Process for manufacturing a fermented infant formula product

• Main Authors: Linhart, Camilla, Üstünel, Memet Ali, Jezkova, Katerina
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 18.08.2022
• Subjects: DAIRY PRODUCTS, e.g. MILK, BUTTER, CHEESE; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; HUMAN NECESSITIES; MAKING THEREOF; MILK OR CHEESE SUBSTITUTES; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY ASINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES

The present invention concerns a process for manufacturing an infant formula product comprising: (a1) providing an aqueous mixture having a protein component and a carbohydrate component, (a2) subjecting the aqueous mixture to a heat treatment step, (a3) subjecting the heat-treated, aqueous mixture to a fermentation step using a bacterial fermentation culture; (b) mixing the fermented, aqueous mixture with a lipid component; (c) subjecting the fermented, aqueous mixture comprising the lipid component, the carbohydrate component and the heat-treated protein component to a homogenization and emulsification step to obtain a homogenized oil-in-water emulsion having a total solids content in the range of 45-73 wt %; (d) conveying the homogenized emulsion into an extruder, independently adding digestible carbohydrates and optionally dietary fibres to the extruder and extruding the contents of the extruder to obtain an extruded material; (e) preparing an infant formula product from the extruded material. The invention further concerns Infant formula product obtainable by the process according to the invention and to a modular system suitable for performing the process according to the invention.