OAT product and process

Abstract

This invention generally relates to compositions comprising whole oats. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention relates to an oat base comprising whole oats, and nutritional compositions such as oat milk and oat cream comprising whole oats. Methods for producing an oat base and nutritional compositions are also provided.

Description

[0001] OAT PRODUCT AND PROCESS

[0002] Field of the invention

[0003] This invention generally relates to compositions comprising whole oats. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention relates to an oat base comprising whole oats, and nutritional compositions such as oat milk and oat cream comprising whole oats. Methods for producing an oat base and nutritional compositions are also provided.

[0004] Background to the invention

[0005] Dairy products such as milk and cream are widely consumed; however, there are environmental, animal welfare, and human health concerns associated with dairy production and consumption. Dairy farming requires the use of large amounts of land and water, and is particularly resource intensive when dairy cows are grain-fed, as this requires the resource use associated with growing grain as well as that of dairy farming.

[0006] Dairy farming also produces substantial greenhouse gas emissions, in particular methane, which has a global warming potential approximately 84 times higher than CO2 on a 20-year timescale. Nitrogen-rich runoff from dairy farms can pollute waterways by promoting algal blooms that reduce oxygen levels and light. There are also animal welfare concerns associated with dairy farming, as dairy cows must go through pregnancy in order to produce milk, and male "bobby" calves are often regarded as an unwanted side product. Additionally, there are numerous studies showing consumption of milk from dairy cows creates negative short-, medium- and long-term human health outcomes and increases to healthcare costs globally.

[0007] One potential solution to these problems is the provision and consumption of plant-based milks such as oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, and the like. Plant-based milks require far less land use than dairy farming, less water usage (although this varies depending on the type of plant milk), and have reduced environmental impact (Poore, J., & Nemecek, T. (2018). Reducing food's environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science, 360(6392), 987-992).

[0008] However, existing plant-based milks may not meet consumer expectations around taste, mouthfeel, and nutrition. For example, in the production of a typical oat milk, a proportion of the insoluble particles are removed via an energy intensive decantation process in order to produce an oat milk with acceptable viscosity and mouthfeel. These particles are composed primarily of insoluble protein, fibre, and lipid, and are derived from the bran, germ, and cell wall material from the endosperm. This is not only wasteful, as part of the grain does not end up in the final product, but also results in an oat milk with inferior nutritional properties such as low protein and dietary fibre content.

[0009] It is desirable to provide oat compositions such as an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, and / or oat cream that comprise oat solids comprising material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran, and that have acceptable organoleptic properties. It is particularly desirable to provide such oat compositions wherein no oat material has been removed, thus reducing waste and / or energy expenditure. It is also desirable to provide such oat compositions having increased fibre, [3- glucan, and / or protein content, in particular fibre, [3-glucan, and / or protein derived from oats. It is also desirable to provide methods of producing such compositions.

[0010] It is an object of the invention to go some way towards meeting one or more of these desiderata, or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

[0011] In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.

[0012] Summary of the invention

[0013] In a first aspect, the invention provides an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or a fermented product comprising: a. material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. optionally, oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 70% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably at least about 90% w / w, most preferably at least about 95% w / w; and c. fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 5.0 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 6.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 7.0 g / 100 g total solids. In a second aspect, the invention provides an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or a fermented product comprising: a. material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. optionally, oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 70% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably at least about 90% w / w, most preferably at least about 95% w / w; and c. p-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.20 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 0.40 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.80 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 1.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 1.50 g / 100 g total solids.

[0014] In a third aspect, the invention provides an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or a fermented product comprising: a. material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. optionally, oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 70% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably at least about 90% w / w, most preferably at least about 95% w / w; and a. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv.

[0015] In a fourth aspect, the invention provides an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or a fermented product comprising: a. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 70% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably at least about 90% w / w, most preferably at least about 95% w / w, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 5.0 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 6.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 7.0 g / 100 g total solids; and c. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv.

[0016] In a fifth aspect, the invention provides an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or a fermented product comprising: a. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 70% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably at least about 90% w / w, most prefera bly at least about 95% w / w, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. p-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.2 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 0.4 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.8 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 1.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 1.5 g / 100 g total solids; and c. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv.

[0017] In a sixth aspect, the invention provides an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or a fermented product comprising: a. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 70% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably at least about 90% w / w, most preferably at least about 95% w / w, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 5.0 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 6.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 7.0 g / 100 g total solids; c. p-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.2 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 0.4 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.8 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 1.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 1.5 g / 100 g total solids; and d. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv.

[0018] In a seventh aspect, the invention provides an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or a fermented product comprising: a. oat solids comprising material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. optionally, fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 5.0 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 6.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 7.0 g / 100 g total solids; c. optionally, [3-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.2 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 0.4 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.8 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 1.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 1.5 g / 100 g total solids; and d. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv.

[0019] In an eighth aspect, the invention provides an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or a fermented product comprising: a. at least about 0.20 mg / 100 g total solids of boron (preferably derived from oats), preferably at least about 0.25 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.30 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 0.32 mg / 100 g total solids; b. at least about 30 mg / 100 g total solids of magnesium (preferably derived from oats), preferably at least about 50 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 80 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 100 mg / 100 g total solids; c. at least about 20 mg / 100 g total solids of calcium (preferably derived from oats), preferably at least about 40 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 60 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 80 mg / 100 g total solids; d. at least about 1.0 mg / 100 g total solids of manganese (preferably derived from oats), preferably at least about 2.0 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 3.0 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 4.0 mg / 100 g total solids; e. at least about 1.0 mg / 100 g total solids of iron (preferably derived from oats), preferably at least about 2.0 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 3.0 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 4.0 mg / 100 g total solids; f. at least about 0.7 mg / 100 g total solids of zinc (preferably derived from oats), preferably at least about 1.5 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 2.0 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 2.5 mg / 100 g total solids; or g. any combination of any two or more of a to f.

[0020] In a ninth aspect, the invention provides an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or a fermented product comprising: a. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 70% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably at least about 90% w / w, most preferably at least about 95% w / w, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. optionally, fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 5.0 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 6.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 7.0 g / 100 g total solids; c. optionally, [3-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.2 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 0.4 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.8 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 1.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 1.5 g / 100 g total solids; and d. one or more micronutrients (preferably derived from oats) selected from: i. at least about 0.20 mg / 100 g total solids of boron, preferably at least about 0.25 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.30 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 0.32 mg / 100 g total solids; ii. at least about 30 mg / 100 g total solids of magnesium, preferably at least about 50 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 80 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 100 mg / 100 g total solids; iii. at least about 20 mg / 100 g total solids of calcium, preferably at least about 40 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 60 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 80 mg / 100 g total solids; iv. at least about 1.0 mg / 100 g total solids of manganese, preferably at least about 2.0 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 3.0 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 4.0 mg / 100 g total solids; v. at least about 1.0 mg / 100 g total solids of iron, preferably at least about 2.0 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 3.0 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 4.0 mg / 100 g total solids; vi. at least about 0.7 mg / 100 g total solids of zinc, preferably at least about 1.5 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 2.0 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 2.5 mg / 100 g total solids; or vii. any combination of any two or more of i to vi.

[0021] In a tenth aspect, the invention provides an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or a fermented product comprising: a. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 70% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably at least about 90% w / w, most preferably at least about 95% w / w, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. optionally, fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 5.0 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 6.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 7.0 g / 100 g total solids; c. optionally, [3-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.2 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 0.4 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.8 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 1.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 1.5 g / 100 g total solids; d. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv; and e. one or more micronutrients (preferably derived from oats) selected from: vi. at least about 0.20 mg / 100 g total solids of boron, preferably at least about 0.25 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.30 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 0.32 mg / 100 g total solids; vii. at least about 30 mg / 100 g total solids of magnesium, preferably at least about 50 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 80 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 100 mg / 100 g total solids; viii. at least about 20 mg / 100 g total solids of calcium, preferably at least about 40 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 60 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 80 mg / 100 g total solids; ix. at least about 1.0 mg / 100 g total solids of manganese, preferably at least about 2.0 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 3.0 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 4.0 mg / 100 g total solids; x. at least about 1.0 mg / 100 g total solids of iron, preferably at least about 2.0 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 3.0 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 4.0 mg / 100 g total solids; xi. at least about 0.7 mg / 100 g total solids of zinc, preferably at least about 1.5 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 2.0 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 2.5 mg / 100 g total solids; or xii. any combination of any two or more of vi to xi.

[0022] In an eleventh aspect, the invention provides an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or a fermented product comprising: a. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 70% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably at least about 90% w / w, most preferably at least about 95% w / w, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; and b. a protein content of at least about 8% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 10%, more preferably at least about 12%, most preferably at least about 14%.

[0023] In a twelfth aspect, the invention provides an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or a fermented product comprising: a. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 70% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably at least about 90% w / w, most preferably at least about 95% w / w, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. optionally, fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 5.0 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 6.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 7.0 g / 100 g total solids; c. optionally, [3-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.2 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 0.4 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.8 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 1.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 1.5 g / 100 g total solids; and d. a protein content of at least about 8% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 10%, more preferably at least about 12%, most preferably at least about 14%. In a thirteenth aspect, the invention provides an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or a fermented product comprising: a. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 70% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably at least about 90% w / w, most preferably at least about 95% w / w, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. optionally, fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 5.0 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 6.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 7.0 g / 100 g total solids; c. optionally, [3-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.2 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 0.4 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.8 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 1.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 1.5 g / 100 g total solids; d. a protein content of at least about 8% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 10%, more preferably at least about 12%, most preferably at least about 14%; and e. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv. In a fourteenth aspect, the invention provides an oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or a fermented product comprising: a. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 70% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably at least about 90% w / w, most preferably at least about 95% w / w, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. optionally, fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 5.0 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 6.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 7.0 g / 100 g total solids; c. optionally, [3-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.2 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 0.4 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.8 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 1.0 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 1.5 g / 100 g total solids; d. a protein content of at least about 8% w / w relative to total solids, preferably at least about 10%, more preferably at least about 12%, most preferably at least about 14%; and e. one or more micronutrients (preferably derived from oats) selected from: i. at least about 0.20 mg / 100 g total solids of boron, preferably at least about 0.25 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.30 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 0.32 mg / 100 g total solids; ii. at least about 30 mg / 100 g total solids of magnesium, preferably at least about 50 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 80 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 100 mg / 100 g total solids; iii. at least about 20 mg / 100 g total solids of calcium, preferably at least about 40 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 60 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 80 mg / 100 g total solids; iv. at least about 1.0 mg / 100 g total solids of manganese, preferably at least about 2.0 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 3.0 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 4.0 mg / 100 g total solids; v. at least about 1.0 mg / 100 g total solids of iron, preferably at least about 2.0 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 3.0 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 4.0 mg / 100 g total solids; vi. at least about 0.7 mg / 100 g total solids of zinc, preferably at least about 1.5 mg / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 2.0 mg / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 2.5 mg / 100 g total solids; or vii. any combination of any two or more of i to vi.

[0024] In a fifteenth aspect, the invention provides a nutritional composition comprising: a. oat solids comprising material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 0.1 g / 100 g total solids and / or at least about 0.1 g / 100 g of the nutritional composition, preferably at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids and / or at least about 0.4 g / 100 g of the nutritional composition; and c. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv.

[0025] In a sixteenth aspect, the invention provides a nutritional composition, an oat milk, or an oat cream comprising: a. oat solids comprising material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. p-glucan in an amount of at least about 20 mg / 100 g total solids and / or at least about 20 mg / 100 g of the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream, preferably at least about 0.40 g / 100 g total solids and / or at least about 40 mg / 100 g of the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream, more preferably at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids and / or at least about 0.4 g / 100 g of the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream; and c. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv.

[0026] In a seventeenth aspect, the invention provides a nutritional composition comprising the oat base of any one of aspects 1 to 14.

[0027] In an eighteenth aspect, the invention provides an oat milk comprising the oat base of any one of aspects 1 to 14.

[0028] In a nineteenth aspect, the invention provides an oat cream comprising the oat base of any one of aspects 1 to 14.

[0029] In a twentieth aspect, the invention provides a food product comprising the oat base of any one of aspects 1 to 14. In a twenty-first aspect, the invention provides a beverage comprising the oat base of any one of aspects 1 to 14.

[0030] In a twenty-second aspect, the invention provides a fermented product comprising the oat base of any one of aspects 1 to 14.

[0031] In a twenty-third aspect, the invention provides an oat cream comprising particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv; and wherein: a. the oat cream comprises material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. the oat cream increases in volume by at least about 50% when whipped; c. the time to whip the oat cream to soft peaks is less than about 10 minutes; d. the simmer time to reduce a volume of the oat cream by 50% is less than about 10 minutes; or e. any combination of any two or more of a to d. In a twenty-fourth aspect, the invention provides an oat milk comprising particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv; and wherein: a. the oat milk comprises material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. the oat milk, when frothed, produces a froth that persists for at least about 1 minute on a beverage at 65°C; c. the oat milk increases in volume by at least about 10% when frothed; or d. any combination of any two or more of a to d.

[0032] In a twenty-fifth aspect, the invention provides a method of producing an oat base, preferably the oat base of any one of aspects 1 to 14, the method comprising the steps of: a. providing oat material comprising oat endosperm, germ, and bran; and b. processing the oats to produce an oat base comprising: i. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; ii. fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids, and iii. particles derived from oats, wherein:

[0033] A. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm;

[0034] B.the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm;

[0035] C. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm;

[0036] D. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or

[0037] E.any combination of any two or more of A to D.

[0038] In a twenty-sixth aspect, the invention provides a method of producing an oat base, preferably an oat base of any one of aspects 1 to 14, the method comprising the steps of: a. providing oat material comprising oat endosperm, germ, and bran; and b. processing the oats to produce an oat base comprising: i. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; ii. p-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.2 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 0.4 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.80 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 1.00 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 1.50 g / 100 g total solids; and iii. particles derived from oats, wherein:

[0039] A. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; B.the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm;

[0040] C. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm;

[0041] D. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or

[0042] E.any combination of any two or more of A to D.

[0043] In a twenty- seventh aspect, the invention provides a method of producing an oat base, preferably an oat base of any one of aspects 1 to 14, the method comprising the steps of: a. providing oat material comprising oat endosperm, germ, and bran; and b. processing the oats to produce an oat base comprising: i. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; ii. fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids; iii. p-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.2 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 0.4 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 0.80 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 1.00 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 1.50 g / 100 g total solids; and iv. particles derived from oats, wherein:

[0044] A. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; B. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm;

[0045] C. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm;

[0046] D. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or

[0047] E. any combination of any two or more of A to D.

[0048] In a twenty-eighth aspect, the invention provides a method of producing an oat base, preferably the oat base of any one of aspects 1 to 14, the method comprising the steps of: a. providing oat material comprising oat endosperm, germ, and bran; and b. processing the oats to produce an oat base comprising: i. material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; ii. optionally, oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids; and iii. particles derived from oats, wherein:

[0049] A. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm;

[0050] B. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm;

[0051] C. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; D. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or

[0052] E. any combination of any two or more of A to D.

[0053] In a twenty-ninth aspect, the invention provides an oat base produced by the method of any one of aspects 25 to 28.

