, as described in published United States patent US 5,585,400
incorporated herein by reference. Natural sources of CLA such as cis-9, trans- 1 1 CLA are described by Chin et al (1992) and include animal, bacterial and plant sources. Linoleic acid may be converted to CLA by bacterial fermentation with Clostridium sporogenes, Clostridium bifermentans, Clostridium sordellii and Bacteroides sp, for example. Other useful organisms for bacterial fermentation include Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Eubacterium lentum, Propionibacterium freudenreichi, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus reuteri, Megasphaera elsdenii, and Bifidobacterium breve. Sunflower and safflower oils, containing approximately 65% and 76% linoleic acid respectively, may be used for CLA production.
[0051] The terms "enrich" and "enriched" used in relation to an extraction or fraction of parent material mean that the extract or fraction has a higher concentration of the named component than is present in whole milk, cream, butter, anhydrous milk fat, buttermilk, butter serum, or beta serum, or the parent fraction from which the fraction or composition is derived. For example, a phospholipid-enriched fraction is a fraction that has a higher phospholipid concentration than the parent composition, buttermilk for example. [0052] The term "extract" means a composition that has been isolated from a source material and that is compositionally different to the source material that the extract was isolated from. For example, a milk fat extract, such as a sheep, goat, pig, mouse, water buffalo, camel, yak, horse, donkey, llama, or bovine milk fat extract, preferably a bovine milk fat extract, differs compositionally from the naturally occurring milk fat in whole milk. Equally, a plant oil extract or a marine oil extract, for example, is an oil extract that differs compositionally from the original oil composition that it was isolated from.
[0053] The term "material density" means the density of the material with no voids or spaces between or within particles in the material and no entrapped air or other gas.
[0054] The term "milk fat" includes mammalian milk lipids and lipid fractions, lipid hydrolysates, and lipid fraction hydrolysates. In some embodiments, milk fat may be any mammalian milk fat including but not limited to bovine, sheep, goat, pig, mouse, water buffalo, camel, yak, horse, donkey, llama or human milk fat, with bovine milk fat being a preferred source. Preferred milk fats are dairy fats, particularly bovine milk fats. Preferred milk fat has one or more of palmitic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, or myristic acid as the most abundant fatty acid(s) present, preferably palmitic, oleic, stearic and myristic acids are the most abundant fatty acids present. Preferably, the milk fat comprises at least about 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 85, 90, 95, 99 or 100% lipid, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, about 60 to about 100, about 70 to about 100, about 80 to about 100, about 85 to about 100, about 90 to about 100, about 95 to about 100, about 96 to about 100, about 97 to about 100, about 98 to about 100, and about 99 to about 100%, preferably about 40% or greater to about 100%).
[0055] The term "unitise" is intended to mean that a cohesive mixture described herein has been compacted into a discrete, single, free-standing unit. Thus, a unitised high density composition is a discrete, single, free-standing unit.
2. Protein powders
[0056] The compositions and methods of the invention may use any commercially available plant or animal protein powder, preferably a food grade protein powder, such as dairy powders, milk powders, meat powders, plant powders, and the like.
[0057] So, for example, a protein powder useful herein may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of milk, whey, casein, egg, egg white, egg yolk, meat, beef, lamb, fish, shellfish, vegetable, legume, alfalfa, clover, pea, bean, kidney bean, soybean, lentil, lupin, mesquite, cocoa, carob, nut, peanut, rye, cereal, whole wheat, rice, hemp, wheat gluten, fungal, or algal protein, a protein concentrate thereof, a protein isolate thereof, a hydrolysate thereof, or any combination of any two or more thereof. Any such protein may be unhydrolysed, partially hydrolysed or completely hydrolysed. [0058] Suitable dairy powders include milk powders, colostrum powders, powders of extracts of milk, or powders of extracts of colostrum, for example. In one embodiment the dairy powder may be selected from whole milk powder, skim milk powder, low fat milk powder, whole milk retentate powder, skim milk retentate powder, low fat milk retentate powder, buttermilk powder, ultrafiltered milk retentate powder, milk protein concentrate (MPC), milk protein isolate (MPI), calcium depleted milk protein concentrate (MPC), low fat milk protein concentrate (MPC), colostrum powder, a powder of colostrum fraction, colostrum protein concentrate (CPC), colostrum whey powder, a powder of an
immunoglobulin fraction from colostrum, whey powder, whey protein isolate (WPI), whey protein concentrate (WPC), sweet whey powder, lactic acid whey powder, mineral acid whey powder, a powder of a composition derived from any milk or colostrum processing stream (such as whole milk, skim milk or whey), a powder of a composition derived from the retentate or permeate obtained by ultrafiltration or microfiltration of any milk or colostrum processing stream (such as whole milk, skim milk or whey), or a powder of a composition derived from the breakthrough or adsorbed fraction obtained by
chromatographic separation of any milk or colostrum processing stream (such as whole milk, skim milk or whey), or a powder of a composition comprising a full or partial hydrolysate of any one or more of these ingredients, or any combination of two or more thereof.
