IES76306B2

IES76306B2 - Food Product

Info

Publication number: IES76306B2
Authority: IE
Inventors: Paul M Mathias; John J Mcevoy
Original assignee: Nutrifil Limited
Priority date: 1997-03-26
Filing date: 1997-03-26
Publication date: 1997-10-08
Also published as: IES970234A2; IE980210A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a supplementary food composition comprising: (1) 43-46% wqheat flour; (2) 36-42% milk powder; (3) 13-17% sugar, preferably sucrose; and (4) 1.2-1.6% vitamins and minerals, the minerals including zinc, copper and selenium; the percentages being by weight of the total composition.

Description

FOOD PRODUCT This invention relates to a food product. In particular, it relates to a nutritional food product for use in supplementary and therapeutic feeding of malnourished and hospitalized individuals. It is particularly suitable for pre-school children, including weaning infants, and pregnant and lactating mothers.

While a number of supplementary food products are commercially available, it is difficult to provide such products at low cost and which are both nutritionally effective and have good organoleptic properties.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an inexpensive supplementary food product which is nutritionally effective and has good organoleptic properties.

According to the present invention there is provided a supplementary food composition comprising:(1) 43-46% wheat flour; (2) 36-42% milk powder; (3) 13-17% sugar, preferably sucrose; and (4) 1.2-1.6% vitamins and minerals, the minerals including zinc, copper and selenium; the percentages being by weight of the total composition.

Preferably, the flour is baked white wheat flour; the milk powder is based on fat filled milk including hydrogenated vegetable fat; and the sucrose is caster sugar.

A preferred composition comprises about 44.6% baked white wheat flour; about 39.0% fat filled milk powder including hydrogenated vegetable fat; about 15.0% caster sugar; and about 1.4% of the vitamins and minerals; the percentages being by weight of the total composition.

In addition to zinc, copper and selenium, the minerals present in the composition of the invention preferably comprise one or more of iron, potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium and iodine. The vicamins preferably comprise one or more of thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinamide, pyridoxine, vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin A (retinol), vitamin D and vitamin E.

The food composition of the invention can be prepared by mixing the vitamins and minerals together and then dry blending the vitamin/mineral pre-mix with the remaining components of the composition.

The food composition of the invention is mixed with any suitable potable liquid prior to consumption. For example, it mixes readily with cold water and requires no cooking before consumption. The resulting formulation has a highly acceptable taste and texture.

The food composition of the invention has the following applications : (a) As supplementary feeding in humanitarian emergencies for children and adults. (b) In clinical/hospital applications, e.g. tube feeding, general nutritional supplement and therapeutic feeding for underweight patients. It is also suitable for the nutritional support of patients with AIDS. (c) As a nutritionally complete food supplement for children under 5 years. (d) As a nutritionally complete food for school children (school feeding programmes). (e) As a convalescent (build up) food during recovery from illness suitable for children or adults. (f) As a food supplement for people on slimming diets. (g) As a food supplement for sports people.

The effectiveness of the food composition of the invention in comparison to known supplementary food products would appear to be due in large part to the combined presence of zinc, copper and selenium.