[0054] In a thirtieth aspect, the invention provides a method of producing a nutritional composition, an oat milk, an oat cream, a food product, a beverage, or a fermented product, the method comprising contacting: a. the oat base of any one of aspects 1 to 14 or 29; b. water; c. optionally one or more lipids; d. optionally one or more minerals; e. optionally one or more vitamins; f. optionally one or more emulsifiers; g. optionally one or more stabilisers; and h. optionally one or more flavours; to produce the nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or fermented product.

[0055] In a further aspect the invention provides a nutritional composition, oat milk, oat cream, food product, beverage, or fermented product produced by the method of the thirtieth aspect.

[0056] In a further aspect, the invention provides an oat milk comprising: a. oat solids comprising material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 0.1 g / 100 g total solids and / or at least about 0.1 g / 100 g of the oat milk; c. p-glucan in an amount of at least about 20 mg / 100 g total solids and / or at least about 20 mg / 100 g of the oat milk; d. a protein content of from about 0.1 g / 100 ml to about 5 g / 100 ml; e. a lipid content of from about 0.1 % to about 5% w / w; and f. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv.

[0057] In a further aspect, the invention provides an oat cream comprising: a. oat solids comprising material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 0.1 g / 100 g total solids and / or at least about 0.1 g / 100 g of the oat cream; c. p-glucan in an amount of at least about 20 mg / 100 g total solids and / or at least about 20 mg / 100 g of the oat cream; d. a lipid content of from about 10% to about 50% w / w; and e. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv.

[0058] Any of the following embodiments, alone or in any combination, may apply to any one or more of the above aspects.

[0059] In some embodiments, the oat base, oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition comprises material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran in a weight ratio of 50-80:1-5:5-15, preferably 60-65:2^4:7-11. In some embodiments, the oat base, oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition comprises material derived from oat endosperm and germ in a weight ratio of 15- 30:1, preferably 20-25:1. In some embodiments, the oat base, oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition comprises material derived from oat endosperm and bran in a weight ratio of 4-10:1, preferably 6-8:1. In some embodiments, the oat base, oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition comprises material derived from oat germ and bran in a weight ratio of 1:2-5, preferably 1 .5-3.5.

[0060] In some embodiments, the oat base, oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition comprises material derived from oat endosperm in an amount of from about 30% to about 90% w / w relative to total solids, such as from about 30% to about 80%, from about 30% to about 70%, from about 30% to about 65%, from about 40% to about 90%, from about 40% to about 80%, from about 40% to about 70%, from about 40% to about 65%, from about 50% to about 90%, from about 50% to about 80%, from about 50% to about 70%, from about 50% to about 65%, from about 60% to about 90%, from about 60% to about 80%, from about 60% to about 70%, or from about 60% to about 65%. Preferably, the oat base, oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition comprises material derived from oat endosperm in an amount of about 60% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably about 63%.

[0061] In some embodiments, the oat base, oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition comprises material derived from oat germ in an amount of at least about 0.1 % w / w relative to total solids, such as at least about 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8%, 0.9%, 1 %, 1.1 %, 1.2%, 1.3%, 1.4%, 1.5%, 1.6%, 1.7%, 1.8%, 1.9%, 2%, 2.1 %, 2.2%, 2.3%, 2.4%, 2.5%, 3.0%, 3.5%, 4.0%, 4.5%, 5.0%, 5.5%, 6.0%, 6.5%, 7.0%, 7.5%, 8.0%, 8.5%, 9.0%, 9.5%, or at least about 10.0% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.1 % to about 10.0%, from about 0.1 % to about 5.0%, from about 0.1 % to about 4.5%, from about 0.1 % to about 4.0%, from about 0.1 % to about 3.5%, from about 0.1 % to about 3.0%, from about 0.1 % to about 2.8%, from about 1 .0% to about 10.0%, from about 1 .0% to about 5.0%, from about 1 .0% to about 4.5%, from about 1 .0% to about 4.0%, from about 1 .0% to about 3.5%, from about 1 .0% to about 3.0%, from about 1 .0% to about 2.8%, from about 1 .5% to about 5.0%, from about 1 .5% to about 4.5%, from about 1 .5% to about 4.0%, from about 1 .5% to about 3.5%, from about 1 .5% to about 3.0%, from about 1 .5% to about 2.8%, from about 2.0% to about 5.0%, from about 2.0% to about 4.5%, from about 2.0% to about 4.0%, from about 2.0% to about 3.5%, from about 2.0% to about 3.0%, from about 2.0% to about 2.8%, from about 2.5% to about 5.0%, from about 2.5% to about 4.5%, from about 2.5% to about 4.0%, from about 2.5% to about 3.5%, from about 2.5% to about 3.0%, or from about 2.5% to about 2.8%). Preferably, the oat base, oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition comprises material derived from oat germ in an amount of about 3% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably about 2.8%.

[0062] In some embodiments, the oat base, oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition comprises material derived from oat bran in an amount of at least about 1 % w / w relative to total solids, such as at least about 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11 %, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, or at least about 20% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 % to about 20% w / w, from about 1 % to about 18%, from about 1 % to about 16%, from about 1 % to about 14%, from about 1 % to about 12%, from about 1 % to about 10%, from about 3% to about 20%, from about 3% to about 18%, from about 3% to about 16%, from about 3% to about 14%, from about 3% to about 12%, from about 3% to about 10%, from about 5% to about 20%, from about 5% to about 18%, from about 5% to about 16%, from about 5% to about 14%, from about 5% to about 12%, from about 5% to about 10%, from about 7% to about 20%, from about 7% to about 18%, from about 7% to about 16%, from about 7% to about 14%, from about 7% to about 12%, from about 7% to about 10%, from about 9% to about 20%, from about 9% to about 18%, from about 9% to about 16%, from about 9% to about 14%, from about 9% to about 12%, or from about 9% to about 10%). Preferably, the oat base, oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition comprises material derived from oat bran in an amount of about 10% w / w relative to total solids, more preferably about 9.0%.

[0063] In some embodiments, the oat base, oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition comprises material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran, in or substantially in their naturally occurring proportions.

[0064] In some embodiments, the oat base, oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition comprises: a. material derived from oat endosperm in an amount of from about 50% to about 70% w / w relative to total solids, preferably from about 60% to about 65%; b. material derived from oat germ in an amount of from about 1 % to about 5% w / w relative to total solids, preferably from about 2.5% to about 3.0%; and / or c. material derived from oat bran in an amount of from about 5% to about 15% w / w relative to total solids, preferably from about 7% to about 12%.

[0065] In some embodiments, the oat base comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of: a. material derived from hulled oat groats; b. water; c. one or more enzymes, preferably one or more starch degrading enzymes; and d. one or more minerals.

[0066] In some embodiments, the oat base comprises oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, such as at least about 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 91 %, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.5%, or at least about 99.9% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 50% to about 99.9%, from about 50% to about 99.5%, from about 50% to about 99%, from about 50% to about 95%, from about 50% to about 90%, from about 90% to about 99.9%, from about 90% to about 99.5%, from about 90% to about 99%, from about 90% to about 95%, from about 95% to about 99.9%, from about 95% to about 99.5%, from about 95% to about 99%, from about 98% to about 99.9%, from about 98% to about 99.5%, or from about 98% to about 99%).

[0067] In some embodiments, the oat base comprises fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 1 .0 g / 100 g total solids, such as at least about 1 .5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5, 1 1, 11.5, 12, 12.5, 13, 13.5, 14, 14.5, 15, 15.5, 16, 16.5, 17, 17.5, 18, 18.5, 19, 19.5, or at least about 20 g / 100 g, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 to about 20, from about 1 to about 18, from about 1 to about 16, from about 1 to about 14, from about 1 to about 12, from about 1 to about 10, from about 1 to about 8, from about 4 to about 20, from about 4 to about 18, from about 4 to about 16, from about 4 to about 14, from about 4 to about 12, from about 4 to about 10, from about 4 to about 8, from about 5 to about 20, from about 5 to about 18, from about 5 to about 16, from about 5 to about 14, from about 5 to about 12, from about 5 to about 10, from about 5 to about 8, from about 6 to about 20, from about 6 to about 18, from about 6 to about 16, from about 6 to about 14, from about 6 to about 12, from about 6 to about 10, from about 6 to about 8, from about 7 to about 20, from about 7 to about 18, from about 7 to about 16, from about 7 to about 14, from about 7 to about 12, from about 7 to about 10, or from about 7 to about 8 g / 100 g total solids).

[0068] In some embodiments, at least about 20% w / w of total fibre present in the oat base is derived from oats, such as at least about 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or about 100%, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 20% to about 100%, from about 20% to about 90%, from about 30% to about 100%, from about 30% to about 90%, from about 40% to about 100%, from about 40% to about 90%, from about 50% to about 100%, from about 50% to about 90%, from about 60% to about 100%, from about 60% to about 90%, from about 70% to about 100%, from about 70% to about 90%, from about 80% to about 100%, from about 80% to about 90%, or from about 90% to about 100%).

[0069] In some embodiments, the oat base comprises [3-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.20 g / 100 g total solids, such as at least about 0.25, 0.30, 0.35, 0.40, 0.45, 0.50, 0.55, 0.60, 0.65, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, 1 .00, 1 .05, 1 .10, 1 .15, 1 .20, 1 .25, 1 .30, 1 .35, 1 .40, 1 .45, 1 .50, 1 .55, 1 .60, 1 .65, 1 .70, 1.75, 1.80, 1.85, 1.90, 1.95, 2.00, 2.05, 2.10, 2.15, 2.20, 2.25, 2.30, 2.35, 2.40, 2.45, 2.50, 2.55, 2.60, 2.65, 2.70, 2.75, 2.80, 2.85, 2.90, 2.95, 3.00, 3.50, 4.00, 4.50, or at least about 5.00 g / 100 g total solids, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.25 to about 5.00, from about 0.25 to about 4.00, from about 0.25 to about 3.00, from about 0.25 to about 2.00, from about 0.30 to about 5.00, from about 0.30 to about 4.00, from about 0.30 to about 3.00, from about 0.30 to about 2.00, from about 0.50 to about 5.00, from about 0.50 to about 4.00, from about 0.50 to about 3.00, from about 0.50 to about 2.00, from about 1 .00 to about 5.00, from about 1 .00 to about 4.00, from about 1 .00 to about 3.00, from about 1 .00 to about 2.00, from about 1 .50 to about 5.00, from about 1 .50 to about 4.00, from about 1 .50 to about 3.00, or from about 1 .50 to about 2.00 g / 100 g total solids).

[0070] In some embodiments, the oat base comprises a protein content of at least about 2% w / w relative to total solids, such as at least about 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11 %, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21 %, 22%, 23%, 24%, or at least about 25% w / w relative to total solids, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 2% to about 24%, from about 2% to about 22%, from about 2% to about 20%, from about 2% to about 18%, from about 2% to about 16%, from about 4% to about 24%, from about 4% to about 22%, from about 4% to about 20%, from about 4% to about 18%, from about 4% to about 16%, from about 8% to about 24%, from about 8% to about 22%, from about 8% to about 20%, from about 8% to about 18%, from about 8% to about 16%, from about 10% to about 24%, from about 10% to about 22%, from about 10% to about 20%, from about 10% to about 18%, from about 10% to about 16%, from about 12% to about 24%, from about 12% to about 22%, from about 12% to about 20%, from about 12% to about 18%, from about 12% to about 16%, from about 14% to about 24%, from about 14% to about 22%, from about 14% to about 20%, from about 14% to about 18%, or from about 14% to about 16%).

[0071] In some embodiments, at least about 20% w / w of the protein is derived from oats, such as at least about 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or about 100%, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 20% to about 100%, from about 20% to about 90%, from about 30% to about 100%, from about 30% to about 90%, from about 40% to about 100%, from about 40% to about 90%, from about 50% to about 100%, from about 50% to about 90%, from about 60% to about 100%, from about 60% to about 90%, from about 70% to about 100%, from about 70% to about 90%, from about 80% to about 100%, from about 80% to about 90%, or from about 90% to about 100%). In some embodiments, the oat base comprises a lipid content of at least about 1 % w / w relative to total solids, such as at least about 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, 3%, 3.5%, 4%, 4.5%, 5%, 5.5%, 6%, 6.5%, 7%, 7.5%, 8%, 8.5%, 9%, 9.5%, 10%, 10.5%, 1 1 %, 1 1.5%, 12%, 12.5%, 13%, 13.5%, 14%, 14.5%, 15%, 15.5%, 16%, 16.5%, 17%, 17.5%, 18%, 18.5%, 19%, 19.5%, or at least about 20%, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 % to about 20%, from about 1 % to about 15%, from about 1 % to about 12%, from about 1 % to about 10%, from about 1 % to about 9%, from about 1 % to about 8%, from about 1 % to about 7%, from about 2% to about 20%, from about 2% to about 15%, from about 2% to about 12%, from about 2% to about 10%, from about 2% to about 9%, from about 2% to about 8%, from about 2% to about 7%, from about 3% to about 20%, from about 3% to about 15%, from about 3% to about 12%, from about 3% to about 10%, from about 3% to about 9%, from about 3% to about 8%, from about 3% to about 7%, from about 4% to about 20%, from about 4% to about 15%, from about 4% to about 12%, from about 4% to about 10%, from about 4% to about 9%, from about 4% to about 8%, from about 4% to about 7%, from about 5% to about 20%, from about 5% to about 15%, from about 5% to about 12%, from about 5% to about 10%, from about 5% to about 9%, from about 5% to about 8%, or from about 5% to about 7%).

[0072] In some embodiments, the oat base comprises a carbohydrate content (excluding fibre) of less than about 80% w / w relative to total solids, such as less than about 75%, 70%, 65%, 60%, 55%, 50%, 45%, or less than about 40%, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 40% to about 80%, from about 40% to about 75%, from about 40% to about 70%, from about 50% to about 80%, from about 50% to about 75%, from about 50% to about 70%, from about 60% to about 80%, from about 60% to about 75%, or from about 60% to about 70%).

[0073] In some embodiments, the oat base comprises an ash content of less than about 10% w / w relative to total solids, such as less than about 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, or less than about 1 %, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 % to about 10%, from about 1 % to about 8%, from about 1 % to about 6%, from about 2% to about 10%, from about 2% to about 8%, from about 2% to about 6%, from about 3% to about 10%, from about 3% to about 8%, from about 3% to about 6%, from about 4% to about 10%, from about 4% to about 8%, or from about 4% to about 6%). In some embodiments, the oat base comprises at least about 0.20 mg / 100 g total solids of boron (preferably derived from oats), such as at least about 0.25, 0.30, 0.35, 0.40, 0.45, 0.50, 0.55, 0.60, or at least about 0.65 mg / 100 g total solids of boron, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.20 to about 0.65 mg / 100 g, from about 0.20 to about 0.60 mg / 100 g, from about 0.20 to about 0.50 mg / 100 g, from about 0.20 to about 0.40 mg / 100 g, from about 0.25 to about 0.65 mg / 100 g, from about 0.25 to about 0.60 mg / 100 g, from about 0.25 to about 0.50 mg / 100 g, from about 0.25 to about 0.40 mg / 100 g, from about 0.30 to about 0.65 mg / 100 g, from about 0.30 to about 0.60 mg / 100 g, from about 0.30 to about 0.50 mg / 100 g, or from about 0.30 to about 0.40 mg / 100 g).