[0059] In some embodiments preferred milk protein powders include but are not limited to whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolate (WPI), whole milk powder, skim milk powder, or milk protein concentrate (MPC).
3. Lipid compositions
[0060] The compositions and methods of the invention may use any commercially available plant, animal or microorganism lipid composition, preferably a food grade lipid composition. Examples of such lipid compositions include plant oils, animal oils, marine oils, milk fat compositions, and algal oils (including microalgal oils and macroalgal oils), extracts thereof, hydrolysates thereof, or any combination of any two or more thereof. In various embodiments the lipid composition is a solid lipid composition or a liquid composition or a semi-liquid lipid composition.
[0061] In one embodiment the milk fat composition comprises cream, butter, ghee, cooked milk fat, anhydrous milk fat (AMF), a hard milk fat extract from one or more stages of milk fat fractionation (including H, SH, and SSH extracts), a soft milk fat extract from one or more stages of milk fat fractionation (including S, SS, and SSS extracts), a combination of hard milk fat extracts, a combination of soft milk fat extracts, a
combination of hard milk fat extracts and soft milk fat extracts, buttermilk, a phospholipid extract of buttermilk, butter serum, a phospholipid extract of butter serum, beta serum, a phospholipid extract of beta serum, a sphingolipid extract, a milk fat globule (or
"globular") membrane lipid extract (including, for example, sphingolipids, ceramides, and cerebrosides), a phospholipid extract, a complex lipid extract, CLA-enriched milk fat, a CLA-enriched milk fat extract, a hydrolysate thereof, an extract of the hydrolysate, combinations of hydrolysed and/or non-hydrolysed compositions, or any combination of any two or more thereof. These compositions may be obtained from whole milk or colostrum, and any derivatives of whole milk or colostrum, including cream, cultured cream, and whey cream (milk lipid obtained from whey, including acid whey or cheese whey, preferably cheese whey). Cultured cream is cream from whole milk or colostrum that has been fermented with acid-producing microorganisms, preferably lactic acid bacteria. [0062] In one embodiment the plant oil comprises coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil, rapeseed oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, ground nut oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, nut oil, hazelnut oil, almond oil, cashew oil, macadamia oil, pecan oil, pistachio oil, walnut oil, oils from melon and gourd seeds, bottle gourd oil, buffalo gourd oil, pumpkin seed oil, watermelon seed oil, acai oil, blackcurrant seed oil, borage seed oil, evening primrose oil, carob seed oil, amaranth oil, apricot oil, argan oil, artichoke oil, avocado oil, babassu oil, ben oil, borneo tallow nut oil, cohune oil, coriander seed oil, flax oil, flax seed oil, coriander seeds oil, grape seed oil, hemp oil, kapok seed oil, kiwi fruit oil, lallemantia oil, meadowfoam seed oil, linseed oil, mustard oil, okra seed oil, perilla seed oil, pequi oil, pine nut oil, poppyseed oil, prune kernel oil, quinoa oil, ramtil oil, rice bran oil, tea oil, wheat germ oil, or any combination of any two or more thereof.
[0063] In one embodiment the marine oil comprises shellfish oil, fish oil, marine mammal oil, marine algal oil, or any combination of any two or more thereof. In one embodiment the fish oil is selected from anchovy, baikal, bloater, cacha, carp, eel, eulachon, herring, Hoki, hilsa, jack fish, katla, kipper, mackerel, orange roughy, pangas, pilchard, black cod, salmon, sardine, shark, sprat, trout, tuna, whitebait, or swordfish oils, or any combination of any two or more thereof. In one embodiment the marine mammal oil is seal oil.
4. Milk fat and milk fat fractionation
[0064] Milk fat is discussed comprehensively by Fox and McSweeney (2006), incorporated herein by reference. In addition to lipids, milk fat includes vitamins, sterols, and minor components. See Chapter 1 , Composition and Structure of Bovine Milk Lipids, Fox and McSweeney, for a description of naturally occurring bovine milk fat.
Fractionation of milk fat is discussed in the TetraPak Dairy Processing Handbook, 2003, and by Illingworth, 2002, and by Rombaut et al, 2006(b), all hereby incorporated by reference. Seasonal variation of milk fat is discussed by Fox and McSweeney (2006). [0065] Examples of milk fat extracts useful according to the invention include cream (typically about 20 to about 40% fat by weight, preferably about 40% fat by weight), butter, ghee, anhydrous milk fat (AMF) (typically produced by phase inversion of cream or dehydration of butter), buttermilk, butter serum, beta serum, hard milk fat extracts, soft milk fat extracts, sphingolipid extracts, milk fat globular membrane extracts, milk fat globular membrane lipid extracts, phospholipid extracts, and complex lipid (lipids that yield three or more hydrolysis products per molecule) extracts, and combinations thereof, and hydrolysates thereof. Extracts may be emulsions or dried, and may be powders, optionally with components including flow aids such as lactose added to improve flowability.
