Oil blends and processes for their preparation

Abstract

Disclosed are blends of oils and fats, processes for the preparation thereof and their use as ingredients of various infant formulas and other articles manufacture.

1 . A blend comprising at least one oil having a melting point below 15° C. and at least one fat having a melting point at or above 15° C., wherein at least one said oil and at least one said fat underwent molecular distillation, and wherein each said at least one oil is a natural oil or processed oil and each said at least one fat is a natural fat or processed fat. 
     
     
         2 . A blend according to  claim 1 , wherein each said at least one oil and each said at least one fat underwent molecular distillation separately. 
     
     
         3 . A blend according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one oil and said at least one fat were mixed and the resulting mixture underwent molecular distillation. 
     
     
         4 . A blend according to any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein said natural oil is a vegetable oil. 
     
     
         5 . A blend according to any one of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein said processed oil is vegetable-derived. 
     
     
         6 . A blend according to any one of  claims 1  to  5 , wherein said natural fat is vegetable fat. 
     
     
         7 . A blend according to any one of  claims 1  to  6 , wherein said processed fat is vegetable-derived. 
     
     
         8 . A blend according to any one of  claims 1  to  5 , wherein said fat is milk fat. 
     
     
         9 . A blend according to any one of  claims 1  to  8 , wherein said at least one oil which underwent molecular distillation is any one of soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, corn oil, safflower oil, MCT or high oleic safflower oil. 
     
     
         10 . A blend according to any one of  claims 1  to  9 , wherein said at least one fat which underwent molecular distillation is any one of palm oil, palm kernel oil, palm stearin, palm olein, coconut oil, sn-2 palmitate or milk fat. 
     
     
         11 . A blend according to any one of  claims 1  to  10 , wherein molecular distillation of said at least one oil and of said at least one fat is performed in a distillation system under specific temperature and vacuum conditions, and wherein the weight percentage of said at least one oil distillate resulting from molecular distillation thereof and said at least one fat distillate resulting from molecular distillation thereof is between about 2% to about 60% out of the total weight of said at least one oil and said at least one fat prior to said molecular distillation. 
     
     
         12 . A blend according to  claim 11 , wherein the temperature of the at least one said oil and/or the at least one said fat under distillation is between about 50° C. to about 400° C. and wherein the vacuum is between about 0.0001 mbar to about 3 mbar, said vacuum being measured at a location in said system between vacuum producing means and an external condenser. 
     
     
         13 . A blend according to  claim 11  or  claim 12 , wherein the vacuum is between about 0.001 mbar to about 0.04 mbar, and wherein the weight percentage of said at least one oil distillate and said at least one fat distillate resulting from said molecular distillation thereof is between about 5% to about 45% out of the total weight of said at least one oil and at least one fat prior to said molecular distillation. 
     
     
         14 . A blend according to any one of  claims 11  to  13 , wherein said distillation system comprises an evaporator with heating media, said evaporator having an inlet position of the heating media and an outlet position of the heating media, the heating media at the inlet position being at a temperature of between about 100° C. to about 400° C. 
     
     
         15 . A blend according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one of protein, carbohydrate, mineral and vitamin. 
     
     
         16 . A blend according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the peroxide value elevation within 3 months storage at room temperature is below 20%. 
     
     
         17 . A blend according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the total amount of phytosterols is less than about 4000 ppm. 
     
     
         18 . The blend according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fatty acid composition in said blend is the following:
 0-10% C8:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;   0-10% C10:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;   0-22% C12:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;   0-15% C14:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;   5-55% C16:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;   1-7% C18:0 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;   20-75% C18:1 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;   2-40% C18:2 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids;   0-8% C18:3 fatty acids out of the total fatty acids; and   other fatty acids at levels of less than 8% of the total fatty acids.   
     
     
         19 . A blend according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein endogenic tocopherol concentration is at most 800 ppm. 
     
     
         20 . A blend according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the weight ratio between alpha tocopherols levels to non-alpha tocopherols levels is at least about 5. 
     
     
         21 . A blend according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the weight percentage of diglycerides out of the blend is at most about 2%. 
     
     
         22 . An article of manufacture comprising at least one blend as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  21 , wherein said article of manufacture is any one of a food article, a pharmaceutical preparation, a nutraceutical preparation or a cosmetic product. 
     
     
         23 . An article of manufacture according to  claim 22 , being any one of infant formula, parenteral formula, baby food, toddler formula, child formula or adult formula. 
     
     
         24 . An infant formula comprising the blend according to any one of  claims 1  to  21 . 
     
     
         25 . A process for the preparation of a blend comprising at least one oil having a melting point below 15° C. and at least one fat having a melting point at or above 15° C. wherein at least one said oil and at least one said fat undergo molecular distillation and wherein each said at least one oil is a natural oil or processed oil and each said at least one fat is a natural fat or processed fat, said process comprising the following steps:
 (i) providing at least one oil which is a natural oil or a processed oil; 
 (ii) providing at least one fat which is a natural fat or a processed fat; 
 (iii) (1) subjecting said at least one oil to molecular distillation in a distillation system; and
 (2) subjecting said at least one fat to molecular distillation in a distillation system, and 
 (3) blending the residue of the at least one molecularly distilled oil obtained in step (iii)(1) with the residue of the at least one molecularly distilled fat obtained in step (iii)(2) to give a blend comprising at least one molecularly distilled oil and at least one molecularly distilled fat; 
 
 wherein the molecular distillation is performed under specific temperature and vacuum conditions, and wherein the weight percentages of the at least one oil distillate, respectively fat distillate, resulting from said molecular distillation of said at least one oil, respectively at least one fat, is between about 2% to about 60% out of the total weight of the oil, respectively fat, subjected to said molecular distillation; 
 (iv) optionally further blending into said blend obtained in step (iii)(3) at least one additional oil which is a natural oil or a processed oil and/or at least one additional fat which is a natural fat or a processed fat, wherein said at least one additional oil and/or at least one additional fat is optionally also subjected to molecular distillation under the conditions defined above prior to being blended into said blend; and 
 (v) optionally blending the at least one molecularly distilled oil and at least one molecularly distilled fat obtained in step (iii)(3) or further blending the product obtained in step (iv) with any one of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. 
 