[0074] In some embodiments, the oat base comprises at least about 30 mg / 100 g total solids of magnesium (preferably derived from oats), such as at least about 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 1 10, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, or at least about 250 mg / 100 g total solids of magnesium, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 30 to about 250 mg / 100 g, from about 30 to about 170 mg / 100 g, from about 30 to about 140 mg / 100 g, from about 40 to about 250 mg / 100 g, from about 40 to about 170 mg / 100 g, from about 40 to about 140 mg / 100 g, from about 50 to about 250 mg / 100 g, from about 50 to about 170 mg / 100 g, from about 50 to about 140 mg / 100 g, from about 60 to about 250 mg / 100 g, from about 60 to about 210 mg / 100 g, from about 60 to about 170 mg / 100 g, from about 60 to about 140 mg / 100 g, from about 80 to about 250 mg / 100 g, from about 80 to about 210 mg / 100 g, from about 80 to about 170 mg / 100 g, from about 80 to about 140 mg / 100 g, from about 100 to about 250 mg / 100 g, from about 100 to about 210 mg / 100 g, from about 100 to about 170 mg / 100 g, from about 100 to about 140 mg / 100 g, from about 120 to about 250 mg / 100 g, from about 120 to about 210 mg / 100 g, from about 120 to about 170 mg / 100 g, or from about 120 to about 140 mg / 100 g).

[0075] In some embodiments, the oat base comprises at least about 20 mg / 100 g total solids of calcium (preferably derived from oats), such as at least about 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 130, 140, or at least about 150 mg / 100 g total solids of calcium, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 20 to about 150 mg / 100 g, from about 20 to about 100 mg / 100 g, from about 40 to about 150 mg / 100 g, from about 40 to about 100 mg / 100 g, from about 60 to about 150 mg / 100 g, from about 60 to about 100 mg / 100 g, from about 80 to about 150 mg / 100 g, from about 80 to about 100 mg / 100 g, from about 90 to about 150 mg / 100 g, from about 90 to about 120 mg / 100 g, from about 90 to about 1 10 mg / 100 g, from about 90 to about 105 mg / 100 g, from about 90 to about 100 mg / 100 g, from about 94 to about 150 mg / 100 g, from about 94 to about 120 mg / 100 g, from about 94 to about 1 10 mg / 100 g, from about 94 to about 105 mg / 100 g, from about 94 to about 100 mg / 100 g, from about 98 to about 150 mg / 100 g, from about 98 to about 120 mg / 100 g, from about 98 to about 1 10 mg / 100 g, from about 98 to about 105 mg / 100 g, or from about 98 to about 100 mg / 100 g).

[0076] In some embodiments, the oat base comprises at least about 1.0 mg / 100 g total solids of manganese (preferably derived from oats), such as at least about 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, or at least about 10.0 mg / 100 g total solids of manganese, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 2.5 to about 10 mg / 100 g, from about 2.5 to about 8 mg / 100 g, from about 2.5 to about 6 mg / 100 g, from about 3.5 to about 10 mg / 100 g, from about 3.5 to about 8 mg / 100 g, from about 3.5 to about 6 mg / 100 g, from about 4.5 to about 10 mg / 100 g, from about 4.5 to about 8 mg / 100 g, from about 4.5 to about 6 mg / 100 g, from about 5.5 to about 10 mg / 100 g, from about 5.5 to about 8 mg / 100 g, or from about 5.5 to about 6 mg / 100 g).

[0077] In some embodiments, the oat base comprises at least about 1 .0 mg / 100 g total solids of iron (preferably derived from oats), such as at least about 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, or at least about 10.0 mg / 100 g total solids of iron, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 mg / 100 g, from about 2.0 to about 8.0 mg / 100 g, from about 2.0 to about 6.0 mg / 100 g, from about 2.0 to about 5.0 mg / 100 g, from about 2.5 to about 10.0 mg / 100 g, from about 2.5 to about 8.0 mg / 100 g, from about 2.5 to about 6.0 mg / 100 g, from about 2.5 to about 5.0 mg / 100 g, from about 3.0 to about 10.0 mg / 100 g, from about 3.0 to about 8.0 mg / 100 g, from about 3.0 to about 6.0 mg / 100 g, from about 3.0 to about 5.0 mg / 100 g, from about 3.5 to about 10.0 mg / 100 g, from about 3.5 to about 8.0 mg / 100 g, from about 3.5 to about 6.0 mg / 100 g, from about 3.5 to about 5.0 mg / 100 g, from about 4.0 to about 10.0 mg / 100 g, from about 4.0 to about 8.0 mg / 100 g, from about 4.0 to about 6.0 mg / 100 g, from about 4.0 to about 5.0 mg / 100 g, from about 4.5 to about 10.0 mg / 100 g, from about 4.5 to about 8.0 mg / 100 g, from about 4.5 to about 6.0 mg / 100 g, or from about 4.5 to about 5.0 mg / 100 g).

[0078] In some embodiments, the oat base comprises at least about 0.7 mg / 100 g total solids of zinc (preferably derived from oats), such as at least about 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, or at least about 6 mg / 100 g total solids of zinc, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 .5 to about 6.0 mg / 100 g, from about 1 .5 to about 5.0 mg / 100 g, from about 1 .5 to about 4.0 mg / 100 g, from about 1 .5 to about 3.0 mg / 100 g, from about 2.0 to about 6.0 mg / 100 g, from about 2.0 to about 5.0 mg / 100 g, from about 2.0 to about 4.0 mg / 100 g, from about 2.0 to about 3.0 mg / 100 g, from about 2.5 to about 6.0 mg / 100 g, from about 2.5 to about 5.0 mg / 100 g, from about 2.5 to about 4.0 mg / 100 g, or from about 2.5 to about 3.0 mg / 100 g).

[0079] In some embodiments, the oat base is a liquid, solution, suspension, or slurry, preferably an aqueous liquid, solution, suspension, or slurry. In some embodiments, the oat base comprises a liquid, preferably water. In some embodiments, the oat base is dried. In some embodiments, the oat base is a powder.

[0080] In some embodiments, the oat base has a total solids content of at least about 5% w / w, such as at least about 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 1 1 %, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21 %, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31 %, 32%, 33%, 34%, 35%, 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41 %, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, or at least about 50% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 5% to about 50%, from about 5% to about 45%, from about 5% to about 40%, from about 5% to about 35%, from about 5% to about 30%, from about 7% to about 50%, from about 7% to about 45%, from about 7% to about 40%, from about 7% to about 35%, from about 7% to about 30%, from about 9% to about 50%, from about 9% to about 45%, from about 9% to about 40%, from about 9% to about 35%, from about 9% to about 30%, from about 11 % to about 50%, from about 1 1 % to about 45%, from about 1 1 % to about 40%, from about 11 % to about 35%, from about 11 % to about 30%, from about 13% to about 50%, from about 13% to about 45%, from about 13% to about 40%, from about 13% to about 35%, from about 13% to about 30%, from about 15% to about 50%, from about 15% to about 45%, from about 15% to about 40%, from about 15% to about 35%, from about 15% to about 30%, from about 17% to about 50%, from about 17% to about 45%, from about 17% to about 40%, from about 17% to about 35%, from about 17% to about 30%, from about 19% to about 50%, from about 19% to about 45%, from about 19% to about 40%, from about 19% to about 35%, or from about 19% to about 30%).

[0081] In some embodiments, the oat base has a moisture content of less than about 10% w / w, such as less than about 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1 %, 0.5%, 0.1 %, or less than about 0.01 % w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.01 % to about 10%, from about 0.01 % to about 5%, from about 0.01 % to about 1 %, from about 0.01 % to about 0.5%, from about 0.1 % to about 10%, from about 0.1 % to about 5%, from about 0.1 % to about 1 %, from about 0.1 % to about 0.5%, from about 1 % to about 10%, or from about 1 % to about 5%).

[0082] In some embodiments the oat base is suitable for the preparation of one or more nutritional compositions. In some embodiments, the oat base is suitable for the preparation of oat milk and / or oat cream. In some embodiments, the oat base has acceptable mouthfeel. In some embodiments, the oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition has acceptable mouthfeel.

[0083] In some embodiments, the oat milk, when frothed, produces a froth that persists for at least about 1 minute on a beverage at 65°C, such as at least about 1 .5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or at least about 10 minutes, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 to about 10 minutes, from about 1 to about 8 minutes, or from about 1 to about 5 minutes).

[0084] In some embodiments, the oat milk increases in volume by at least about 10% when frothed, such as at least about 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 405, 45%, 50%, 55%, or at least about 60%, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 10% to about 60%, from about 20% to about 50%, or from about 30% to about 40%).

[0085] In some embodiments the oat cream increases in volume by at least about 50% when whipped, such as at least about 75%, 100%, 125%, 150%, 175%, 200%, 225%, 250%, 275%, 300%, 325%, 350%, 375%, 400%, 425%, 450%, 475%, or at least about 500%, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 50% to about 500%, from about 50% to about 400%, from about 50% to about 350%, from about 100% to about 500%, from about 100% to about 400%, or from about 100% to about 350%).

[0086] In some embodiments, the time to whip the oat cream to soft peaks is less than about 10 minutes, such as less than about 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or less than about 1 minute, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 to about 10 minutes, from about 1 to about 5 minutes, or from about 1 to about 2 minutes).

[0087] In some embodiments, the simmer time to reduce a volume of the oat cream by 50% is less than about 10 minutes, such as less than about 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or less than about 1 minute, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 to about 10 minutes, from about 1 to about 5 minutes, or from about 1 to about 2 minutes).

[0088] In some embodiments, the oat cream is acid stable, for example in some embodiments the oat cream does not split at a pH of about 5.5, 5.0, 4.75, 4.5, 4.25, or about 4.0.

[0089] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, or the oat milk, comprises oat solids in an amount of at least about 1 % w / w, such as at least about 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 1 1 %, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, or at least about 20% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 % to about 20%, from about 1 % to about 18%, from about 1 % to about 16%, from about 1 % to about 14%, from about 1 % to about 12%, from about 1 % to about 10%, from about 4% to about 20%, from about 4% to about 18%, from about 4% to about 16%, from about 4% to about 14%, from about 4% to about 12%, from about 4% to about 10%, from about 7% to about 20%, from about 7% to about 18%, from about 7% to about 16%, from about 7% to about 14%, from about 7% to about 12%, from about 7% to about 10%, from about 10% to about 20%, from about 10% to about 18%, from about 10% to about 16%, from about 10% to about 14%, or from about 10% to about 12%).

[0090] In some embodiments, the oat cream comprises oat solids in an amount of at least about 1 % w / w, such as at least about 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, or at least about 10% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 % to about 10%, from about 1 % to about 8%, from about 1 % to about 6%, from about 2% to about 10%, from about 2% to about 8%, from about 2% to about 6%, from about 3% to about 10%, from about 3% to about 8%, from about 3% to about 6%, from about 4% to about 10%, from about 4% to about 8%, from about 4% to about 7%, or from about 4% to about 6%).

[0091] In some embodiments, the oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises particles derived from oats wherein the volume-based D60 is less than about 23 pm, such as less than about 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 1 1 , or less than about 10 pm, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 10 to about 23 pm, from about 10 to about 22 pm, from about 10 to about 21 pm, from about 10 to about 20 pm, from about 10 to about 19 pm, from about 10 to about 18 pm, from about 10 to about 17 pm, from about 14 to about 23 pm, from about 14 to about 22 pm, from about 14 to about 21 pm, from about 14 to about 20 pm, from about 14 to about 19 pm, from about 14 to about 18 pm, from about 14 to about 17 pm, from about 16 to about 23 pm, from about 16 to about 22 pm, from about 16 to about 21 pm, from about 16 to about 20 pm, from about 16 to about 19 pm, from about 16 to about 18 pm, or from about 16 to about 17 pm).

[0092] In some embodiments, the oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises particles derived from oats wherein the volume-based D80 is less than about 80 pm, such as less than about 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, or less than about 10 pm, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 10 to about 80 pm, from about 10 to about 75 pm, from about 10 to about 70 pm, from about 10 to about 65 pm, from about 10 to about 60 pm, from about 10 to about 55 pm, from about 10 to about 50 pm, from about 10 to about 40 pm, from about 10 to about 30 pm, from about 20 to about 80 pm, from about 20 to about 75 pm, from about 20 to about 70 pm, from about 20 to about 65 pm, from about 20 to about 60 pm, from about 20 to about 55 pm, from about 20 to about 50 pm, from about 20 to about 40 pm, from about 20 to about 30 pm, from about 30 to about 80 pm, from about 30 to about 70 pm, from about 30 to about 60 pm, or from about 30 to about 50 pm).

[0093] In some embodiments, the oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises particles derived from oats wherein the volume-based D90 is less than about 140 pm, such as less than about 135, 130, 125, 120, 110, 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, or less than about 10 pm, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 10 to about 140 pm, from about 10 to about 135 pm, from about 10 to about 130 pm, from about 10 to about 125 pm, from about 10 to about 110 pm, from about 10 to about 100 pm, from about 10 to about 90 pm, from about 10 to about 80 pm, from about 10 to about 70 pm, from about 10 to about 60 pm, from about 10 to about 50 pm, from about 30 to about 140 pm, from about 30 to about 135 pm, from about 30 to about 130 pm, from about 30 to about 125 pm, from about 30 to about 110 pm, from about 30 to about 100 pm, from about 30 to about 90 pm, from about 30 to about 80 pm, from about 30 to about 70 pm, from about 30 to about 60 pm, from about 30 to about 50 pm, from about 50 to about 140 pm, from about 50 to about 130 pm, or from about 50 to about 100 pm).

[0094] In some embodiments, the oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises particles derived from oats wherein the volume-based D95 is less than about 190 pm, such as less than about 180, 170, 160, 150, 140, 130, 120, 1 10, 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, or less than about 10 pm, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 10 to about 190 pm, from about 10 to about 180 pm, from about 10 to about 160 pm, from about 10 to about 150 pm, from about 10 to about 130 pm, from about 10 to about 100 pm, from about 10 to about 80 pm, from about 10 to about 60 pm, from about 10 to about 50 pm, from about 30 to about 190 pm, from about 30 to about 180 pm, from about 30 to about 160 pm, from about 30 to about 150 pm, from about 30 to about 130 pm, from about 30 to about 100 pm, from about 30 to about 80 pm, from about 30 to about 60 pm, or from about 30 to about 50 pm, from about 50 to about 190 pm, from about 50 to about 180 pm, from about 50 to about 150 pm, or from about 50 to about 100 pm).

[0095] In some embodiments, the oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream (optionally having an oat solids content from about 7% to about 15% w / w, preferably about 10% w / w) comprises particles derived from oats wherein: a. the volume-based D60 is less than about 23 pm; b. the volume-based D80 is less than about 70 pm; c. the volume-based D90 is less than about 125 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm; d. the volume-based D95 is less than about 180 pm, preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm; or e. any combination of any two or more of a to d.