[0066] Buttermilk, butter serum, and beta serum are discussed by Tetra Pak Dairy Processing Handbook, 2003, Rombaut et al, 2005, Rombaut et al, 2006(a), Rombaut et al, 2006(b), and published international application WO 2006/041316, for example, all incorporated herein by reference. Buttermilk is a term used to describe the aqueous liquid phase obtained from traditional butter production using a butter making process which may be a batch (churn) process or a continuous (Fritz) process. Buttermilk is also a term used to describe the aqueous by-product produced by the cream concentration step of the traditional method of producing AMF from cream. This traditional method involves concentration then phase inversion of cream to produce oil that is further concentrated and polished to produce AMF. Finally, buttermilk is also a term used to describe a
combination of the secondary skim and beta serum by-products of a two-serum process for AMF production - see for example, Tetra Pak Dairy Processing Handbook, 2003 and published international application WO 2006/041316 (see Figure 2) that describe this process in detail. In that two-serum process, the by-product from the cream concentration step is further separated to produce secondary skim and the by-product from the oil concentration step is further separated to produce beta-serum. In the first two instances, the buttermilk is produced before any phase inversion has occurred. In the third instance, the buttermilk is a combination of secondary skim produced before phase inversion and beta serum produced after phase inversion. Concentration and polishing in these processes is typically achieved by centrifugation. Phase inversion is typically achieved by homogenisation. It should be understood that the source of these dairy lipid extracts may be milk or colostrum or a combination thereof [0067] Useful starting materials for fractionation include cream, AMF, butter milk, butter serum, or beta serum, from milk or colostrum or a combination thereof.
[0068] Multistage fractionation of milk fat may be carried out by differential crystallisation. Milk fat extracts are heated to a set temperature and the crystallised or solid ("stearin" - hard fraction) and liquid ("olein" - soft fraction) fractions are separated. Multi-step fractionation refers to re-fractionation in a subsequent step of a product of a previous fractionation step. Successive soft fractions may be produced by fractionating parent soft fractions into soft and hard sub-fractions.
[0069] Other fractionation methods include phase inversion, interesterification, glycerolysis, solvent fractionation (such as with ethanol, water, or acetone, used alone or sequentially), supercritical fractionation (see Astaire, et al, 2003, for example), near critical fractionation (see WO 2004/066744, for example), distillation, centrifugal fractionation, suspension crystallisation, dry crystallisation, fractionation with a modifier (e.g. soaps or emulsifiers), ultra- filtration, micro-filtration, and any process for fractionation of lipid known in the art, and combinations of these methods, all as known in the art.
[0070] Lipids present in the compositions described herein may be fully or partially modified, whether naturally, chemically, enzymatically, or by any other methods known in the art, including, for example, glycosylated, sialylated, esterified, phosphorylated or hydrolysed. Lipid hydrolysates may be prepared using known techniques, including but not limited to acid hydrolysis, base hydrolysis, enzymatic hydrolysis using a lipase, for example as described in Fox and McSweeney ((2006), Chapter 15 by HC Deeth and CH Fitz-Gerald), and microbial fermentation. One method of base hydrolysis includes adding 1 % KOH (in ethanol) and heating for 10 minutes. Hydrolysed material may be neutralised with acetic acid or hydrochloric acid. [0071] Milk fat globule membrane material may be isolated according to the acidification method of Kanno & Dong-Hyun, 1990, and further fractionated into lipid and protein fractions by the addition of methanol, as described by Kanno et al, 1975. A phospholipid extract may be isolated by extracting the lipid mixture with acetone according to the procedure of Purthi et al, 1970. Lipid residue may be further enriched in milk fat globule membrane lipids by the selective extraction of non-polar lipids with pentane. [0072] Fractionation methods useful to produce milk fat extracts useful herein are also described in published international patent applications WO 2006/041316, WO
2007/123424, and WO 2007/123425 that are each incorporated herein by reference.
5. Methods of producing high density protein and lipid compositions
[0073] The invention relates to methods of producing a unitised high density composition, otherwise described as a compact or block, as described above and as depicted generally in Figure 1. The unitised high density compositions produced according to the methods described herein are free standing, preferably free standing absent any external force, such as free standing blocks for example, and do not collapse under their own weight. These free standing blocks, or compacts, may be packaged, stored, shipped and then reconstituted and used, or used directly, to produce other products. In various embodiments 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1 1, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20 blocks or more are packaged together in one package. The unitised high density compositions comprise a structure that readily crumbles upon application of appropriate force reverting to a powder.
[0074] Referring to Figure 1, the methods comprise compacting a cohesive mixture (40) of one or more lipid compositions (20), as described above, and one or more protein powders (30), as described above, to produce the unitised high density composition (60) having (1) a volume of at least about 50 cm ,
(2) a density of at least about 50% of the material density of the cohesive mixture, and
(3) a moisture content of less than about 15% by weight.