     
     
         26 . A process according to  claim 25  wherein the weight percentage of the oil distillate resulting from said molecular distillation of said at least one oil is at least about 15% out of the total weight of said oil and the fat distillate resulting from said molecular distillation of said at least one fat is between about 3% to about 40% out of the total weight of said fat subjected to said molecular distillation. 
     
     
         27 . A process for the preparation of a blend comprising at least one oil having a melting point below 15° C. and at least one fat having a melting point at or above 15° C., wherein at least one said oil and at least one said fat undergo molecular distillation and wherein each said at least one oil is a natural oil or processed oil and each said at least one fat is a natural fat or processed fat, said process comprising the following steps:
 (i) providing at least one oil which is a natural oil or a processed oil; 
 (ii) providing at least one fat which is a natural fat or a processed fat; 
 (iii) (1) mixing said at least one oil with said at least one fat to give an oil and fat mixture; and
 (2) subjecting the resulting oil and fat mixture to molecular distillation in a distillation system to give a blend comprising molecularly distilled mixture of said at least one oil and said at least one fat, 
 
 wherein the molecular distillation is performed under specific temperature and vacuum conditions, and wherein the weight percentage of the oil and fat mixture distillate resulting from said molecular distillation in step (iii)(2) is between about 2% to about 60% out of the total weight of the oil and fat mixture subjected to said molecular distillation; 
 (iv) optionally further blending into said blend at least one additional oil which is a natural oil or a processed oil and/or at least one additional fat which is a natural fat or a processed fat, wherein said at least one additional oil and/or at least one additional fat is optionally also subjected to molecular distillation under the conditions defined above prior to being blended into said blend; and 
 (v) optionally blending the at least one molecularly distilled oil and at least one molecularly distilled fat obtained in step (iii)(2) or further blending the product obtained in step (iv) with any one of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. 
 
     
     
         28 . A process according to any one of  claims 25  to  27 , wherein:
 said distillation system comprises vacuum generating means and at least one internal condenser; 
 the temperature of the oil(s) or fat(s) or mixture of oil(s) and fat(s) under distillation is between about 50° C. to about 400° C.; and 
 wherein the vacuum is between about 0.0001 mbar to about 3 mbar, said vacuum being measured at a location in said system between vacuum producing means and an external condenser. 
 
     
     
         29 . A process according to any one of  claims 25  to  28 , wherein said distillation system comprises an evaporator with heating medium, said evaporator having an inlet position and an outlet position, the heating medium at the inlet position being at a temperature of between about 100° C. to about 400° C. 
     
     
         30 . A process according to any one of  claims 25  to  29 , wherein the temperature of the internal condenser is at most about 90° C. 
     
     
         31 . The process according to any one of  claims 25  to  30 , wherein the vacuum is at most of about 2 mbar. 
     
     
         32 . A process according to any one of  claims 25  to  31 , wherein said oil is any one of soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, corn oil, safflower oil, MCT or high oleic safflower oil. 
     
     
         33 . A process according to any one of  claims 25  to  32 , wherein said fat is any one of palm oil, palm kernel oil, palm stearin, palm olein, coconut oil, sn2-palmitate or milk fat. 
     
     
         34 . A process according to any one of  claims 25  to  33 , wherein said at least one oil is any one of rapeseed oil, soybean oil or sunflower oil and wherein the weight percentage of the oil or oils distillate resulting from molecular distillation thereof is at least about 15% out of the total weight of the oil or oils subjected to said molecular distillation and wherein said at least one fat is any one of palm kernel oil or coconut oil and wherein the weight percentage of the fat or fats distillate resulting from molecular distillation thereof is between about 3% to about 40% out of the total weight of the fat or fats subjected to said molecular distillation. 
     
     
         35 . A process according to any one of  claims 25  to  34 , for use in the preparation of any one of the oil blends as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  21 . 
     
     
         36 . A process according to any one of  claims 25  to  34 , for use in the preparation of a lipid component of an infant formula or in the preparation of mixtures of lipid components of an infant formula. 
     
     
         37 . A method of increasing storage stability of a composition of matter that comprises at least one oil having a melting point below 15° C. or an article of manufacture comprising said composition of matter, wherein said at least one oil underwent molecular distillation before incorporation into said composition of matter, said method comprising incorporating into said composition at least one molecularly distilled fat having a melting point at or above 15° C. 
     
     
         38 . A method of increasing storage stability of a composition of matter that comprises at least one fat having a melting point at or above 15° C. or an article of manufacture comprising said composition of matter, wherein said at least one fat underwent molecular distillation before incorporation into said composition of matter, said method comprising incorporating into said composition at least one molecularly distilled oil having a melting point below 15° C. 
     
     
         39 . A method according to any one of  claims 37  and  38 , wherein said article of manufacture is any one of a food article, a pharmaceutical preparation, a nutraceutical preparation or a cosmetic product. 
     
     
         40 . An article of manufacture according to  claim 39 , being any one of infant formula, parenteral formula, baby food, toddler formula, child formula or adult formula.