[0096] In some embodiments, the oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream (optionally having an oat solids content from about 12% to about 18% w / w, preferably about 15% w / w) comprises particles derived from oats wherein: a. the volume-based D73 is less than about 23 pm; b. the volume-based D87 is less than about 70 pm; c. the volume-based D93 is less than about 125 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm; d. the volume-based D97 is less than about 180 pm, preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm; or e. any combination of any two or more of a to d. In some embodiments, the oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream (optionally having an oat solids content from about 2% to about 8% w / w, preferably about 5% w / w) comprises particles derived from oats wherein: a. the volume-based D20 is less than about 23 pm; b. the volume-based D40 is less than about 70 pm; c. the volume-based D80 is less than about 125 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm; d. the volume-based D90 is less than about 180 pm, preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm; or e. any combination of any two or more of a to d.

[0097] In some embodiments the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises particles derived from oat, wherein less than about 600 mg dry weight of particles per 100 ml of the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream have a particle size of at least about 70 pm, such as less than about 570, 550, 500, 450, 400, 350, 300, 285, 275, 250, 225, 200, 190, 180, 170, 160, 150, 145, 140, 130, 120, 1 10, 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, or about 0 mg, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0 to about 600, from about 0 to about 570, from about 0 to about 500, from about 0 to about 400, from about 0 to about 300, from about 0 to about 285, from about 0 to about 250, from about 0 to about 225, from about 0 to about 200, from about 0 to about 150, from about 0 to about 100, from about 50 to about 600, from about 50 to about 570, from about 50 to about 500, from about 50 to about 400, from about 50 to about 300, from about 50 to about 285, from about 50 to about 250, from about 50 to about 225, from about 50 to about 200, from about 50 to about 150, or from about 50 to about 100).

[0098] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises particles derived from oat, wherein less than about 300 mg dry weight of particles per 100 ml of the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream have a particle size of at least about 125 pm, at least about 150 pm, or at least about 180 pm, such as less than about 285, 275, 250, 225, 200, 175, 150, 145, 125, 100, 75, 50, 25, or about 0 mg, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0 to about 300, from about 0 to about 285, from about 0 to about 250, from about 0 to about 200, from about 0 to about 175, from about 0 to about 150, from about 0 to about 100, from about 0 to about 50, from about 50 to about 300, from about 50 to about 285, from about 50 to about 250, from about 50 to about 200, from about 50 to about 175, from about 50 to about 150, or from about 50 to about 100 mg of particles per g total solids).

[0099] In some embodiments, at least about 80% by volume of the particles have a particle size of less than about 80 pm (preferably a particle size of from about 0.1 pm to about 70 pm, more preferably from about 1.0 pm to about 70 pm), such as at least about 81 %, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91 %, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or about 100%, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 80% to about 100%, from about 80% to about 99%, from about 80% to about 95%, from about 80% to about 90%, from about 90% to about 100%, from about 90% to about 99%, or from about 90% to about 95%).

[0100] In some embodiments, less than about 30% of the oat solids are removed during the method of producing an oat base, such as less than about 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1 %, 0.1 %, or 0.01 %.

[0101] In some embodiments, the oat material is, or comprises, hulled oat groats. In some embodiments, the oat material is, or comprises, intact hulled oat groats. In some embodiments, the oat material is, or comprises, rolled oats, chopped oats, milled oats, and / or cut oats.

[0102] In some embodiments, the processing comprises processing the oat material to produce an oat base with acceptable mouthfeel.

[0103] In some embodiments, the processing comprises kilning the oat material.

[0104] In some embodiments, the processing comprises: a. steaming and / or soaking the oats in a liquid, preferably water; b. grinding, preferably grinding with water; c. contacting the oats and / or the oat base with an enzyme; d. homogenising; or e. any combination of any two or more of (a) to (d).

[0105] In some embodiments, the processing comprises soaking and / or steaming the oats for at least about 1 hour, such as at least about 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1 1 , 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 , 22, 23, or at least about 24 hours, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 to about 24 hours, from about 1 to about 20 hours, from about 1 to about 16 hours, from about 1 to about 12 hours, from about 4 to about 24 hours, from about 4 to about 20 hours, from about 4 to about 16 hours, from about 4 to about 12 hours, from about 6 to about 24 hours, from about 6 to about 20 hours, from about 6 to about 16 hours, from about 6 to about 12 hours, from about 8 to about 24 hours, from about 8 to about 20 hours, from about 8 to about 16 hours, from about 8 to about 12 hours, from about 12 to about 24 hours, from about 12 to about 20 hours, from about 12 to about 16 hours). Preferably, the processing comprises soaking the oats for about 6 or about 12 hours.

[0106] In some embodiments, the processing comprises soaking the oats at room temperature. In some embodiments, the processing comprises soaking the oats at below room temperature. In some embodiments, the processing comprises soaking the oats at above room temperature. In some embodiments, the processing comprises soaking the oats at a temperature of at least about 0°C, such as at least about 2°C, 4°C, 6°C, 8°C, 10°C, 12°C, 14°C, 16°C, 18°C, 20°C, 22°C, 24°C, 26°C, 28°C, 30°C, 32°C, 34°C, 36°C, 38°C, 40°C, 42°C, 44°C, 46°C, 48°C, 50°C, 52°C, 54°C, 56°C, 58°C, 60°C, 62°C, 64°C, 66°C, 68°C, 70°C, 72°C, 74°C, 76°C, 78°C, or at least about 80°C, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0°C to about 80°C, from about 0°C to about 50°C, from about 0°C to about 40°C, from about 0°C to about 30°C, from about 0°C to about 20°C, from about 0°C to about 18°C, from about 0°C to about 12°C, from about 0°C to about 4°C, from about 20°C to about 80°C, from about 20°C to about 50°C, from about 20°C to about 40°C, or from about 20°C to about 30°C).

[0107] In one specifically contemplated embodiment, the processing comprises soaking the oats for about 6 hours at room temperature, or about 12 hours at about 4°C.

[0108] In some embodiments, the grinding is at a temperature above ambient. In some embodiments, the grinding is at a temperature of at least about 30°C, such as at least about 35°C, at least about 40°C, at least about 45°C, at least about 50°C, at least about 55°C, at least about 60°C, at least about 65°C, at least about 70°C, at least about 75°C, at least about 80°C, at least about 85°C, at least about 90°C, at least about 95°C, or at least about 100°C, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 30°C to about 100°C, from about 30°C to about 90°C, from about 40°C to about 90°C, from about 50°C to about 90°C, from about 55°C to about 90°C, from about 60°C to about 100°C, from about 60°C to about 95°C, from about 60°C to about 90°C, from about 60°C to about 85°C, from about 60°C to about 80°C, from about 65°C to about 100°C, from about 65°C to about 95°C, from about 65°C to about 90°C, from about 65°C to about 85°C, from about 65°C to about 80°C, from about 70°C to about 100°C, from about 70°C to about 95°C, from about 70°C to about 90°C, from about 70°C to about 85°C, or from about 70°C to about 80°C).

[0109] In some embodiments, contacting the oats and / or the oat base with one or more enzymes is effective to: a. increase the effectiveness of processing steps at reducing particle size, for example by degrading starch and / or degrading cell walls; b. decrease viscosity, for example by degrading starch; c. improve mouthfeel, for example by degrading starch and / or reducing particle size; d. increase sweetness, for example by converting at least a portion of the starch into sugars; e. increase the solubility of protein, for example by partially hydrolysing it; or f. any combination of any two or more of (a) to (e).

[0110] In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes comprise: a. a starch degrading enzyme; b. a cell wall degrading enzyme; c. a protease; d. a phytase; e. a protein glutaminase; f. a laccase; or g. any combination of any two or more of (a) to (f).

[0111] In some embodiments the one or more enzymes (or the one or more starch degrading enzymes) possesses low, substantially no, or no [3-glucanase activity. In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes (or the one or more starch degrading enzymes) has an enzyme activity that is at least about 2 times higher towards starch than [3-glucan, such as at least about 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 150, 200, 250, 500, 750, or at least about 1000 times higher, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 2 to about 1000, from about 2 to about 500, from about 2 to about 100, from about 2 to about 50, from about 2 to about 20, from about 10 to about 1000, from about 10 to about 500, from about 10 to about 100, from about 10 to about 50, or from about 10 to about 20).

[0112] In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes, when incubated with [3-glucan at 60°C for 120 minutes, reduces the amount of [3-glucan by less than about 60%, such as less than about 55%, 50%, 45%, 40%, 35%, 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1 %, or less than about 0.1 %, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.1 % to about 60%, from about 0.1 % to about 40%, from about 0.1 % to about 30%, or from about 0.1 % to about 20%).

[0113] In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes (or the one or more starch degrading enzymes) possesses low, substantially no, or no activity towards dietary fibre (preferably towards cellulose and / or hemicellulose). In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes (or the one or more starch degrading enzymes) has an enzyme activity that is at least about 2 times higher towards starch than dietary fibre (preferably cellulose and / or hemicellulose), such as at least about 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 150, 200, 250, 500, 750, or at least about 1000 times higher, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 2 to about 1000, from about 2 to about 500, from about 2 to about 100, from about 2 to about 50, from about 2 to about 20, from about 10 to about 1000, from about 10 to about 500, from about 10 to about 100, from about 10 to about 50, or from about 10 to about 20).

[0114] In some embodiments, the processing reduces the amount of [3-glucan and / or fibre present in the oat material by less than about 60%, such as less than about 55%, 50%, 45%, 40%, 35%, 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1 %, or less than about 0.1 %, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.1 % to about 60%, from about 0.1 % to about 40%, from about 0.1 % to about 30%, or from about 0.1 % to about 20%).

[0115] In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes comprise an amylase, a [3-glucanase, an arabinoxylanase, a xylanase, a cellulase, or any combination of any two or more of these. In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes comprise a phytase. In some embodiments, the processing comprises contacting the oat material with one or more phytase enzymes.

[0116] In some embodiments, the processing reduces the amount of phytic acid and / or phytates present in the oat material by at least about 20% w / w, such as at least about 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or about 100% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 20% to about 100%, from about 20% to about 80%, from about 20% to about 60%, from about 40% to about 100%, from about 40% to about 80%, from about 40% to about 60%, from about 60% to about 100%, from about 60% to about 80%, or from about 80% to about 100%).

[0117] In some embodiments, the oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises less than about 2.2 g / 100 g total solids of phytic acid and / or phytates, such as less than about 2.15, 2.12, 2.1, 2.0, 1.9, 1.8, 1.7, 1.6, 1.5, 1.4, 1.3, 1.2, 1.1, 1.0, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, 0.1 , 0.05, 0.01 , 0.001 , or about 0 g / 100 g total solids, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0 to about 2.2, from about 0 to about 2.15, from about 0 to about 2.12, from about 0 to about 2.0, from about 0 to about 1.5, from about 0 to about 1.0, from about 0 to about 0.4, from about 0 to about 0.3, from about 0 to about 0.2, from about 0 to about 0.1 , from about 0 to about 0.05, from about 0 to about 0.01 , from about 0 to about 0.001 , from about 0.001 to about 2.2, from about 0.001 to about 1 .5, from about 0.001 to about 1 .0, from about 0.001 to about 0.4, from about 0.001 to about 0.3, from about 0.001 to about 0.2, from about 0.001 to about 0.1 , from about 0.001 to about 0.05, or from about 0.001 to about 0.01 ).

[0118] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises less than about 220 mg of phytic acid and / or phytates per 100 g of the nutritional composition, oat milk or oat cream, such as less than about 210, 200, 190, 180, 170, 160, 150, 140, 130, 120, 110, 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5.0, 1 .0, 0.1 , or about 0 mg, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0 to about 220, from about 0 to about 150, from about 0 to about 100, from about 0 to about 40, from about 0 to about 30, from about 0 to about 20, from about 0 to about 10, from about 0 to about 5.0, from about 0 to about 1.0, from about 0 to about 0.1 , from about 0.1 to about 220, from about 0.1 to about 150, from about 0.1 to about 100, from about 0.1 to about 40, from about 0.1 to about 30, from about 0.1 to about 20, from about 0.1 to about 10, from about 0.1 to about 5.0, or from about 0.1 to about 1 .0 mg of phytic acid and / or phytates per 100 g of the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream). In some embodiments the oats are contacted with an enzyme during a soaking step. In some embodiments, the oats are contacted with an enzyme prior to a grinding step, and remain in contact during grinding. In some embodiments, the processing comprises grinding oats to produce a ground suspension, which is subsequently contacted with an enzyme. In some embodiments, the processing comprises subjecting oats to a first grinding step to produce a first ground suspension, contacting the ground suspension with an enzyme and optionally holding for a time period, and subsequently subjecting to a second grinding step.

[0119] In some embodiments, the enzymatic treatment comprises contacting the composition with at least about 0.1 ml of enzyme per kg oat solids, such as at least about 0.5 ml, 0.6 ml, 0.7 ml, 0.8 ml, 0.9 ml, 1.0 ml, 1.1 ml, 1.2 ml, 1.3 ml, 1.4 ml, 1.5 ml, 1.6 ml, 1.7 ml, 1.8 ml, 1.9 ml, 2 ml, 2.1 ml, 2.2 ml, 2.25 ml, 2.3 ml, 2.4 ml, 2.5 ml, 2.6 ml, 2.7 ml, 2.8 ml, 2.9 ml, 3.0 ml, 3.2 ml, 3.4 ml, 3.6 ml, 3.8 ml, 4.0 ml, 4.2 ml, 4.4 ml, 4.6 ml, 4.8 ml, or at least about 5.0 ml per kg oat solids, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these value (for example, from about 0.1 to about 5.0 ml, from about 0.5 to about 4.0 ml, from about 1 .0 to about 3.0 ml, or from about 1 .5 to about 2.5 ml).

[0120] In some embodiments, the enzymatic treatment comprises holding the composition at a holding temperature of at least about 40°C, such as at least about 50°C, at least about 52°C, at least about 54°C, at least about 56°C, at least about 58°C, at least about 60°C, at least about 62°C, at least about 64°C, at least about 66°C, at least about 68°C, at least about 70°C, at least about 72°C, at least about 74°C, at least about 76°C, at least about 78°C, at least about 80°C, at least about 82°C, at least about 84°C, at least about 86°C, at least about 88°C, or at least about 90°C, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 50°C to about 90°C, from about 50°C to about 80°C, from about 50°C to about 78°C, from about 50°C to about 76°C, from about 50°C to about 74°C, from about 50°C to about 72°C, from about 50°C to about 70°C, from about 60°C to about 90°C, from about 60°C to about 80°C, from about 60°C to about 78°C, from about 60°C to about 76°C, from about 60°C to about 74°C, from about 60°C to about 72°C, from about 60°C to about 70°C, from about 66°C to about 90°C, from about 66°C to about 80°C, from about 66°C to about 78°C, from about 66°C to about 76°C, from about 66°C to about 74°C, from about 66°C to about 72°C, or from about 66°C to about 70°C).

[0121] In some embodiments, the enzymatic treatment comprises holding the composition at the holding temperature for at least about 15 minutes, such as at least about 30, at least about 45, at least about 60, at least about 75, at least about 90, at least about 105, at least about 120, at least about 135, at least about 150, at least about 165, or at least about 180 minutes, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 15 to about 180 minutes, from about 15 to about 165 minutes, from about 15 to about 150 minutes, from about 15 to about 135 minutes, from about 15 to about 120 minutes, from about 30 to about 180 minutes, from about 30 to about 165 minutes, from about 30 to about 150 minutes, from about 30 to about 135 minutes, from about 30 to about 120 minutes, from about 45 to about 180 minutes, from about 45 to about 165 minutes, from about 45 to about 150 minutes, from about 45 to about 135 minutes, or from about 45 to about 120 minutes).

