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 method for providing nutrition to a weaning infant subject, comprising feeding said subject with a weaning infant formula having a viscosity of between 150 and 100,000 mPas at 20° C. and at a shear rate of 10 which formula comprises:
 (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 95 wt % uronic acid carbohydrates 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 carbohydrate is are selected from the group consisting of
 galactose-oligosaccharide and/or polysaccharide, 
 xylooligosaccharide and/or polysaccharide, 
 gluco-oligosaccharide and/or polysaccharide, 
 malto-oligosaccharide, 
 isomalto-oligosaccharide, 
 resistant dextrin, 
 cyclodextrin, 
 arabino-oligosaccharide, 
 mannan-oligosaccharide, 
 galactomanno-oligosaccharide and/or polysaccharide, 
 glucomanno-oligosaccharide and/or polysaccharide, 
 arabinogalacto-oligosaccharide and/or polysaccharide, 
 fructo-oligosaccharide, and 
 fructopolysaccharide. 
 
 
       thereby providing nutrition to said subject. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the cereal component is selected from the group consisting of milled cereal, ground cereal and cereal flour. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the formula comprises uronic acid carbohydrates selected from the group consisting of apple pectin, citrus pectin and sugar beet pectin. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the formula comprises 5 to 94.5 wt % insoluble, non-digestible carbohydrates based on total fiber. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the formula comprises resistant starch. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the formula comprises:
 (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 carbohydrates 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 fiber based on total fiber.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the formula comprises 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 crop flour. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the formula further comprises digestible starch of which 10 to 70 wt. % is slowly digestible starch based on total digestible starch weight. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the weaning infant formula comprises 5 to 16 en. % protein, 30 to 90 en. % digestible carbohydrate and 1 to 40 en. % fat. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the weaning infant formula comprises the following fiber mixture:
 (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.   
     
     
         11 . A method for regulating blood glucose, decreasing post-prandial blood glucose levels, and/or prolonging release of energy in a waning infant subject, comprising feeding said subject with the formula defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . A method for increasing satiety and/or improving sleep in a weaning infant subject comprising feeding said subject with the formula defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A process for producing a weaning infant formula, comprising admixing:
 a powder comprising:
 (i) 10 to 99 wt. % cereal component based on dry weight or the powder; 
 (ii) 1 to 30 wt. % fiber based on total dry weight of the powder; 
 (iii) 0.5 to 95 wt % uronic acid carbohydrate with a degree of polymerization of 10 to 300 based on total fiber; and 
 (iv) 5 to 95 wt. % soluble, non-digestible carbohydrates based on total fiber selected from the group consisting of
 galactose-oligosaccharide and/or polysaccharide, 
 xylooligosaccharide and/or polysaccharide, 
 gluco-oligosaccharide and/or polysaccharide, 
 malto-oligosaccharide, 
 isomalto-oligosaccharide, 
 resistant dextrin, 
 cyclodextrin. 
 arabino-oligosaccharide, 
 mannan-oligosaccharide, 
 galactomanno-oligosaccharide and/or polysaccharide, 
 glucomanno-oligosaccharide and/or polysaccharide, 
 arabinogalacto-oligosaccharide and/or polysaccharide, 
 fructo-oligosaccharide, and 
 fructopolysaccharide, 
 
 with 
   (b) a liquid,   
       wherein, after admixing the liquid, the formula has a viscosity between 150 and 100,000 mPas at 20° C. at a shear rate of 10 s −1 .