Compositions for masking the flavor of nutrients and methods for making same

Abstract

Nutritional compositions and methods of making and using the nutritional compositions are provided. In a general embodiment, the present disclosure provides nutritional compositions having whey protein micelles and leucine. The nutritional compositions provide a sufficient amount of leucine to improve protein synthesis in humans, while also maintaining a low-viscosity fluid matrix and acceptable organoleptic properties.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A nutritional composition comprising: whey protein powder comprising whey protein micelles and leucine in a weight ratio of about 30:1 to about 1:100. 
     
     
         2 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the whey protein powder comprises at least about 20% to at least about 80% whey protein micelles. 
     
     
         3 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the whey protein powder comprises at least about 50% whey protein micelles. 
     
     
         4 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the whey protein powder has a water binding capacity of at least about 50% to about 100%. 
     
     
         5 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the total amount of leucine in the composition is between about 20% and about 40% by weight dry matter. 
     
     
         6 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the dry weight ratio of added leucine to whey protein micelles is from about 1:2 to about 1:3. 
     
     
         7 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the whey protein powder is obtained by a process selected from the group consisting of spray-drying and freeze-drying, that is performed with the whey protein micelles and leucine. 
     
     
         8 . The composition according to  claim 1  comprising at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, prebiotics, and probiotics. 
     
     
         9 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition is a liquid and the total amount of leucine in the composition is less than about 2.5 g per 100 g of the liquid, and the liquid is selected from the group consisting of water, water-based beverages, fruit juice, milk, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The composition according to  claim 9  comprising at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of an antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, prebiotics, and probiotics. 
     
     
         11 . A process for the production of a whey protein micelles concentrate, comprising:
 (a) adjusting the pH of a whey protein aqueous solution to a value between about 3.0 and about 8.0;   (b) subjecting the aqueous solution to a temperature of between about 70 and about 95° C. for a period of about 10 seconds to about 2 hours;   (c) concentrating a dispersion obtained in step (b);   (d) adding leucine to the dispersion; and   (e) spray drying or freeze drying the whey protein micelles concentrate with leucine, wherein the concentration of the whey protein aqueous solution is less than about 7% and wherein the yield of micelles before concentration is at least about 35%, the whey protein micelles and the leucine in a weight ratio of about 30:1 to about 1:100, and wherein the concentration is performed by a method selected from the group consisting of evaporation, centrifugation, sedimentation, ultrafiltration, microfiltration, and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         12 . The process according to  claim 11 , wherein the mineral content of the whey protein solution is less than about 2.5%. 
     
     
         13 . The process according to  claim 11 , wherein the whey protein is demineralized. 
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 11 , wherein the heating is performed by microwaves. 
     
     
         15 . The process according to  claim 11  comprising: adding the dried whey protein micelles concentrate with leucine to a composition to prepare a nutritional product. 
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 11  comprising adding to the composition at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of an antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, prebiotics, and probiotics.