[0122] In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes are inactivated, preferably by heat treatment. In some embodiments, the heat treatment comprises holding at a temperature of at least about 100°C, preferably at least about 110°C, more preferably at least about 120°C, for at least about 30 seconds, preferably at least about 60 seconds, more preferably at least about 80 seconds.

[0123] In some embodiments the processing comprises homogenisation.

[0124] In some embodiments, the processing comprises homogenisation by one or more passes at a single pressure, such as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 passes. In some embodiments, the processing comprises homogenisation by one or more passes at a first pressure, followed by one or more passes at a second pressure. In some embodiments, the second pressure is greater than the first pressure. In some embodiments, the processing comprises homogenisation at a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and / or tenth pressure.

[0125] In some embodiments, the processing comprises homogenisation at a first pressure of at least about 250 bar, such as at least about 300, at least about 350, at least about 400, at least about 450, at least about 500, at least about 550, at least about 600, at least about 650, at least about 700, or at least about 750 bar, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 250 to about 750 bar, from about 250 to about 700 bar, from about 250 to about 650 bar, from about 250 to about 600 bar, from about 250 to about 550 bar, from about 300 to about 750 bar, from about 300 to about 700 bar, from about 300 to about 650 bar, from about 300 to about 600 bar, from about 300 to about 550 bar, from about 350 to about 750 bar, from about 350 to about 700 bar, from about 350 to about 650 bar, from about 350 to about 600 bar, from about 350 to about 550 bar, from about 400 to about 750 bar, from about 400 to about 700 bar, from about 400 to about 650 bar, from about 400 to about 600 bar, from about 400 to about 550 bar, from about 450 to about 750 bar, from about 450 to about 700 bar, from about 450 to about 650 bar, from about 450 to about 600 bar, or from about 450 to about 550 bar).

[0126] In some embodiments, the processing comprises homogenisation at a pressure (in some embodiments, a second pressure) of at least about 500 bar, such as at least about 600 bar, at least about 700 bar, at least about 800 bar, at least about 900 bar, at least about 1000 bar, at least about 1 100 bar, at least about 1200 bar, at least about 1300 bar, at least about 1400 bar, or at least about 1500 bar, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 500 to about 1500 bar, from about 500 to about 1400 bar, from about 500 to about 1300 bar, from about 500 to about 1200 bar, from about 500 to about 1 100 bar, from about 500 to about 1000 bar, from about 500 to about 900 bar, from about 500 to about 800 bar, from about 600 to about 1500 bar, from about 600 to about 1400 bar, from about 600 to about 1300 bar, from about 600 to about 1200 bar, from about 600 to about 1100 bar, from about 600 to about 1000 bar, from about 600 to about 900 bar, from about 600 to about 800 bar, from about 700 to about 1500 bar, from about 700 to about 1400 bar, from about 700 to about 1300 bar, from about 700 to about 1200 bar, from about 700 to about 1 100 bar, from about 700 to about 1000 bar, from about 700 to about 900 bar, or from about 700 to about 800 bar).

[0127] The processing may comprise passing through a homogeniser one or more times. In some embodiments, the processing comprises at least 1 pass of homogenisation at the first pressure, second pressure, and / or third pressure; preferably at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or at least 10 passes of homogenisation at the first, second, and / or third pressure, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from 1 to 10, from 1 to 9, from 1 to 8, from 1 to 7, from

[0128] 1 to 6, from 1 to 5, from 1 to 4, from 2 to 10, from 2 to 9, from 2 to 8, from 2 to 7, from 2 to 6, from

[0129] 2 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 3 to 10, from 3 to 9, from 3 to 8, from 3 to 7, from 3 to 6, from 3 to 5, or from 3 to 4 passes).

[0130] Preferably, the processing comprises at least 2 passes of homogenisation at a first pressure and at least 5 passes of homogenisation at a second pressure. Preferably the first pressure is about 500 bar, and the second pressure is about 1000 bar.

[0131] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises particles derived from oats wherein less than about 62 mg of the particles per 100 g of the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream, have a particle size of at least about 50 pm, such as less than about 60, 58, 56, 54, 52, 50, 48, 46, 44, 42, 40, 38, 36, 34, 32, 30, 28, 26, 24, 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, or about 0 mg per 100 g, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0 to about 62, from about 0 to about 60, from about 0 to about 50, from about 0 to about 40, from about 0 to about 30, from about 0 to about 20, from about 0 to about 18, from about 0 to about 16, from about 8 to about 62, from about 8 to about 60, from about 8 to about 50, from about 8 to about 40, from about 8 to about 30, from about 8 to about 20, from about 8 to about 18, or from about 8 to about 16).

[0132] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises particles derived from oats wherein less than about 5.7 mg of the particles per 100 g of the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream, have a particle size of at least about 80 pm, such as less than about 5.6, 5.5, 5.4, 5.3, 5.2, 5.1 , 5.0, 4.5, 4.0, 3.5, 3.0, 2.5, 2.0, 1 .5, 1 .0, 0.5, or about 0 mg per 100 g, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0 to about 5.7, from about 0 to about 5.0, from about 0 to about 4.0, from about 0 to about 3.0, from about 0 to about 2.0, from about 0 to about 1 .0, from about 1 .0 to about 5.7, from about 1 .0 to about 5.0, from about 1 .0 to about 4.0, from about 1 .0 to about 3.0, or from about 1 .0 to about 2.0).

[0133] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition is an oat milk. In some embodiments, the nutritional composition is an oat cream. In some embodiments, the nutritional composition is a yoghurt. In some embodiments, the nutritional composition is a cream cheese. In some embodiments, the nutritional composition is a food, a beverage, a fermented product, or an acidified product.

[0134] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition comprises at least about 1 % w / w total solids, such as at least about 2%, at least about 3%, at least about 4%, at least about 5%, at least about 6%, at least about 7%, at least about 8%, at least about 9%, at least about 10%, at least about 11 %, at least about 12%, at least about 13%, at least about 14%, at least about 15%, at least about 16%, at least about 17%, at least about 18%, at least about 19%, or at least about 20% w / w total solids, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 % to about 20%, from about 1 % to about 17%, from about 1 % to about 14%, from about 3% to about 20%, from about 3% to about 17%, from about 3% to about 14%, from about 5% to about 20%, from about 5% to about 17%, from about 5% to about 14%, from about 7% to about 20%, from about 7% to about 17%, or from about 7% to about 14%). In some embodiments, the major portion of the total solids of the nutritional composition or oat milk is oat solids provided by oats. For example, in some embodiments at least about 50% by weight of the total solids of the nutritional composition or oat milk is oat solids, such as at least about 60%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 91 %, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or at least about 99% by weight.

[0135] In some embodiments, the major portion of the protein, fibre, and / or carbohydrate of the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream is provided by oats. For example, in some embodiments at least about 50% by weight of the protein, fibre, and / or carbohydrate of the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream is provided by oats, such as at least about 60%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 91 %, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.5%, 99.9%, or about 100% by weight, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 50% to about 100%, from about 70% to about 100%, from about 80% to about 100%, from about 90% to about 100%, from about 95% to about 100%, from about 95% to about 99.9%, or from about 95% to about 99%).

[0136] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises protein. In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises at least about at least about 0.1 % w / w protein, at least about 0.2%, at least about 0.3%, at least about 0.4%, at least about 0.5%, at least about 0.6%, at least about 0.7%, at least about 0.8%, at least about 0.9%, at least about 1 %, at least about 1 .5%, at least about 1 .6%, at least about 2%, at least about 3%, at least about 4%, at least about 5%, at least about 6%, at least about 7%, at least about 8%, at least about 9%, at least about 10% w / w protein, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.1 % to about 10%, from about 0.1 % to about 8%, from about 0.1 % to about 6%, from about 0.1 % to about 5%, from about 0.1 % to about 4%, from about 0.1 % to about 3%, from about 0.5% to about 10%, from about 0.5% to about 8%, from about 0.5% to about 6%, from about 0.5% to about 5%, from about 0.5% to about 4%, from about 0.5% to about 3%, from about 1 .0% to about 10%, from about 1 .0% to about 8%, from about 1 .0% to about 6%, from about 1 .0% to about 5%, from about 1 .0% to about 4%, or from about 1 .0% to about 3%). In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises at least about at least about 0.1 g / 100 ml protein, at least about 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1 , 1.2, 1 .3, .14, 1 .5, 1 .6, 1 .7, 1 .8, 1 .9, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, or at least about 10.0 g / 100 ml protein, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.1 to about 10, from about 0.1 to about 8, from about 0.1 to about 6, from about 0.1 to about 5, from about 0.1 to about 4, from about 0.1 to about 3, from about 0.5 to about 10, from about 0.5 to about 8, from about 0.5 to about 6, from about 0.5 to about 5, from about 0.5 to about 4, from about 0.5 to about 3, from about 1.0 to about 10, from about 1.0 to about 8, from about 1.0 to about 6, from about 1.0 to about 5, from about 1.0 to about 4, or from about 1.0 to about 3).

[0137] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises one or more carbohydrates. In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises one or more sugars. In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises one or more sweeteners. In some embodiments, the one or more carbohydrates, sugars and / or sweeteners are selected from the group consisting of fructose, galactose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, allulose, fructose syrup, sugarcane syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, monk fruit extract, stevia glycosides, sugar alcohols (for example, sorbitol, mannitol, erythritol, and / or xylitol), and any combination thereof.

[0138] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream has a carbohydrate (excluding fibre) and / or sugar content of from about 0% w / w to about 30% w / w, such as from about 0% w / w to about 20% w / w, from about 0% w / w to about 10% w / w, from about 0% w / w to about 5% w / w, from about 0% w / w to about 1 % w / w, from about 0.01 % w / w to about 30% w / w, from about 0.01 % w / w to about 20% w / w, from about 0.01 % w / w to about 10% w / w, from about 0.01 % w / w to about 5% w / w, from about 0.01 % w / w to about 1 % w / w, from about 0.1 % w / w to about 30% w / w, from about 0.1 % to about 25%, from about 0.1 % to about 20%, from about 0.1 % to about 15%, from about 0.1 % to about 10%, from about 0.1 % to about 5%, from about 0.1 % to about 1 %, from about 1 % to about 30%, from about 1 % to about 25%, from about 1 % to about 20%, from about 1 % to about 15%, from about 1 % to about 10%, from about 1 % to about 5%, from about 5% to about 25%, from about 5% to about 20%, from about 5% to about 15%, or from about 5% w / w to about 10% w / w.

[0139] In some embodiments, at least about 50% w / w of the sugar content of the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream is provided by the oat base and / or derived from oats, such as at least about 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 99%, 99.9%, or about 100%, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 50% to about 100%, from about 70% to about 100%, from about 80% to about 100%, from about 90% to about 100%, from about 95% to about 100%, from about 95% to about 99.9%, or from about 95% to about 99%). In some embodiments, the nutritional composition comprises no added sugar, that is to say in some embodiments substantially all of the sugar content of the nutritional composition is derived from oats.

[0140] In some embodiments, substantially all (preferably, all) of the sugar of the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream is provided by the oat base. In some embodiments, the nutritional composition comprises added sugar.

[0141] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises one or more lipids.

[0142] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition has a lipid content of at least about 0.1 % w / w, such as at least about 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8%, 0.9%, 1 %, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 1 1 %, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21 %, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31 %, 32%, 33%, 34%, 35%, 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41 %, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, or at least about 50% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.1 % to about 50%, from about 0.1 % to about 40%, from about 0.1 % to about 30%, from about 0.1 % to about 20%, from about 0.1 % to about 10%, from about 0.1 % to about 5%, from about 0.1 % to about 1 %, from about 1 % to about 50%, from about 1 % to about 40%, from about 1 % to about 30%, from about 1 % to about 20%, from about 1 % to about 10%, from about 1 % to about 5%, from about 5% to about 50%, from about 5% to about 40%, from about 5% to about 30%, from about 5% to about 20%, from about 5% to about 10%, from about 10% to about 50%, from about 10% to about 40%, from about 10% to about 30%, from about 10% to about 20%, from about 20% to about 50%, from about 20% to about 40%, or from about 20% to about 30%).

[0143] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises one or more minerals. In some embodiments, the one or more minerals comprise a source of calcium, iron, phosphorus, selenium, and / or zinc.

[0144] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises one or more vitamins. In some embodiments, the one or more vitamins comprise vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B7, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin K, niacin, riboflavin, and / or thiamine.

[0145] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition comprises one or more flavouring agents, preferably one or more flavouring agents selected form the group consisting of: fruit flavours, preferably citrus flavour, strawberry flavour, peach flavour, apricot flavour, raspberry flavour, orange flavour, apple flavour, and / or pear flavour; vegetable flavours; herb flavours; dairy flavours; tea flavours; food flavours; supplement flavours; vanilla flavours; caramel flavours; coffee flavours; almond flavours; and chocolate flavours.

[0146] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition comprises one or more stabilising agents, preferably one or more stabilising agents selected from the group consisting of a starch, a pectin, a guar, a xanthan, a carrageenan, a locust bean gum, a gellan gum, and any combination thereof.

[0147] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition is an oat milk. In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises the oat base described herein. In some embodiments, the oat milk is dairy-free. In some embodiments, the oat milk is vegetarian or vegan.

[0148] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, or the oat milk, comprises protein (preferably protein derived from oats) in an amount of at least about 1 .0% w / w, such as at least about 1.1 %, 1.2%, 1.3%, 1.4%, 1.5%, 1.6%, 1.7%, 1.8%, 1.9%, 2.0%, 2.1 %, 2.2%, 2.3%, 2.4%, 2.5%, 2.6%, 2.7%, 2.8%, 2.9%, 3.0%, 3.5%, 4.0%, 4.5%, 5.0%, 5.5%, 6.0%, 6.5%, or at least about 7.0% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1.0% to about 7.0%, from about 1 .0% to about 6.0%, from about 1 .0% to about 5.0%, from about 1 .0% to about 4.0%, from about 1 .0% to about 3.0%, from about 1 .0% to about 2.0%, from about 1 .2% to about 7.0%, from about 1 .2% to about 6.0%, from about 1 .2% to about 5.0%, from about 1 .2% to about 4.0%, from about 1 .2% to about 3.0%, from about 1 .2% to about 2.0%, from about 1 .4% to about 7.0%, from about 1 .4% to about 6.0%, from about 1 .4% to about 5.0%, from about 1 .4% to about 4.0%, from about 1 .4% to about 3.0%, from about 1 .4% to about 2.0%, from about 1 .5% to about 7.0%, from about 1 .5% to about 6.0%, from about 1 .5% to about 5.0%, from about 1 .5% to about 4.0%, from about 1.5% to about 3.0%, from about 1.5% to about 2.0%, from about 2.0% to about 7.0%, from about 2.0% to about 6.0%, from about 2.0% to about 5.0%, from about 2.0% to about 4.0%, from about 2.0% to about 3.0%, from about 3.0% to about 7.0%, from about 3.0% to about 6.0%, from about 3.0% to about 5.0%, from about 3.0% to about 4.0%, from about 4.0% to about 7.0%, from about 4.0% to about 6.0%, or from about 4.0% to about 5.0%).