[0075] Before a cohesive mixture (40) is formed, the one or more lipid compositions (20) may be heated to about 20 to about 70 °C to melt some or all of the crystalline fat present in the lipid and reduce the viscosity of the lipid, and then cooled to a desired blending temperature. The amounts of the one or more lipid compositions (20) and the one or more protein powders (30) used to produce the cohesive mixture (40) are chosen to meet a desired target composition while also not compromising the integrity of the unitised high density composition produced by the compaction step (50). Blending to produce the cohesive mixture (40) may be carried out using any known blending equipment that is able to blend one or more lipid compositions (20) and one or more protein powders (30) to form a homogenous mixture.
[0076] In some embodiments mixing and compacting may be simultaneous (for example, extrusion). In other embodiments mixing and compacting may be sequential (for example, mixing, moulding and compressing in batches). In still other embodiments compaction may be carried out in multiple stages (for example, pre-compaction followed by compaction).
[0077] The compaction step (50) may be conducted batch- wise in a mould or similar, or continuously by extrusion, in one step or in multiple steps. Extrusion may be performed in any known extruder that is able to compact the cohesive mixture and extrude an extrudate having a cross-section suitable for packaging, storage and transportation of the unitised high density composition. After extrusion, the extrudate may then be cut into discrete pieces of a size suitable for packaging, storage and transportation of the unitised high density composition. Equally, batch moulding and compression may be performed in any known apparatus that is able to mould and compact the cohesive mixture to produce a unitised high density composition. After moulding and compression, the compact may then be removed from the mould for packaging, storage and transportation of the unitised high density composition. By way of non-limiting example, suitable pressures for use in a batch process comprising compacting the mixture in a mould may include pressures of about 0.05 to about 100 MPa, about 0.5 to about 100 MPa, about 0.05 to about 5 MPa, about 0.5 to about 5 MPa or about 1 to about 3 MPa. Suitable pressures may be determined by a person having ordinary skill in the art with regard to that skill and the teaching of this specification.
[0078] The unitised high density composition may be formed before, during or after the compaction step into any readily-stackable three-dimensional shape, including but not limited to cylinders, hexahedra such as cuboids and cubes, and tetrahedra. Readily- stackable three-dimensional shapes include those having a cross-section that is square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal, or similar. The shape of a mould or an extrusion die may be chosen with regard to the processing equipment available, the packaging format available, and the intended storage and/or transportation choice. In any of the embodiments described above, the unitised high density composition may be subjected to drying, such as vacuum drying. [0079] The unitised high density composition may be packaged in a packaging step (70) in any suitable way, such as vacuum packaged. Packaging materials may be chosen for their oxygen barrier properties, opacity, thermal insulation or combinations thereof. In various embodiments, packaging is conducted in an inert atmosphere. In one embodiment a plurality of the packaged compositions are loaded onto a pallet or into a shipping container.
[0080] Further properties of the unitised high density composition are described above and examples of suitable unitised high density compositions are presented in the examples below. The unitised high density compositions are particularly suited to shipping and storage and may be readily reconstituted for use in dairy or food products, including consumer products such as foods, food additives, baked goods, confectionary products including chocolate, gels, ice creams, snack bars, food bars, muesli bars, spreads, sauces, dips, dairy products including UHT milks, yoghurts and cheeses, drinks, drink additives, dairy and non-dairy drinks, milk, milk powders, dietary supplements, nutritional products, medical foods, enteral or parenteral feeding products, and meal replacement products.
Depending on its composition, the unitised high density composition can be reconstituted in water and then dried into a powder, such as whole milk powder. Alternatively, the reconstituted product can be separated into components, such as cream and skim milk. The components may be further processed - for example, skim milk may be processed into milk protein concentrates, casein products, whey products, or dried to produce skim milk powder.
[0081] Various aspects of the invention will now be illustrated in non-limiting ways by reference to the following examples.
EXAMPLES EXAMPLE 1 - Production of high density compositions and density measurement
[0082] Five spray-dried powders were mixed with anhydrous milk fat (AMF), compacted and the density measured.
1. Materials
[0083] The powders were regular skim milk powder (SMP), instant SMP (ISMP - agglomerated SMP), regular whole milk powder (WMP), instant WMP (IWMP - agglomerated and lecithinated WMP) and high fat milk protein concentrate. All powders and the AMF were obtained from Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited (New Zealand). The AMF was kept at 40°C prior to addition. The powder samples were held at ambient temperature.
2. Method - Mixing
[0084] A weighed amount of powder was poured into a beaker of known volume and the powder level measured with calipers. A weighed amount of AMF was poured into the middle of the powder. The powder and the AMF were mixed gently with a spatula until the mixture appeared uniform and then the powder/AMF mixture level was measured with calipers. 3. Method - Compaction
[0085] The powder/AMF mixtures were compacted by placing 1 teaspoon of sample into a glass cup of predetermined size and weight, tamping down the sample with a plunger, repeating these steps until the glass cup was completely full, leveling the sample off with a metal spatula. [0086] The filled cup was weighed and the density of the compacted mixture was calculated by dividing the mass of powder by the volume of the glass cup (48 ml). The force exerted during tamping was measured as 50 to 100 N and the pressure at the plunger surface determined to be 70 to 140 kPa.
