Liquid nutritional compositions containing oxidizable fish oil, rosmarinic acid and ferric iron

Abstract

Liquid nutritional compositions have an off-white color with a Hunter L value not less than 68, and comprise (a) a protein; (b) a carbohydrate; (c) an oxidizable fish oil containing an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid; (d) rosmarinic acid; and (e) ferric iron comprising ferric orthophosphate and/or ferric pyrophosphate. The liquid nutritional compositions exhibit reduced off-flavors and aromas typically encountered in compositions including fish oil.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A liquid nutritional composition having an off-white color and comprising:
 (a) a protein;   (b) a carbohydrate;   (c) an oxidizable fish oil containing an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid;   (d) rosmarinic acid; and   (e) ferric iron comprising ferric orthophosphate and/or ferric pyrophosphate,   wherein the composition has a Hunter L value not less than 68.   
     
     
         2 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid nutritional composition comprises 0.0004 wt % to 0.04 wt % rosmarinic acid. 
     
     
         3 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 1 , wherein the rosmarinic acid is provided as a water-soluble rosemary extract. 
     
     
         4 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 1 , wherein the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid comprises docosahexaenoic acid. 
     
     
         5 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 1 , wherein the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid comprises eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. 
     
     
         6 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 5 , wherein a weight ratio of eicosapentaenoic acid to docosahexaenoic acid is 1:5 to 5:1. 
     
     
         7 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 1 , further comprising an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid. 
     
     
         8 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 7 , wherein the omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid comprises gamma-linolenic acid. 
     
     
         9 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 1 , comprising from about 6 to 60 mg ferric orthophosphate and/or ferric pyrophosphate per 237 ml serving. 
     
     
         10 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 9 , comprising from about 1.8 to 18 mg of iron per 237 ml serving. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition has a Hunter a value within the range of −10 to 10, and a Hunter b value within the range of −5 to 27. 
     
     
         12 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition has a pH of 6 to 8. 
     
     
         13 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 1 , wherein the protein comprises about 2 wt % to 15 wt % of the liquid nutritional composition and the carbohydrate comprises about 5 wt % to 25 wt % of the liquid nutritional composition. 
     
     
         14 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 1 , wherein the protein is selected from the group consisting of whey protein concentrates, whey protein isolates, whey protein hydrolysates, acid caseins, sodium caseinates, calcium caseinates, potassium caseinates, casein hydrolysates, milk protein concentrates, milk protein isolates, milk protein hydrolysates, nonfat dry milk, condensed skim milk, soy protein concentrates, soy protein isolates, soy protein hydrolysates, pea protein concentrates, pea protein isolates, pea protein hydrolysates, collagen proteins, collagen protein isolates, rice proteins, potato proteins, earthworm proteins, insect proteins, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 1 , wherein the carbohydrate is selected from the group consisting of maltodextrin, hydrolyzed starch, glucose polymers, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, rice-derived carbohydrates, sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, high fructose corn syrup, honey, sugar alcohols, isomaltulose, sucromalt, pullulan, potato starch, corn starch, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, oat fiber, soy fiber, gum arabic, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, guar gum, gellan gum, locust bean gum, konjac flour, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, tragacanth gum, karaya gum, gum acacia, chitosan, arabinoglactins, glucomannan, xanthan gum, alginate, pectin, low methoxy pectin, high methoxy pectin, cereal beta-glucans, carrageenan, psyllium, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a fat selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, fractionated coconut oil, medium chain triglycerides (MCT) oil, canola oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, palm olein, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 16 , wherein the fat and the oxidizable fish oil comprise about 0.5 wt % to 20 wt % of the liquid nutritional composition. 
     
     
         18 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one antioxidant selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, ascorbyl palmitate, retinyl palmitate, tocopherols, ascorbate salts, carotenoids, oil-soluble rosemary extract, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The liquid nutritional composition of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid nutritional composition is in the form of an aqueous emulsion having a continuous aqueous phase and a discontinuous non-aqueous phase. 
     
     
         20 . A method of reducing discoloration and off-flavor and aroma in a liquid nutritional composition having an off-white color and comprising protein, a carbohydrate and an oxidizable fish oil containing an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, the method comprising including in the composition rosmarinic acid and ferric iron comprising ferric orthophosphate and/or ferric pyrophosphate, wherein the composition has a Hunter L value not less than 68.