[0149] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, or the oat milk, comprises fibre (preferably fibre derived from oats) in an amount of at least about 0.2 g / 100 g of the nutritional composition or the oat milk, such as at least about 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1 , 1.1 , 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, or at least about 4.0 g / 100 g of the nutritional composition or the oat milk, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.2 to about 4.0, from about 0.2 to about 3.0, from about 0.2 to about 2.0, from about 0.2 to about 1 .0, from about 0.4 to about 4.0, from about 0.4 to about 3.0, from about 0.4 to about 2.0, from about 0.4 to about 1 .0, from about 0.6 to about 4.0, from about 0.6 to about 3.0, from about 0.6 to about 2.0, from about 0.6 to about 1 .0, from about 0.8 to about 4.0, from about 0.8 to about 3.0, from about 0.8 to about 2.0, or from about 0.8 to about 1.0). In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, or the oat milk, comprises fibre (preferably fibre derived from oats) in an amount of at least about 0.2 g / 100 ml of the nutritional composition or the oat milk, such as at least about 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1 , 1 .1 , 1 .2, 1 .3, 1 .4, 1 .5, 1 .6, 1 .7, 1 .8, 1 .9, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, or at least about 4.0 g / 100 ml of the nutritional composition or the oat milk, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.2 to about 4.0, from about 0.2 to about 3.0, from about 0.2 to about 2.0, from about 0.2 to about 1.0, from about 0.4 to about 4.0, from about 0.4 to about 3.0, from about 0.4 to about 2.0, from about 0.4 to about 1.0, from about 0.6 to about 4.0, from about 0.6 to about 3.0, from about 0.6 to about 2.0, from about 0.6 to about 1 .0, from about 0.8 to about 4.0, from about 0.8 to about 3.0, from about 0.8 to about 2.0, or from about 0.8 to about 1 .0).

[0150] In some embodiments, the oat cream, comprises fibre (preferably fibre derived from oats) in an amount of at least about 0.1 g / 100 g of the oat cream, such as at least about 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1 , 1 .1 , 1 .2, 1 .3, 1 .4, 1 .5, 1 .6, 1 .7, 1 .8, 1 .9, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, or at least about 4.0 g / 100 g of the oat cream, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.2 to about 4.0, from about 0.2 to about 3.0, from about 0.2 to about 2.0, from about 0.2 to about 1 .0, from about 0.4 to about 4.0, from about 0.4 to about 3.0, from about 0.4 to about 2.0, from about 0.4 to about 1 .0, from about 0.6 to about 4.0, from about 0.6 to about 3.0, from about 0.6 to about 2.0, from about 0.6 to about 1 .0, from about 0.8 to about 4.0, from about 0.8 to about 3.0, from about 0.8 to about 2.0, or from about 0.8 to about 1 .0).

[0151] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, or the oat milk, comprises fibre (preferably fibre derived from oats) in an amount of at least about 2.0 g / 100 g total solids, such as at least about 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1 1 , 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 30, 35, or at least about 40 g / 100 g total solids, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 2 to about 40, from about 2 to about 30, from about 2 to about 20, from about 2 to about 10, from about 4 to about 40, from about 4 to about 30, from about 4 to about 20, from about 4 to about 10, from about 6 to about 40, from about 6 to about 30, from about 6 to about 20, from about 6 to about 10, from about 8 to about 40, from about 8 to about 30, from about 8 to about

[0152] 20, from about 8 to about 10).

[0153] In some embodiments, the oat cream, comprises fibre (preferably fibre derived from oats) in an amount of at least about 0.1 g / 100 g total solids, such as at least about 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1 , 1 .1 , 1 .2, 1 .3, 1 .4, 1 .5, 1 .6, 1 .7, 1 .8, 1 .9, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, or at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.1 to about 4.0, from about 0.1 to about 2.0, from about 0.1 to about 1 .5, from about 0.1 to about 1 .2, from about 0.1 to about 1 .1 , from about 0.1 to about 1 .0, from about 0.5 to about 4.0, from about 0.5 to about 2.0, from about 0.5 to about 1 .5, from about 0.5 to about 1 .2, from about 0.5 to about 1 .1 , from about 0.5 to about 1 .0, from about 0.8 to about 4.0, from about 0.8 to about 2.0, from about 0.8 to about 1 .5, from about 0.8 to about 1 .2, from about 0.8 to about 1 .1 , or from about 0.8 to about 1.0).

[0154] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, or the oat milk, comprises [3-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.20 g / 100 g total solids, such as at least about 0.25, 0.30, 0.35, 0.40, 0.45,

[0155] 0.50, 0.55, 0.60, 0.65, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, 1.00, 1.05, 1.10, 1.15, 1.20, 1.25, 1.30, 1.35,

[0156] 1.40, 1.45, 1.50, 1.55, 1.60, 1.65, 1.70, 1.75, 1.80, 1.85, 1.90, 1.95, 2.00, 2.05, 2.10, 2.15, 2.20, 2.25,

[0157] 2.30, 2.35, 2.40, 2.45, 2.50, 2.55, 2.60, 2.65, 2.70, 2.75, 2.80, 2.85, 2.90, 2.95, 3.00, 3.50, 4.00, 4.50, or at least about 5.00 g / 100 g total solids, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.20 to about 5.00, from about 0.20 to about 4.00, from about 0.20 to about 3.00, from about 0.20 to about 2.00, from about 0.20 to about 1 .00, from about 0.25 to about 5.00, from about 0.25 to about 4.00, from about 0.25 to about 3.00, from about 0.25 to about 2.00, from about 0.30 to about 5.00, from about 0.30 to about 4.00, from about 0.30 to about 3.00, from about 0.30 to about 2.00, from about 0.50 to about 5.00, from about 0.50 to about 4.00, from about 0.50 to about 3.00, from about 0.50 to about 2.00, from about 1 .00 to about 5.00, from about 1 .00 to about 4.00, from about 1 .00 to about 3.00, from about 1 .00 to about 2.00, from about 1 .50 to about 5.00, from about 1 .50 to about 4.00, from about 1 .50 to about 3.00, or from about 1 .50 to about 2.00 g / 100 g total solids).

[0158] In some embodiments, the oat cream comprises [3-glucan in an amount of at least about 20 mg / 100 g total solids, such as at least about 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, 180, 200, 220, 240, 260, 280, or at least about 300 mg / 100 g total solids, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 20 to about 300, from about 20 to about 280, from about 20 to about 260, from about 60 to about 300, from about 60 to about 280, from about 60 to about 260, from about 100 to about 300, from about 100 to about 280, from about 100 to about 260, from about 140 to about 300, from about 140 to about 280, from about 140 to about 260, from about 180 to about 300, from about 180 to about 280, or from about 180 to about 260),

[0159] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, the oat milk, or the oat cream, comprises [3- glucan in an amount of at least about 20 mg / 100 g of the nutritional composition, the oat milk, or the oat cream, such as at least about 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 1 10, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300, 325, 350, 375, 400, 425, 450, 475, 500, 525, 550, 575, 600, 625, 650, 675, 700, 725, 750, 775, 800, 825, 850, 875, 900, 925, 950, 975, or at least about 1000 mg / 100 g, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 20 to about 1000, from about 20 to about 750, from about 20 to about 500, from about 50 to about 1000, from about 50 to about 750, from about 50 to about 500, from about 100 to about 1000, from about 100 to about 750, from about 100 to about 500, from about 200 to about 1000, from about 200 to about 750, from about 200 to about 500, from about 300 to about 1000, from about 300 to about 750, from about 300 to about 500, from about 400 to about 1000, from about 400 to about 750, from about 400 to about 500). In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, the oat milk, or the oat cream, comprises [3-glucan in an amount of at least about 20 mg / 100 ml of the nutritional composition, the oat milk, or the oat cream, such as at least about 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 1 10, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300, 325, 350, 375, 400, 425, 450, 475, 500, 525, 550, 575, 600, 625, 650, 675, 700, 725, 750, 775, 800, 825, 850, 875, 900, 925, 950, 975, or at least about 1000 mg / 100 ml, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 20 to about 1000, from about 20 to about 750, from about 20 to about 500, from about 50 to about 1000, from about 50 to about 750, from about 50 to about 500, from about 100 to about 1000, from about 100 to about 750, from about 100 to about 500, from about 200 to about 1000, from about 200 to about 750, from about 200 to about 500, from about 300 to about 1000, from about 300 to about 750, from about 300 to about 500, from about 400 to about 1000, from about 400 to about 750, from about 400 to about 500).

[0160] In some embodiments, the oat milk has a lipid content of at least about 0.1 % w / v, such as at least about 0.2%, at least about 0.3%, at least about 0.4%, at least about 0.5%, at least about 0.6%, at least about 0.7%, at least about 0.8%, at least about 0.9%, at least about 1 %, at least about 1.1 %, at least about 1 .2%, at least about 1 .3%, at least about 1 .4%, at least about 1 .5%, at least about 1 .6%, at least about 1.7%, at least about 1.8%, at least about 1.9%, at least about 2.0%, at least about 3%, at least about 4%, or at least about 5% w / v, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.1 % to about 5%, from about 0.1 % to about 4%, from about 0.1 % to about 3%, from about 0.1 % to about 2%, from about 0.1 % to about 1 .5%, from about 0.1 % to about 1 %, from about 0.5% to about 5%, from about 0.5% to about 4%, from about 0.5% to about 3%, from about 0.5% to about 2%, from about 0.5% to about 1 .5%, or from about 0.5% to about 1 %).

[0161] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, or the oat milk, comprises carbohydrates (excluding fibre, and preferably derived from oats) in an amount of less than about 9.0% w / w, such as less than about 8.5%, 8.0%, 7.5%, 7.0%, 6.5%, 6.0%, 5.5%, 5.0%, 4.5%, 4.0%, 3.5%, or less than about 3.0% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 3.0% to about 9.0%, from about 3.0% to about 8.5%, from about 3.0% to about 8.0%, from about 3.0% to about 7.5%, from about 3.0% to about 7.0%, from about 3.0% to about 6.5%, from about 4.0% to about 9.0%, from about 4.0% to about 8.5%, from about 4.0% to about 8.0%, from about 4.0% to about 7.5%, from about 4.0% to about 7.0%, from about 4.0% to about 6.5%, from about 5.0% to about 9.0%, from about 5.0% to about 8.5%, from about 5.0% to about 8.0%, from about 5.0% to about 7.5%, from about 5.0% to about 7.0%, from about 5.0% to about 6.5%, from about 6.0% to about 9.0%, from about 6.0% to about 8.5%, from about 6.0% to about 8.0%, from about 6.0% to about 7.5%, from about 6.0% to about 7.0%, or from about 6.0% to about 6.5%).

[0162] In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises at least about 0.01 % w / w salt (preferably sodium chloride), such as at least about 0.02%, at least about 0.03%, at least about 0.04%, at least about 0.05%, at least about 0.06%, at least about 0.07%, at least about 0.08%, at least about 0.09%, at least about 0.10%, at least about 0.1 1 %, at least about 0.12%, at least about 0.13%, at least about 0.14%, at least about 0.15%, at least about 0.16%, at least about 0.17%, at least about 0.18%, at least about 0.19%, or at least about 0.20% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.01 % to about 0.20%, from about 0.01 % to about 0.15%, from about 0.01 % to about 0.10%, from about 0.05% to about 0.20%, from about 0.05% to about 0.15%, from about 0.05% to about 0.10%, from about 0.10% to about 0.20%, or from about 0.10% to about 0.15%). Preferably, the oat milk comprises a salt (preferably sodium chloride) content of about 0.10% w / w. In some embodiments, the oat milk has a viscosity at 25°C of at least about 2.0 mPa-s at 100 s1, such as at least about 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10, 1 1 , 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 1 10, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, or at least about 250 mPa-s at 100 s1, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 2.0 to about 250, from about 2.0 to about 200, from about 2.0 to about 150, from about 2.0 to about 100, from about 2.0 to about 80, from about 2.0 to about 60, from about 2.0 to about 40, from about 2.0 to about 20 , from about 2.0 to about 10, from about 5.0 to about 250, from about 5.0 to about 200, from about 5.0 to about 150, from about 5.0 to about 100, from about 5.0 to about 80, from about 5.0 to about 60, from about 5.0 to about 40, from about 5.0 to about 20 , from about 5.0 to about 10, from about 8.0 to about 250, from about 8.0 to about 200, from about 8.0 to about 150, from about 8.0 to about 100, from about 8.0 to about 80, from about 8.0 to about 60, from about 8.0 to about 40, from about 8.0 to about 20 , or from about 8.0 to about 15).

[0163] In some embodiments, the oat milk has a zero shear rate viscosity at 25°C of at least about 6.0 mPa-s, such as at least about 6.1 , 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 15.0, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 150, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, or at least about 1000 m Pa-s, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 6.0 to about 1000 mPa-s, from about 6.6 to about 1000 mPa-s, from about 6.6 to about 800 mPa-s, from about 6.6 to about 500 mPa-s, from about 6.6 to about 200 mPa-s, from about 6.6 to about 100 mPa-s, from about 6.6 to about 50 mPa-s, from about 6.6 to about 10 mPa-s, from about 10 to about 1000 mPa-s, from about 10 to about 800 mPa-s, from about 10 to about 500 mPa-s, from about 10 to about 200 mPa-s, from about 10 to about 100 mPa-s, from about 10 to about 50 mPa-s, from about 50 to about 1000 mPa-s, from about 50 to about 800 mPa-s, from about 50 to about 500 mPa-s, from about 50 to about 200 mPa-s, from about 50 to about 100 mPa-s, from about 100 to about 1000 mPa-s, from about 100 to about 500 mPa-s, from about 250 to about 1000 mPa-s, or from about 500 to about mPa-s).

[0164] In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises one or more minerals. In some embodiments, the one or more minerals comprise a source of boron, magnesium, calcium, manganese, iron, phosphorus, selenium, and / or zinc. Preferably, the one or more minerals are provided by the oat base and / or derived from oats. In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises at least about 0.20 mg / kg boron (preferably boron provided by the oat base and / or derived from oats), such as at least about 0.25, 0.30, 0.35, 0.40, 0.45, 0.50, 0.55, 0.60, or at least about 0.65 mg / kg boron, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.20 to about 0.65 mg / kg, from about 0.20 to about 0.60 mg / kg, from about 0.20 to about 0.50 mg / kg, from about 0.20 to about 0.40 mg / kg, from about 0.25 to about 0.65 mg / kg, from about 0.25 to about 0.60 mg / kg, from about 0.25 to about 0.50 mg / kg, from about 0.25 to about 0.40 mg / kg, from about 0.30 to about 0.65 mg / kg, from about 0.30 to about 0.60 mg / kg, from about 0.30 to about 0.50 mg / kg, or from about 0.30 to about 0.40 mg / kg).

[0165] In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises at least about 60 mg / kg magnesium (preferably magnesium provided by the oat base and / or derived from oats), such as at least about 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, or at least about 250 mg / kg magnesium, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 60 to about 250 mg / kg, from about 60 to about 210 mg / kg, from about 60 to about 170 mg / kg, from about 60 to about 140 mg / kg, from about 80 to about 250 mg / kg, from about 80 to about 210 mg / kg, from about 80 to about 170 mg / kg, from about 80 to about 140 mg / kg, from about 100 to about 250 mg / kg, from about 100 to about 210 mg / kg, from about 100 to about 170 mg / kg, from about 100 to about 140 mg / kg, from about 120 to about 250 mg / kg, from about 120 to about 210 mg / kg, from about 120 to about 170 mg / kg, or from about 120 to about 140 mg / kg).