4. Results
Table 1. Densities of compacts.
" Bulk density of powder alone assessed after 100 taps without compaction.
[0087] All mixtures packed down into a firm block that crumbled into a powder when touched, except that 100:0 powder that could not form a free-standing block and collapsed under its own weight. Densities are given in Table 1 above. The SMP and ISMP packed mixtures were more delicate than the WMP, IWMP and HF MPC packed mixtures.
[0088] The AMF appeared to be entirely absorbed by the powder at a powder/ AMF ratio of 70:30.
[0089] The 60:40 mixtures appeared to be over-loaded with fat and were slightly "oily" in appearance. The samples with other ratios were all 'powder-like'. Of the 60:40 mixtures, the SMP mixture was the most "oily" in appearance and had a putty-like texture that was malleable and able to be formed into blocks.
[0090] Both of the mixtures produced from regular powders (SMP and WMP) appeared to be more cohesive or oily than the mixtures from their equivalent instant powders (ISMP and IWMP).
EXAMPLE 2 - Production of UHT milk
[0091] Skim milk powder (SMP) (Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited) with d(0.5) of 450-800 microns was mixed with a concentrated milk fat composition (CMFC) to produce a mixture with a composition equivalent to that of whole milk powder (WMP). The mixture was compacted to form 25 kg unitised high density compositions meeting whole milk powder specifications (UHDC-WMP), which were vacuum packaged, placed into corrugated cardboard cartons and stacked on a pallet. The palletised UHDC-WMP was shipped to a UHT (ultra high temperature) sterilisation plant. Elapsed time between manufacture of compacts and production of UHT milk was 8 weeks. The UHDC-WMP was reconstituted and processed into UHT milk using a standard commercial process. The UHT treated milk was analysed by an experienced laboratory and found to exhibit typical physical and chemical properties for commercial UHT milk.
[0092] To produce the CMFC, whole milk (Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited, New Zealand) was pasteurised (75°C for 15 s) and centrifuged to separate the milk into skim milk and cream of about 40% fat by weight. The cream was further separated with a high fat cream centrifugal separator (Westfalia™ MSD540, GEA) to produce a high fat cream of about 80% fat by weight. HFC at 65°C was pumped by positive lobe pump through a steam heated plate heat exchanger (Pasilac, Denmark) to 101°C and stored in a static vessel. The HFC remained as an "oil in water" emulsion. The HFC was then directed to a horizontal co-current agitated thin film evaporator (ATFE) with heated wall surface area of 5.25 sq. ft., rotor diameter 30 cm and gap between blade and heated wall 3mm (Artisan Industries, Inc, USA). The ATFE was fitted with a preheating system, a condenser and a vacuum pump. The HFC at a flow rate of 120 kg/h was heated to a temperature of 120°C by direct steam injection and held for a residence time of 4 s, set by the volume of the transfer pipe to the evaporator (before flashing into the ATFE). The ATFE was run at an absolute pressure of 20.5 kPa, heating jacket pressure of 250 kPa (absolute) and rotor speed of 712 rpm. The resulting CMFC was collected.
1. Method - Blending
[0093] The SMP and CMFC were batch blended using a 60 litre mechanical mixer. Each batch produced about 65 kg of mixture with a target of 27% CMFC. The SMP was added to the blender at ambient temperature and mixed while the CMFC was added at about 45°C. Each batch was blended for 120 seconds to ensure that the mixture was homogenous. The chemical composition of the mixture was analysed to ensure that it met the following WMP specification.
2. Method - Compaction, Packing and Transport
[0094] The mixture was compacted in 25 kg batches using a custom built hydraulic press. For each batch 25 kg of the mixture was weighed out, placed inside the press chamber and leveled out. The mixture was pressed between two platens from above and below (i.e. multi-directional compression) simultaneously. Each compact was removed from the press and placed in a plastic liner and vacuum packaged. The vacuum packaged compacts were placed in cardboard cartons and stored at ambient while the product was demonstrated as food safe. 30 compacts were stacked onto a pallet and dispatched to a UHT plant as a consignment of 750 kg which occupied 0.728 m 3 . i.e. a unit density of 1030kg/m3. 3. Method - UHT Production
[0095] UHT milk was prepared according to industry standard techniques.
4. Results
[0096] Samples of UHT packs were evaluated by two laboratories highly experienced in evaluating UHT products; both physical properties and the sensory profile were regarded as acceptable, demonstrating the utility of the compressed product in commercial trade.
