Cereal-based Infant Nutrition with Fibre

Abstract

Cereal-based semi-liquid and/or semi-solid compositions suitable for supporting the transition period wherein the infant changes from a diet consisting of breast milk or liquid infant formula to solid adult foods, comprising uronic acid carbohydrates with a degree of polymerisation (DP) between 10 and 300 and also uses thereof are disclosed.

1 . A nutritional composition with a viscosity between 150 and 100,000 mPas at 20° C. and at a shear rate of 10 s −1 , comprising:
 (a) 10 to 99 wt. % cereal component based on dry weight of the nutritional composition;   (b) 1.0 to 30 wt. % fiber based on dry weight of the nutritional composition;   (c) 0.5 to 100 wt. % uronic acid carbohydrate with a degree of polymerization of 10 to 300 based on total fiber; and   (d) 5 to 95 wt. % soluble, non-digestible carbohydrates based on total fiber, which carbohydrates are selected from the group consisting of galactose- oligo- and/or polysaccharide, xylooligo- and/or polysaccharide, gluco-oligo- and/or polysaccharide, malto-oligosaccharides, isomalto-oligosaccharides, resistant dextrins and cyclodextrins, arabino-oligosaccharide, mannan-oligosaccharide, galactomanno-oligo- and/or polysaccharides, glucomanno-oligo- and/or polysaccharides, arabinogalacto-oligo- and/or polysaccharides fructo-oligosaccharides, and fructopolysaccharides.   
   
   
       2 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein the cereal component is selected from the group consisting of milled cereal, ground cereal and cereal flour. 
   
   
       3 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein the uronic acid carbohydrate comprises a pectin selected from the group consisting of apple pectin, citrus pectin and sugar beet pectin. 
   
   
       4 . The composition according to  claim 1  comprising 5 to 95 wt. % insoluble, non-digestible carbohydrates based on total fibre. 
   
   
       5 . The composition according to  claim 1  comprising resistant starch. 
   
   
       6 . The composition according to  claim 1  comprising:
 (a) 20 to 90 wt. % cereal flour and/or milled cereals and/or ground cereals based on dry weight of the powder composition;   (b) 1.5 to 20 wt. % fiber based on dry weight of the powder composition;   (c) 0.5 to 86 wt. % uronic acid carbohydrate with a degree of polymerization of 10 to 300 based on total fiber,   (d) 10 to 95 wt. % inulin based on total fiber,   (e) 2 to 80 wt. % resistant starch based on total fiber, and   (f) 2 to 80 wt. % oat fibre based on total fiber.   
   
   
       7 . The composition according to  claim 1 , comprising one or more cereal components selected from the group consisting of millet flour, rice flour, corn flour, teff flour, oat flour, sorghum flour and starchy root crops flour. 
   
   
       8 . The composition according to  claim 1 , comprising 10 to 70 wt. % slowly digestible starch based on total digestible starch. 
   
   
       9 . The composition according to  claim 1 , comprising 5 to 16 en. % protein, 30 to 90 en. % digestible carbohydrate and 1 to 40 en. % fat. 
   
   
       10 . A method for providing nutrition to an infant, comprising feeding said infant with the nutritional composition according to  claim 1 . 
   
   
       11 . A method for regulation of blood glucose, decreasing post-prandial blood glucose levels, and/or prolonging the release of energy, comprising feeding a subject with the composition according to  claim 1 . 
   
   
       12 . A method for regulation of blood glucose, decreasing post-prandial blood glucose levels, and/or prolonging the release of energy in a subject, comprising providing to the subject a fiber mixture comprising:
 (a) 0.5 to 86 wt. % uronic acid carbohydrate with a degree of polymerization of 10 to 300 based on total fiber,   (b) 10 to 95 wt. % inulin based on total fiber,   (c) 2 to 80 wt. % resistant starch based on total fiber, and   (d) 2 to 80 wt. % oat fiber based on total fiber.   
   
   
       13 . A method for increasing satiety and/or improving sleep in a subject, comprising feeding the subject with the composition according to  claim 1 . 
   
   
       14 . A method for increasing satiety and/or improving sleep in a subject, comprising feeding the subject with a fiber mixture comprising
 (a) 0.5 to 86 wt. % uronic acid carbohydrate with a degree of polymerization of 10 to 300 based on total fiber,   (b) 10 to 95 wt. % inulin based on total fiber,   (c) 2 to 80 wt. % resistant starch based on total fiber, and   (d) 2 to 80 wt. % oat fiber based on total fiber.   
   
   
       15 . A method for treating and/or preventing constipation, diarrhea and/or gastro-intestinal infection in a subject, comprising feeding to the subject a composition according to  claim 1 . 
   
   
       16 . A process for making a nutritional composition, comprising admixing
 (a) a powder comprising:
 (i) 10 to 99 wt. % cereal component based on dry weight or the powder; 
 (ii) 1 to 30 wt. % fibre based on total dry weight of the powder; and 
 (iii) 0.5 to 100 wt. % uronic acid carbohydrate with a degree of polymerization of 10 to 300 based on total fiber, 
 (iv) 5 to 95 wt. % soluble, non-digestible carbohydrates based on total fiber selected from the group consisting of galactose- oligo- and/or polysaccharide, xylooligo- and/or polysaccharide, gluco-oligo- and/or polysaccharide, malto-oligosaccharides, isomalto-oligosaccharides, resistant dextrins and cyclodextrins, arabino-oligosaccharide, mannan-oligosaccharide, galactomanno-oligo- and/or polysaccharides, glucomanno-oligo- and/or polysaccharides, arabinogalacto-oligo- and/or polysaccharides fructo-oligosaccharides, and fructopolysaccharides; and 
   (b) a liquid.   
   
   
       17 . The process according to  claim 16 , wherein the nutritional composition has a viscosity between 150 and 100,000 mPas at 20° C. at a shear rate of 10 s −1 . 
   
   
       18 . A powder composition comprising:
 (a) 10 to 99 wt. % cereal flour and/or milled cereals and/or ground cereals based on dry weight of the powder composition;   (b) 1.0 to 30 wt. % fiber based on dry weight of the powder composition;   (c) 0.5 to 100 wt. % uronic acid carbohydrate with a degree of polymerisation of 10 to 300 based on total fiber and   (d) 5 to 95 wt. % soluble, non-digestible carbohydrates based on total fiber selected from the group consisting of galactose- oligo- and/or polysaccharide, xylooligo- and/or polysaccharide, gluco-oligo- and/or polysaccharide, malto-oligosaccharides, isomalto-oligosaccharides, resistant dextrins and cyclodextrins, arabino-oligosaccharide, mannan-oligosaccharide, galactomanno-oligo- and/or polysaccharides, glucomanno-oligo- and/or polysaccharides, arabinogalacto-oligo- and/or polysaccharides fructo-oligosaccharides, and fructopolysaccharides.   
   
   
       19 . The powder composition according to  claim 18  comprising:
 (a) 20 to 90 wt. % cereal flour and/or milled cereal and/or ground cereal based on dry weight of the powder composition;   (b) 1.5 to 20 wt. % fiber based on dry weight of the powder composition;   (c) 0.5 to 86 wt. % uronic acid carbohydrate with a degree of polymerisation of 10 to 300 based on total fiber,   (d) 10 to 95 wt. % inulin based on total fiber,   (e) 2 to 80 wt. % resistant starch based on total fiber, and   (f) 2 to 80 wt. % oat fiber based on total fiber.