[0166] In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises at least about 90 mg / kg calcium (preferably calcium provided by the oat base and / or derived from oats), such as at least about 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 130, 140, or at least about 150 mg / kg calcium, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 90 to about 150 mg / kg, from about 90 to about 120 mg / kg, from about 90 to about 110 mg / kg, from about 90 to about 105 mg / kg, from about 90 to about 100 mg / kg, from about 94 to about 150 mg / kg, from about 94 to about 120 mg / kg, from about 94 to about 110 mg / kg, from about 94 to about 105 mg / kg, from about 94 to about 100 mg / kg, from about 98 to about 150 mg / kg, from about 98 to about 120 mg / kg, from about 98 to about 110 mg / kg, from about 98 to about 105 mg / kg, or from about 98 to about 100 mg / kg).

[0167] In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises at least about 2.5 mg / kg manganese (preferably manganese provided by the oat base and / or derived from oats), such as at least about 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, or at least about 10.0 mg / kg manganese, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 2.5 to about 10 mg / kg, from about 2.5 to about 8 mg / kg, from about 2.5 to about 6 mg / kg, from about 3.5 to about 10 mg / kg, from about 3.5 to about 8 mg / kg, from about 3.5 to about 6 mg / kg, from about 4.5 to about 10 mg / kg, from about 4.5 to about 8 mg / kg, from about 4.5 to about 6 mg / kg, from about 5.5 to about 10 mg / kg, from about 5.5 to about 8 mg / kg, or from about 5.5 to about 6 mg / kg).

[0168] In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises at least about 2.0 mg / kg iron (preferably iron provided by the oat base and / or derived from oats), such as at least about 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0,

[0169] 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, or at least about 10.0 mg / kg iron, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 mg / kg, from about 2.0 to about 8.0 mg / kg, from about 2.0 to about 6.0 mg / kg, from about 2.0 to about 5.0 mg / kg, from about 2.5 to about 10.0 mg / kg, from about 2.5 to about 8.0 mg / kg, from about 2.5 to about 6.0 mg / kg, from about 2.5 to about 5.0 mg / kg, from about 3.0 to about 10.0 mg / kg, from about 3.0 to about 8.0 mg / kg, from about 3.0 to about 6.0 mg / kg, from about 3.0 to about 5.0 mg / kg, from about 3.5 to about 10.0 mg / kg, from about 3.5 to about 8.0 mg / kg, from about 3.5 to about 6.0 mg / kg, from about 3.5 to about 5.0 mg / kg, from about 4.0 to about 10.0 mg / kg, from about 4.0 to about 8.0 mg / kg, from about 4.0 to about 6.0 mg / kg, from about 4.0 to about 5.0 mg / kg, from about 4.5 to about 10.0 mg / kg, from about 4.5 to about 8.0 mg / kg, from about 4.5 to about 6.0 mg / kg, or from about 4.5 to about 5.0 mg / kg).

[0170] In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises at least about 1 .5 mg / kg zinc (preferably zinc provided by the oat base and / or derived from oats), such as at least about 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, or at least about 6 mg / kg zinc, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1.5 to about 6.0 mg / kg, from about 1.5 to about 5.0 mg / kg, from about 1 .5 to about 4.0 mg / kg, from about 1 .5 to about 3.0 mg / kg, from about 2.0 to about 6.0 mg / kg, from about 2.0 to about 5.0 mg / kg, from about 2.0 to about 4.0 mg / kg, from about 2.0 to about 3.0 mg / kg, from about 2.5 to about 6.0 mg / kg, from about 2.5 to about 5.0 mg / kg, from about 2.5 to about 4.0 mg / kg, or from about 2.5 to about 3.0 mg / kg).

[0171] In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises one or more vitamins. In some embodiments, the one or more vitamins comprise vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B7, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin K, niacin, riboflavin, and / or thiamine.

[0172] In some embodiments, the oat milk has a pH of from about 6.0 to about 8.0, such as from about 6 to about 8, from about 6 to about 7.8, from about 6 to about 7.6, from about 6 to about 7.4, from about 6 to about 7.2, from about 6 to about 7, from about 6.2 to about 8, from about 6.2 to about 7.8, from about 6.2 to about 7.6, from about 6.2 to about 7.4, from about 6.2 to about 7.2, from about 6.2 to about 7, from about 6.4 to about 8, from about 6.4 to about 7.8, from about 6.4 to about 7.6, from about 6.4 to about 7.4, from about 6.4 to about 7.2, from about 6.4 to about 7, from about 6.6 to about 8, from about 6.6 to about 7.8, from about 6.6 to about 7.6, from about 6.6 to about 7.4, from about 6.6 to about 7.2, from about 6.6 to about 7, from about 6.8 to about 8, from about 6.8 to about 7.8, from about 6.8 to about 7.6, from about 6.8 to about 7.4, from about 6.8 to about 7.2, from about 6.8 to about 7, from about 7 to about 8, from about 7 to about 7.8, from about 7 to about 7.6, from about 7 to about 7.4, from about 7 to about 7.2, from about 7.2 to about 8, from about 12. to about 7.8, from about 12 to about 7.6, from about 12 to about 7.4, from about 7.4 to about 8, from about 7.4 to about 7.8, or from about 7.4 to about 7.6. Preferably, the oat milk has a pH of about 7.5.

[0173] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition is an oat cream.

[0174] In some embodiments, the oat cream has a lipid content of at least about 10% w / w, such as at least about 1 1 %, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21 %, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31 %, 32%, 33%, 34%, 35%, 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41 %, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, or at least about 50% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 10% to about 50%, from about 10% to about 45%, from about 10% to about 40%, from about 10% to about 35%, from about 10% to about 30%, from about 10% to about 25%, from about 10% to about 20%, from about 10% to about 18%, from about 15% to about 50%, from about 15% to about 45%, from about 15% to about 40%, from about 15% to about 35%, from about 20% to about 50%, from about 20% to about 45%, from about 20% to about 40%, or from about 20% to about 35%).

[0175] In some embodiments, the oat cream has a lipid content w / w of from about 15% to about 25%, from about 15% to about 24%, from about 15% to about 23%, from about 15% to about 22%, from about 16% to about 25%, from about 16% to about 24%, from about 16% to about 23%, from about 16% to about 22%, from about 17% to about 25%, from about 17% to about 24%, from about 17% to about 23%, from about 17% to about 22%, from about 18% to about 25%, from about 18% to about 24%, from about 18% to about 23%, from about 18% to about 22%, from about 19% to about 25%, from about 19% to about 24%, from about 19% to about 23%, from about 19% to about 22%, from about 20% to about 25%, from about 20% to about 24%, from about 20% to about 23%, or from about 20% to about 22%.

[0176] In some embodiments, the oat cream has a lipid content w / w of from about 25% to about 50%, from about 25% to about 40%, from about 25% to about 38%, from about 25% to about 36%, from about 25% to about 34%, from about 27% to about 40%, from about 27% to about 38%, from about 27% to about 36%, from about 27% to about 34%, from about 29% to about 40%, from about 29% to about 38%, from about 29% to about 36%, or from about 29% to about 34%.

[0177] In some embodiments, the lipid is, or comprises, one or more triglycerides.

[0178] In some embodiments, the oat cream has a viscosity at 25°C of at least about 0.01 Pa-s at 100 s1, such as at least about 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 1 .0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 275, 300, 350, 400, 450, or at least about 500 Pa-s, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.01 to about 500, from about 0.01 to about 300, from about 0.01 to about 200, from about 0.01 to about 100, from about 0.01 to about 50, from about 1 .0 to about 500, from about 1 .0 to about 300, from about 1 .0 to about 200, from about 1 .0 to about 100, from about 1 .0 to about 50, from about 1 .0 to about 20, from about 1 .0 to about 10, from about 10 to about 500, from about 10 to about 300, from about 10 to about 200, from about 10 to about 100, from about 10 to about 50, from about 50 to about 500, from about 50 to about 300, from about 50 to about 200, from about 50 to about 100, from about 100 to 500, from about 100 to about 200, or from about 200 to about 500).

[0179] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises at least about 0.05% w / w emulsifier, such as at least about 0.10%, 0.15%, 0.20%, 0.25%, 0.30%, 0.35%, 0.40%, 0.45%, 0.50%, 0.55%, 0.60%, 0.65%, 0.70%, 0.75%, 0.80%, 0.85%, 0.90%, 0.95%, 1.0%, 1.05%, 1.1 %, 1.15%, 1.2%, 1.25%, 1.3%, 1.35%, 1.4%, 1.45%, 1.5%, 1.55%, 1.6%, 1.65%, 1.7%, 1.75%, 1.8%, 1.85%, 1 .9%, 1 .95%, 2%, 2.05%, 2.1 %, 2.15%, 2.2%, 2.25%, 2.3%, 2.35%, 2.4%, 2.45%, or at least about 2.5%, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.05% to about 2.5%, from about 0.05% to about 1 .5%, from about 0.1 % to about 2.5%, from about 0.1 % to about 2%, from about 0.1 % to about 1 .5%, from about 0.3% to about 2.5%, from about 0.3% to about 2%, from about 0.3% to about 1.5%, from about 0.5% to about 2.5%, from about 0.5% to about 2%, from about 0.5% to about 1 .5%, from about 0.7% to about 2.5%, from about 0.7% to about 2%, from about 0.7% to about 1 .5%, from about 0.9% to about 2.5%, from about 0.9% to about 2%, from about 0.9% to about 1 .5%, from about 1 .1 % to about 2.5%, from about 1 .1 % to about 2%, or from about 1 .1 % to about 1 .5%).

[0180] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream comprises an emulsifier selected from the group consisting of sucrose esterified fatty acids (e.g. DK Ester® F-160), polysorbates (e.g. Tween), sodium stearoyl lactylate, diacelyl tartaric acid esterified mono and diglycerides (DATEM), and mono- and di-glycerides (MDG).

[0181] In some embodiments, the oat cream comprises protein (preferably protein derived from oats) in an amount of at least about 0.1 % w / w, such as at least about 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8%, 0.9%, 1 %, 1.1 %, 1.2%, 1.3%, 1.4%, 1.5%, 1.6%, 1.7%, 1.8%, 1.9%, 2%, 2.1 %, 2.2%, 2.3%, 2.4%, or at least about 2.5% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.1 % to about 2.5%, from about 0.1 % to about 2.0%, from about 0.1 % to about 1 .5%, from about 0.1 % to about 1 .0%, from about 0.5% to about 2.5%, from about 0.5% to about 2.0%, from about 0.5% to about 1 .5%, or from about 0.5% to about 1 .0%).

[0182] In some embodiments, the oat cream comprises fibre (preferably fibre derived from oats) in an amount of at least about 0.1 % w / w, such as at least about 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8%, 0.9%, or at least about 1.0% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0.1 % to about 1.0%, from about 0.1 % to about 0.5%, from about 0.3% to about 1 .0%, or from about 0.3% to about 0.5%).

[0183] It is intended that reference to a range of numbers disclosed herein (for example, 1 to 10) also incorporates reference to all rational numbers within that range (for example, 1 , 1 .1 , 2, 3, 3.9, 4, 5, 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 9 and 10) and also any range of rational numbers within that range (for example, 2 to 8, 1 .5 to 5.5 and 3.1 to 4.7) and, therefore, all sub-ranges of all ranges expressly disclosed herein are hereby expressly disclosed. These are only examples of what is specifically intended and all possible combinations of numerical values between the lowest value and the highest value enumerated are to be considered to be expressly stated in this application in a similar manner.

[0184] This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

[0185] Although the present invention is broadly as defined above, those persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is not limited thereto and that the invention also includes embodiments of which the following description gives examples.

[0186] In the description in this specification reference may be made to subject matter which is not within the scope of the claims of the current application. That subject matter should be readily identifiable by a person skilled in the art and may assist in putting into practice the invention as defined in the claims of this application.

[0187] Detailed description of the invention

[0188] The inventors have prepared an oat base comprising all parts of hulled oat groats, including endosperm, germ, and bran. The inventors have surprisingly found that when whole oats are processed to a specific particle size, the resulting oat base may be used as an ingredient to produce oat milks and oat creams having desirable organoleptic properties, increased protein, fibre, and [3-glucan content, and reduced waste.

[0189] Definitions

[0190] Unless otherwise stated, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include the plural reference.

[0191] The term "about" as used herein generally refers to a range of numerical values (e.g. ± 5 to 10% of the recited value) that those skilled in the art would consider equivalent to the recited value.

[0192] Ranges can be expressed herein as from "about" one particular value, and / or to "about" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, the range is inclusive of the recited values.

[0193] The term "and / or" as used herein means "and" or "or", or both.

[0194] The term "(s)" following a noun as used herein means the plural and / or singular form of that noun.

[0195] The term "comprising" as used in this specification and claims means "consisting at least in part of". When interpreting statements in this specification and claims which include the term "comprising", other features besides the features prefaced by this term in each statement can also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprised" are to be interpreted in similar manner. The term "fibre" as used herein means dietary fibre as determined by method AOAC 991 .43 online edition. The term is intended to include both soluble fibre and insoluble fibre. Some exemplary embodiments of fibre present in oats include [3-glucans, cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose.

[0196] The term "nutritional composition" as used herein means a composition for consumption by humans or animals, including foods and beverages. Consumption can be via eating or drinking. In various embodiments, the nutritional compositions provided herein meet standards for food safety required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the European Food Safety Authority, and / or other state or region food regulatory agencies. The term includes compositions that can be combined with or added to other ingredients to make compositions that can be ingested by humans or animals.

[0197] The term "oat base" as used herein means a composition comprising oat material that is suitable for producing one or more nutritional compositions, for example, oat milk and / or oat cream. An oat base may be a liquid composition (for example an aqueous solution and / or suspension) or it may be a solid composition, for example a powder.

[0198] The term "oat groat" as used herein means the oat kernel with the husk or hull removed. An oat groat comprises endosperm, germ, and bran.

[0199] The term "oat material" as used herein means any material derived from oats, or any component thereof. Oat material includes whole, unprocessed oat groats, cut oats, ground oats, processed oats, and any component of these.

[0200] The term "oat cream" as used herein means a liquid nutritional composition comprising oat material that is suitable for use in place of dairy cream. Oat cream has a higher lipid content than oat milk, typically about 10% w / w or higher.

[0201] The term "oat milk" as used herein means a liquid nutritional composition comprising oat material that is suitable for use in place of dairy milk.

[0202] The term "whole oat" as used herein in relation to a composition such as an oat base, oat milk, oat cream, and the like, means that substantially all parts of the hulled oat groats (including material derived from the endosperm, germ, and bran) are present in the composition. For clarity, the term is not intended to mean that the oat grain is necessarily intact. Processed (for example, cut, ground, or enzymatically treated) oats may be considered "whole oats" if substantially all parts of the oat groats are retained. In contrast, processed oats that have had the bran and / or germ removed are not "whole oats".

[0203] The term "yoghurt" as used herein refers to an acidic or fermented food or beverage product containing either viable micro-organisms, chemical acidulants, or both. The term "yoghurt" includes set or stirred yoghurts and drinking yoghurts. The term is intended to include non-dairy yoghurts such as oat yoghurt.