EXAMPLE 3 - Production of yoghurt
[0097] UHDC-WMP compacts were prepared and packed as in Example 2. The compacts were recombined to milk and used to produce yoghurts at a pilot scale. The yoghurts were analysed by an experienced laboratory and deemed to exhibit typical physical and chemical properties for commercial yoghurt. The sensory profile of the yoghurts was also assessed by an experienced tasting panel and was regarded as acceptable. 1. Method - Yoghurt Production
[0098] The UHDC-WMP compacts were mechanically broken down to resemble a 'crumb'. Approximately 4.5 kg of 'crumb' was combined with approximately 4 kg of skim milk powder and approximately 32 kg of water at 50-55°C. The mixture was agitated for approximately 30 minutes before being heated to 60°C. The mixture was then homogenised using a homogeniser (Rannie) and heat treated at 95°C for 8 minutes. The batch was then cooled to 42°C prior to inoculation (Chr Hansen YF-L702 culture). 90 x 100ml pottles were filled with the inoculated mixture, incubated at 42°C until they reached pH 4.6 (approximately 4.5 h) and placed into storage at 4°C. The remainder of the inoculated mixture was incubated in bulk at 42°C until it reached pH 4.6 (approximately 5h), stirred gently to break the gel and chilled to 20°C using a plate heat exchanger. The mixture was then smoothed using a back pressure valve before being packed into 90 x 100ml pottles and placed into storage at 4°C.
2. Results
[0099] The yoghurts were analysed for physical and chemical properties by an experienced laboratory and were found to be of an acceptable standard for commercial yoghurt. The sensory profile of the yoghurts was also assessed by an informal tasting panel and was regarded as acceptable, demonstrating the utility of the compressed product in consumer product formulations.
EXAMPLE 4 - Use of unitised high density compositions in bakery applications
[00100] Standard white baking flour (Champion Flour Limited, New Zealand) was mixed with vegetable oil (90% soybean oil and 10% canola oil), the mixture was compacted at ambient temperature (about 23 °C) and the resulting density was measured. The compacts were then used as ingredients in the baking of two different types of cake. For comparison cakes were also baked according to the recipes using unmodified ingredients. The cakes were assessed by a tasting panel and while there were differences detected between the samples, they were all deemed to be acceptable and identifiable as cakes.
1. Method - Blending and compaction
[00101] A weighed amount of vegetable oil was added to a weighed amount of flour in a food processor while the powder was in motion, blended for 30 seconds and allowed to cool to room temperature prior to compaction.
[00102] A weighed amount of the blended homogenous mixture was placed into a cylindrical mould 49mm in diameter. The ram of a texture analyser (Micro Stable Systems, TA-XT2) was lowered onto the mixture at 'fast' speed setting and pressure applied until the maximum force of the texture analyser was reached (equivalent of 5 kg). The compact was removed from the mould and its height measured. The compact was wrapped in cling film and set aside for use. Densities of the compacts are reported below.
Table 3 - Densities of Compacted Mixtures.
Note: Calculated material density for compacted mixtures was 1.26 g/cm . 2. Cake Recipes
Table 4 - Cake reci es
3. Method - Cakes 1 and 2
[00103] The oil (where present) and golden syrup were melted in a small saucepan, mixed with the egg and sugar and beaten well. For Cake 1 the cocoa, flour and baking powder were folded into the egg mixture with the vanilla. For Cake 2 the cocoa, baking powder and flour and oil compacts were folded into the egg mixture with the vanilla. The baking soda was dissolved in the milk and folded into the egg mixture. The compacts dispersed in the egg mixture and formed a batter on the addition of milk as occurs for a normal cake making procedure. The mixture was poured into a greased and lined baking tin and baked at 190°C for 30 minutes.
4. Method - Cakes 3 and 4
[00104] The eggs were beaten until thick. The sugar was gradually beaten into the eggs. For Cake 3, the flour and baking powder were folded into the egg mixture then the oil and boiling water were folded into the mixture. For Cake 4, the flour and oil compact and baking powder were folded into the egg mixture then the boiling water was folded into the mixture. The compacts dispersed in the egg mixture and formed a batter on the addition of water as occurs for a normal cake making procedure. The mixture was divided into 3 equal parts. The cocoa was stirred into one third of the mixture. The red food colouring was stirred into another third of the mixture and the final third of the mixture was left plain. The three mixtures were spooned into a greased and lined baking tin in alternating diagonal stripes. The three mixtures were twirled together in the baking tin using a butter knife to create a marbled effect. The mixture was baked at 190°C for 25 minutes. 5. Results
[00105] The four cakes were assessed by a tasting panel of 12 people. The panel was asked to compare Cake 1 (control) with Cake 2 (containing a compact), and Cake 3 (control) with Cake 4 (containing a compact). The results are summarised in the table below.