The food composition of the invention complies with the Food and Agricultural Organisation Codex Alimentarius - 4 standards. As little as a 2.10MJ (500Kcal) ration provides up to 100% of reference nutrient intakes (RNI) for vitamins and minerals for children under 5 years of age. c The invention is illustrated m the following Example :EXAMPLE A food composition according to the invention was prepared by dry blending the following:446 kg baked white wheat flour 390 kg fat filled milk powder with hydrogenated vegetable fat 150 kg caster sugar 1.4 kg vitamin and mineral pre-mix prepared by mixing the following vitamins and minerals, the amounts given being per 100 g of the composition: Vitamins Minerals Thiamine 0.6 mg Riboflavin 0.9 mg Nicotinamide 7.0 mg Pyridoxine 0.6 mg Vitamin B12 1.3 MS Folic Acid 144 MS Vitamin C 56 mg Vitamin A (retinol) 550 MS Vitamin D 8.0 MS Vitamin E 4.7 mg Iron 5.0 mg Potassium 870 mg Sodium 170 mg Magnesium 120 mg Zinc 4.5 mg Copper 0.5 mg Calcium 470 mg Iodine 85 MS Selenium 25 MS The nutritional composition per 100 g of the prepared composition is as follows : - Energy Energy Protein Fat CHO (MJ) (Kcals) (g) (g) (g) 1.75 416 14.9 10.7 65.0 % Contribution to total energy 14.3 23.2 62.4 A limited field trial was carried out with the abo' food composition to assess its effect on weight gain in malnourished children. The composition was prepared for consumption by mixing with water to a caloric density of 4.18 KJ/ml. Intakes and weight gain were recorded over 7 days in 20 malnourished children aged 12-60 months (mean 38 months), with an average weight of 11.7 (SD,3.1) kg and a mean weight for age of 79 (SD,15)%. The mean total daily energy intake was 6.1 (SD, 0.37) MJ. The inventive food composition provided 78% of total intake with other supplementary foods, BPS (a high energy biscuit) and Nutriset Weaning Food (a soya flour-containing dry cereal blend), contributing 16% and 6%, respectively. The children showed a strong taste preference for the inventive food composition. Mean body weight after 7 days was 12.6 (SD, 3.3) kg, significantly higher than the mean body weight at day 1 (p<0.005) . The mean rate of weight gain was 11.0 (SD, 4.9) g/kg body weight/day, which indicated children were achieving rapid catch-up growth (Ashworth, A. (1967), British Journal of Nutrition. 23, 835-845). Weight gain was significantly correlated with intake of the inventive food composition (r=0.94, p<0.001).

The effect of early nutritional intervention in HIV-infected patients in respect of changes in weight, immune status and quality of life was also studied with the above food composition.

A randomised comparative controlled prospective trial was carried out. Twenty-two early stage (CDC I-III), largely asymptomatic HIV-infected patients were randomised into a dietary regime supplemented with either the inventive food composition or Corn Soya Blend (CSB), a standard food supplement used by the World Food Programme. Patients received a daily 1000 Kcal (4.2 MJ) supplement of either the inventive food composition or CSB, in addition to their normal diet, for a period of eight weeks. Parameters evaluated at baseline (day 0) and after eight weeks included weight change and absolute blood CD4 cell counts (as a measurement of immune function) as well as physical performance and inter-current health events.

Both groups were comparable at baseline in all evaluated parameters. During the study period none of the patients progressed to full blown AIDS. Consumption of the two formulae was associated with weight gain. However, this was highly significant in the group given the inventive food composition, mean 2.14 kg ± 2.0 kg (p = 0.005) compared to the CSB group, mean 0.98 kg ± 1.5, which was marginally significant (p=0.056). Weight gain in the inventive composition group was significantly correlated to an increase in absolute CD4 cell count (r2=44: p=0.025), but not in the CSB group. Furthermore, five patients (45%) in the inventive composition group experienced a rise in blood CD4 cell count at the end of the study, compared with two (18%) in the CSB group. Consumption of the inventive food composition was also associated with improved Karnofsky's physical performance scores (p=0.001), whereas consumption of CSB was not.

These findings suggest that early nutrition intervention can prevent weight loss and malnutrition in patients with HIV infection. Furthermore, this study has shown that the use of a high quality nutritional supplement such as the inventive composition can induce positive immunomodulation in AIDS patients (as seen by increases in CD4 cell counts), whereas this has only been previously observed in patients on expensive anti-viral drug therapy. This will have important consequences and potential for populations with a high incidence of AIDS, such as in Africa where the cost of drug therapy is prohibitive.

Claims

CLAIMS : 1. (1) 43-46% wheat flour;

1. A supplementary food composition comprising:

2. A food composition according to Claim 1, wherein the flour is baked white wheat flour; the milk powder is based on fat filled milk including hydrogenated vegetable fat; and the sucrose is caster sugar. (2) 36-42% milk powder;

3. A food composition according to Claim 1 or 2, comprising about 44.6% baked white wheat flour; about 39.0% fat filled milk powder including hydrogenated vegetable fat; about 15.0% caster sugar; and about 1.4% of the vitamins and minerals; the percentages being by weight of the total composition. (3) 13-17% sugar, preferably sucrose; and (4) 1.2-1.6% vitamins and minerals, the minerals including zinc, copper and selenium; the percentages being by weight of the total composition.

4. A food composition according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the minerals present in the composition additionally comprise one or more of iron, potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium and iodine; and the vitamins comprise one or more of thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinamide, pyridoxine, vitamin B12, folic acid vitamin C, vitamin A (retinol), vitamin D and vitamin E.

5. 5. A food composition substantially as herein described and exemplified.