Table 5 - Tasting panel comparison of cakes
All four the cakes were deemed to be identifiable as 'cakes' and to be of quality. EXAMPLE 5 - Production of high density compositions and density measurement
[00107] Standard white baking flour (Champion Flour Limited, New Zealand) was mixed with a concentrated milk fat composition (CMFC) of Example 2 above or a soybean oil at various ratios and temperatures, the mixture was compacted and the resulting density was measured. 1. Method - Blending
[00108] The CMFC and soybean oil were heated to 70°C to erase the crystal memory before being cooled to the required blending temperature. The temperature range of the oil or fat investigated was 23°C-70°C. The powder for blending was at ambient temperature (approx 23 °C) for all samples. [00109] A weighed amount of powder was poured into the blending chamber of a mini food processor (Sunbeam Oskar Mini Food Processor). The required amount of CMFC or soybean oil was drawn into a pre- weighed 50ml syringe. The blender was switched on and the CMFC or soybean oil was added through the pour slot while the powder was in motion. The sample was blended for 30 seconds, during which time the blender was manually shaken to ensure that sample residing in dead spots was incorporated into the mix. The mix was allowed to cool to room temperature prior to compaction.
2. Method - Compaction
[00110] A weighed amount of the blended homogenous mixture was placed into a cylindrical mould 49mm in diameter. The ram of a texture analyser (Micro Stable Systems, TA-XT2) was lowered onto the mixture at 'fast' speed setting and pressure applied until the maximum force of the texture analyser was reached (equivalent of 5 kg). The compact was removed from the mould and its height measured.
3. Results
Table 6 - Descri tion of state of mixtures and densities of com acts
[00111] The mixtures were explored in a useful range of lipid:powder from 10:90 to 40:60. All of the mixtures using 10:90, 20:80 and 30:70 lipid:powder formed free standing blocks. The 40:60 lipid:powder samples made from CMFC formed blocks that were very soft and sticky. The 40:60 lipid:powder samples made from soybean oil were too pasty/runny to form into a block.
EXAMPLE 6 - Production of unitised high density compositions
[00112] The absorbency of powders and the solid fat content of lipid compositions for use in producing unitised high density compositions were investigated. Protein containing powders with either high or low lipid absorbency were mixed with lipids with either high or low solid fat content. Several different lipid:powder ratios and lipid temperatures were investigated. The mixtures were compacted and the resulting compacts were assessed for cohesiveness and density. 1. Materials
[00113] The powders used were flour (Champion Flour Limited, New Zealand) and a blend of sucrose and milk protein concentrate (MPC - Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited, New Zealand). The MPC was blended separately with sucrose to produce blended powder containing approximately 6% protein by weight. The lipids used were soybean oil and pork lard. The lipids were heated to 70°C to erase the crystal memory before being cooled to the required blending temperature (23 °C-50 °C). The powder was supplied for blending at ambient temperature (approx 23 °C) for all samples.
2. Method - Blending
[00114] A weighed amount of lipid was added to powder in a mini food processor while the powder was in motion. The sample was blended for 30 seconds to form a homogenous mixture and allowed to cool to room temperature before compaction.
3. Met hod - Compaction
[00115] A weighed amount of the blended homogenous mixture at ambient temperature was placed into a cylindrical mould 49mm in diameter. The ram of a texture analyser (Micro Stable Systems, TA-XT2) was lowered onto the mixture at 'fast' speed setting and pressure applied until the maximum pressure of the texture analyser was reached
(equivalent of 5 kg). The compact was removed from the mould and its height measured.
4. Results
Table 7 - Com osition, descri tion and densit of mixtures tested
Flour Oil 30:70 23 Dough Stable-Soft 1.23 1.25
Flour Oil 30:70 40 Dough Stable 1.20 1.25
Flour Oil 30:70 50 Dough Stable 1.20 1.25 -
Too runny 1.19
Flour Oil 40:60 23 Paste to form
compact #
Too runny 1.19
Flour Oil 40:60 40 Paste to form
compact #
Too runny 1.19
Flour Oil 40:60 50 Paste to form
compact #
Sucrose Gritty 1.36
Lard 20:80 23 Stable
+ MPC Crumb 1.24
Sucrose Gritty 1.36
Lard 20:80 30 Stable
+ MPC Crumb 1.23
Sucrose Gritty 1.36
Lard 20:80 45 Stable
+ MPC Crumb 1.19
Sucrose 1.29
Lard 30:70 23 Dry Paste Stable-Soft
+ MPC 1.26
Sucrose Unstable- 1.29
Lard 30:70 30 Gritty Paste
+ MPC Soft-Sticky 1.29
Sucrose Unstable- 1.29
Lard 30:70 45 Gritty Paste
+ MPC Soft-Sticky 1.30
Too runny 1.22
Sucrose
Lard 40:60 23 Paste to form
+ MPC
compact #
Too runny 1.22
Sucrose
Lard 40:60 30 Thin Paste to form
+ MPC
compact #
Too runny 1.22
Sucrose
Lard 40:60 45 Thin Paste to form
+ MPC
compact #
Sucrose Like Wet 1.37
Oil 20:80 23 Unstable
+ MPC Sand 1.20
Sucrose Like Wet 1.37
Oil 20:80 30 Unstable
+ MPC Sand 1.21
Sucrose Like Wet 1.37
Oil 20:80 45 Unstable .
+ MPC Sand 1.19
Too runny 1.29
Sucrose
Oil 30:70 23 Paste to form
+ MPC
compact #
Too runny 1.29
Sucrose
Oil 30:70 30 Paste to form
+ MPC
compact #
Too runny 1.29
Sucrose
Oil 30:70 45 Paste to form
+ MPC
compact #
Sucrose Oil 40:60 23 Thin Paste Too runny # 1.22 ' + MPC to form
compact
Too runny 1.22
Sucrose
Oil 40:60 30 Thin Paste to form
+ MPC
compact #
Too runny 1.22
Sucrose
Oil 40:60 45 Thin Paste to form
+ MPC
compact #
# No measurement because no stable compact.
Λ Calculated.
[00116] Referring to the table above, the mixtures were explored in a useful range of lipid:powder from 20:80 to 40:60 over a lipid temperature range of 23°C - 50°C. All of the mixtures containing lard (high solid fat content) as the lipid component formed free standing blocks with the exception of the sucrose/MPC (low lipid absorbency) powder at 40:60 lipid:powder ratio.
[00117] The flour (high lipid absorbency) and soybean oil (low solid fat content) mixtures all formed free standing blocks with the exception of the 40:60 oihflour mixtures. [00118] The sucrose/MPC powder and soybean oil mixtures only formed free standing blocks at a 20:80 oihpowder ratio: the higher oil ratio mixtures were too runny to form a compact in the mould. The blocks that were formed at the lower oil ratio were very soft and fell apart when they were manually picked up.
EXAMPLE 7 - Production of processed cheese
[00119] Milk protein concentrate (MPC) powder was mixed with a concentrated milk fat composition (CMFC) of Example 2 above and compressed to produce a unitised high density composition high fat milk protein concentrate (UHDC-HFMPC). The UHDC- HFMPC will be further processed at pilot scale into a processed cheese product. The processed cheese produced will then be assessed for firmness, melt and sensory
characteristics and compared to typical processed cheese.
1. Materials
[00120] The MPC powder was produced at the Fonterra Research Centre (New
Zealand) and passed through a conical screen mill. In one embodiment a target particle size distribution in the milling step is a d(0.5) value between 300 and 400μιη. 2. Method - Blending
[00121] The MPC and CMFC were batch blended using a 60 litre mechanical mixer. Each batch produced about 30 kg of mixture with a target of 30% added CMFC. The MPC was added to the blender at ambient temperature and mixed while the CMFC was added at about 55°C. Each batch was blended for 120 seconds to ensure that the mixture
homogenous. The target chemical composition of the mixture was as follows.
Table 8 - Target WMP specification
Protein (w/w %) Lactose (w/w Minerals (w/w Fat Moisture
(N x 6.38) %) %) (w/w %) (w/w %)
42 1 1.2 6.8 36.6 3.4
3. Method - Compaction
[00122] The mixture was compacted in 25 kg batches using a custom built hydraulic press. For each batch 25 kg of the mixture was weighed out, placed inside the press chamber and leveled out. The mixture was pressed between two platens from above and below (i.e. multi-directional compression) simultaneously.
[00123] Each compact was removed from the press and placed in a plastic liner and vacuum packaged. The vacuum packaged compacts were placed in cardboard cartons and stored at ambient while the product was demonstrated as food safe.
4. Method - Processed Cheese
[00124] The UHDC-HFMPC (3.44 kg) will be placed in a Blentech™ CC45 blender/cooker fitted with ribbon augers. The material will be blended for 1 minute at 50 rpm to break up the ingredient. Cheese (9.89 kg), unsalted butter (1.60 kg), trisodium citrate (0.72 kg), citric acid (0.06 kg), salt (0.25 kg) sorbic acid (0.02 kg) and water (1.63 kg) will be added and blending continued for 40 minutes. The mixture will be transferred to a second Blentech CC45 fitted with solid augers and the speed set to 120 rpm. The mixture will be heated to 87 °C over 5 minutes using direct steam injection. The hot product will be passed through a shear pump and then cast into slices. The cooled slices will be wrapped in plastic film and stored at 4 °C in heat sealed plastic bags.
[00125] After 7 days, the slices will be evaluated for firmness, melt and sensory characteristics. Firmness will be measured at 13°C using a TA-HD Texture Analyser (Stable Micro Systems). The L.D Schreiber melt test will be carried out to assess the properties of the product (5 minutes at 232°C). Sensory characteristics will be assessed by an informal panel of experts.
5. Results
[00126] The texture and flavour of slices with respect to commercially processed cheese will be assessed to determine their similarity to commercial processed cheese slices.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[00127] The compositions and methods described above are advantageous in terms of shelf life and logistics for the shipping of protein products. The low moisture content of the compositions of the invention, their density and hermetic packaging provides useful shelf stability. The density and packaging format of the compositions of the invention allows improved use of shipping space and more stable bulk-packaging formats, such as more stable pallets and stacks of pallets.
[00128] Those persons skilled in the art will understand that the above description is provided by way of illustration only and that the invention is not limited thereto. REFERENCES
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