[0204] Oat base

[0205] The oat plant, Avena satlva, is a cereal grain often grown for its seed (also called "oats"). The oat grain (or "groat") comprises a tough outer hull or husk, a layer of bran, an endosperm component, and a germ component. The hull is typically removed in a process called "hulling" to produce hulled groats. Hulled oat groats typically contain about 63 g / 100 g endosperm, about 2.8 g / 100 g germ, and about 9 g / 100 g bran (Kent NL. Technology of Cereals: an introduction for students of food science and agriculture. NL Kent and AD Evers 4th ed. p39).

[0206] Comparative oat bases, oat milks, and / or oat creams, even those labelled "whole oat", typically do not actually comprise all parts of the hulled oat groats. Such products are generally made by one of two processes, which either involve extracting and solubilising the starch from whole oats using amylases and separating most of the insoluble particles (for example, using a decanter, centrifuge, or filtration step); or using a pre-extracted dried oat milk base, which also has had the major portion of insoluble particles removed.

[0207] In both cases, the insoluble particles are removed because they can give the resulting product has an unpleasant "gritty" mouthfeel and scratchy sensation in the throat when swallowed. Removing the insoluble particles also removes almost all the fibre and a large proportion of protein, resulting in products with inferior nutritional properties.

[0208] In contrast, the inventors have found that carefully controlling the particle size allows the production of an oat base comprising oat solids comprising material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran, while still achieving an acceptable mouthfeel. Using all parts of the hulled oat groats including endosperm, germ, and bran is desirable, as it reduces waste and provides an oat base having improved nutritional properties, for example a higher protein and / or fibre content, than traditional oat bases. Preferably, the oat base has acceptable sensory characteristics and / or mouthfeel, for example a smooth mouthfeel with low or no grittiness, chalkiness, or scratchiness, even when swallowed.

[0209] For clarity, the phrases "material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran" and "oat material comprising oat endosperm, germ, and bran" as used herein means that the compositions referred to comprises material derived from all parts of the hulled oat groats, i.e. from the oat endosperm, germ, and bran, and that such material is present in approximately the same proportions relative to one another as are present in the hulled oat groats.

[0210] In contrast, a comparative oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream that has been strained, decanted, or filtered to remove at least part of the insoluble material would not be expected to comprise material derived from oat endosperm, bran, and germ in the same proportions as present in the original hulled oat groats, because such insoluble material is primarily derived from the oat bran.

[0211] It will be understood that some material derived from oats may be processed or treated, including treatments that alter the chemical nature of the material; however, such processed, treated, or altered material will still be understood to be derived from the original material. For example, starch present in the endosperm of oat groats may be treated with enzymes that break it down into sugars. Such sugars would nevertheless still be "derived from" the oat endosperm.

[0212] In some embodiments, the oat solids, oat base, oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition comprises material derived from oat endosperm, bran, and germ each in the same amount w / w relative to total solids as the respective amount w / w of endosperm, bran, and germ present in hulled oat groats, plus or minus 20% of the respective amount w / w of endosperm, bran, and germ present in hulled oat groats; preferably plus or minus 19%, 18%, 17%, 16%, 15%, 14%, 13%, 12%, 11 %, 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1 %, 0.5%, or 0.1 %.

[0213] For example, if the hulled oat groats used contain 63% w / w endosperm, 2.8% w / w germ, and 9% w / w bran, then an oat base may comprise: a. material derived from endosperm in an amount of 50.4-75.6% w / w relative to total solids (i.e. 63 ± 12.6, because 20% of 63 is 12.6); b. material derived from germ in an amount of 2.24-3.36% w / w relative to total solids (i.e. 2.8 ± 0.56, because 20% of 2.8 is 0.56); and c. material derived from bran in an amount of 7.2-10.8% w / w relative to total solids (i.e. 9 ±

[0214] 1.8, because 20% of 9 is 1.8).

[0215] Such an oat base would contain material derived from oat endosperm, bran, and germ each in the same amount w / w relative to total solids as the respective amount w / w of endosperm, bran, and germ present in hulled oat groats, plus or minus 20% of the respective amount w / w of endosperm, bran, and germ present in the hulled oat groats.

[0216] In some embodiments, the oat base, oat milk, oat cream, or nutritional composition comprises material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran, in or substantially in their naturally occurring proportions.

[0217] It is preferred that the major portion of the solids present in the oat base are derived from oats, i.e. are oat solids, however it will be understood that some level of non-oat solids may also be present. This may include solids that are added during processing, for example, buffering agents, pH adjustment agents, enzymes, minerals, and the like.

[0218] The oat base will typically comprise fibre derived from oats and protein derived from oats in higher amounts than an oat base that does not comprise all parts of the hulled oat groats. The oat base may also have improved nutritional properties compared to oat bases that do not comprise all parts of hulled oat groats. For example, the oat base may have a higher micro-element and / or vitamin content. This may include, for example, a higher boron, magnesium, calcium, manganese, iron and / or zinc content. The oat base may also have a higher content of oat lipids than oat bases that do not comprise all parts of hulled oat groats.

[0219] In some embodiments, the oat base is in the form of a liquid, solution, suspension, or slurry, for example an aqueous liquid, solution, suspension, or slurry. In some embodiments, the oat base comprises a liquid, preferably water.

[0220] If desired, the oat base may also be dried, for example to a powder. Methods for drying aqueous compositions are known in the art and include spray-drying, freeze-drying, drum drying, and fluidised bed drying. It will be appreciated that the oat base may require one or more steps to reduce the water content prior to drying. Such steps may be by any suitable means known in the art, for example by membrane filtration and / or evaporation.

[0221] In some embodiments, the oat base is dried. In some embodiments, the oat base is a powder. In some embodiments the oat base is suitable for the preparation of one or more nutritional compositions. In some embodiments, the oat base is suitable for the preparation of oat milk and / or oat cream.

[0222] Particles

[0223] The inventors have surprisingly found that various processing steps such as (but not limited to) grinding and / or high pressure homogenisation may be used to carefully control the particle size of whole oat compositions, thereby providing improved organoleptic properties such as mouthfeel while retaining the nutritional benefits of whole oats such as high protein and fibre content.

[0224] Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that large particles with a particle size of at least about 50 pm, or at least about 80 pm, may result in an unpleasant "gritty", "sandy", or "powdery" mouthfeel when present above a certain concentration threshold.

[0225] The inventors have found that an oat base comprising particles derived from oat, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 70 pm, preferably less than about 60 pm, more preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 125 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 180 pm, preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv; may be used to produce nutritional compositions, oat milks, and / or oat creams having a pleasant mouthfeel.

[0226] Alternatively, or additionally, an oat base comprising particles derived from oat, wherein less than about 6.2 mg of the particles per g total solids have a particle size of at least about 50 pm (preferably wherein less than about 3.6 mg of the particles per g total solids have a particle size of at least about 50 pm, more preferably wherein less than about 1.6 mg of the particles per g total sol ids have a particle size of at least about 50 pm) may be used to produce nutritional compositions, oat milks, and / or oat creams having a pleasant mouthfeel.

[0227] Alternatively, or additionally, an oat base comprising particles derived from oat, wherein less than about 0.57 mg of the particles per g total solids have a particle size of at least about 80 pm (preferably less than about 0.35 mg, more preferably less than about 0.05 mg) may also be used to produce nutritional compositions, oat milks, and / or oat creams having a pleasant mouthfeel.

[0228] Alternatively, or additionally, an oat base comprising particles derived from oat, wherein the volume-based D50 of the particles is less than about 50 pm, preferably less than about 30 pm, more preferably less than about 15 pm may also be used to produce nutritional compositions, oat milks, and / or oat creams having a pleasant mouthfeel.

[0229] Alternatively, or additionally, an oat base comprising particles derived from oat, wherein the volume-based D90 or the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 200 pm, preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 50 pm may also be used to produce nutritional compositions, oat milks, and / or oat creams having a pleasant mouthfeel.

[0230] Alternatively, or additionally, an oat base comprising particles derived from oat, wherein at least about 50% by volume of the particles have a particle size of less than about 50 pm (or a particle size of from about 0.1 pm to about 50 pm, or from about 1 .0 pm to about 50 pm), preferably at least about 80%, more preferably at least about 95% may also be used to produce nutritional compositions, oat milks, and / or oat creams having a pleasant mouthfeel.

[0231] Alternatively, or additionally, an oat base comprising particles derived from oat, wherein at least about 80% by volume of the particles have a particle size of less than about 80 pm (or a particle size of from about 0.1 pm to about 80 pm, or from about 1 .0 pm to about 80 pm), preferably at least about 95%, more preferably at least about 99% may also be used to produce nutritional compositions, oat milks, and / or oat creams having a pleasant mouthfeel.

[0232] Particle size may be measured by various means known in the art. One exemplary method of measuring particle size is provided below.

[0233] The oat base is diluted with deionised water until the particle concentration is within the instrument range. Particle size distribution is determined using a HORIBA Laser Scattering Particle Size Distribution Analyzer LA-950. The percentage by volume of particles in a defined size range can be determined by taking the sum of the relevant size classes of the raw data reported by the software.

[0234] Production of oat base

[0235] Known processes for the production of an oat base typically comprise one or more separation steps to remove certain material, such as one or more of decantation, centrifugation, and / or filtration steps.

[0236] In contrast, the oat base described herein preferably comprises material derived from all parts of the hulled oat groats. In some embodiments, less than about 30% of the oat solids are removed during the method of producing an oat base, such as less than about 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1 %, 0.1 %, or 0.01 %. Preferably, substantially no oat solids are removed during the method of producing an oat base described herein. Preferably, the method of producing an oat base does not comprise a decantation step, a centrifugation step, or a filtration step.

[0237] Starting material

[0238] In contrast to existing methods, the methods disclosed herein preferably make use of the entire hulled oat groat including endosperm, germ, and bran. The starting material for the production of the oat base disclosed herein is therefore oat material comprising oat endosperm, germ, and bran.

[0239] In some embodiments, the oat material is, or comprises, intact hulled oat groats.

[0240] The intact hulled oat groats may also be subjected to one or more initial processing steps prior to step (a), for example rolling, chopping, grinding, or cutting. Alternatively, or additionally, the oat groats may be processed to form an oat flour. It is preferred that such processing nevertheless results in all (or substantially all) oat material being provided in step (a).

[0241] In some embodiments, the oat material is, or comprises, rolled oats, chopped oats, milled oats, and / or cut oats. In some embodiments, the oat material is, or comprises, oat flour.

[0242] Processing

[0243] The oat material will typically comprise very large particles (or even whole, intact oat groats), and therefore the particle size must be reduced by one or more processing steps. The oat material is therefore processed to produce an oat base comprising particles with the particle size characteristics disclosed herein. Processing may comprise a variety of methods for reducing particle size, for example by soaking, grinding, homogenisation, and / or enzymatic treatment. The skilled person will be able to select suitable methods and vary the required parameters to achieve the particle sizes disclosed herein.

[0244] Various different processing steps may be combined in various ways, according to need. For example, a grinding step may be followed by a homogenisation step; or a grinding step may be followed by an enzymatic treatment step, followed by a further grinding step, followed by homogenisation. These are only examples of the processing methodologies possible, and the skilled person will be able to combine processing steps according to need.

[0245] Kilning

[0246] In some embodiments, the processing comprises kilning the oat material. Kilning involves heating the oat material for a period of time to reduce moisture content and / or to inactivate endogenous enzymes. Kilning may be performed by, for example, passing hot air across or through the oat material.

[0247] Soaking / steaming

[0248] In some embodiments, the processing comprises soaking the oat material in a liquid. Preferably, the liquid is an aqueous composition, more preferably water. In some embodiments, the processing comprises steaming the oat material.

[0249] The inventors have found that soaking and / or steaming the oat material softens the grain, allowing subsequent processing to produce a smaller particle size at the same energy input compared to non-soaked oats. The soaking and / or steaming may be combined with other processing. For example, one or more enzymes may be added to the soaking liquid, thereby contacting the oat material and / or the oat base with an enzyme.

[0250] The oat material may be soaked at room temperature, or above or below room temperature. Using a temperature above room temperature may reduce the soaking time required. The oat material is preferably soaked and / or steamed for sufficient time to soften the oat grains, facilitating subsequent processing. The skilled person will be able to select appropriate soaking and / or steaming conditions (such as time and temperature) according to need. In one specifically contemplated embodiment, the processing comprises soaking the oat material for about 6 hours at room temperature, or about 12 hours at about 4°C.

[0251] Grinding

[0252] In some embodiments, the processing comprises grinding, preferably grinding with water. Alternatively, or additionally, in some embodiments the processing comprises dry grinding.

[0253] The oat material may be ground with water to produce a ground suspension. The grinding may be by any suitable mechanism known in the art, and the skilled person may select appropriate parameters such as the type of grinder used and the grind time.

[0254] Some examples of grinders particularly suitable for grinding with water include (but are not limited to) disc mills, colloid mills, bead mills, ball mills, microcut grinding mills, inline high shear mixers, and blenders. Preferred examples of inline high shear mixers include those produced by Silverson, and preferred examples of bead mills include those manufactured by Buhler.

[0255] Some examples of grinders particularly suitable for dry grinding are (but are not limited to) ball mills.

[0256] Disc mills are particularly suitable for use in an initial coarse grinding step, such as grinding of whole hulled oat groats. In some embodiments, the processing comprises grinding with a disc mill, preferably a disc mill with holes about 4 mm in size. In some embodiments, the processing comprises a first grinding step comprising grinding with a disc mill, and a subsequent grinding step.

[0257] Colloid mills are particularly suitable for use in subsequent grinding steps. In some embodiments, the processing comprises grinding with a colloid mill, preferably a colloid mill with a gap of about 100 pm. Exemplary embodiments of colloid mills include the JML80 manufactured by Zhejiang Xingsheng Machinery Co. Ltd (China) and ProXES toothed colloid mill.

[0258] Microcut mills may also be used for processing. In some embodiments, the processing comprises grinding with a microcut mill. One exemplary embodiment of a microcut mill is the Urschel Comitrol ® Processor 1700 with 222 blade microcutter head. Ball mills may be used wet (i.e. for grinding with water) or dry, and operate by tumbling the substance to be ground together with balls so that the impact of the balls reduces the particle size of the substance.

[0259] The processing may comprise a single grinding step, or it may comprise two, three, or more grinding steps. For example, the processing may comprise a first grinding step to produce a first ground suspension, followed by a second grinding step to produce a second ground suspension that has a smaller particle size than the first ground suspension. This may optionally be followed by further subsequent grinding steps to produce even smaller particle sizes.

[0260] It will be appreciated that, when multiple grinding steps are used, it may be desirable to use a different grinder for each step. For example, it may be desirable to perform a first coarse grinding step (for example, using a disc mill), followed by a finer grinding step (for example, using a colloid mill or micro cut grinder).

[0261] Alternatively, or additionally, the oat material may be passed through the same grinder for two or more passes. In some embodiments, the processing comprises subjecting the ground suspension to two, three, four, or more passes of grinding. In a preferred embodiment, the processing comprises passing the ground suspension through a colloid mill, and subsequently through a fine grinding colloid mill.

[0262] It is not necessary for the grinding to produce particles of the final desired size, as subsequent processing (for example, by homogenisation) may be used to further modify particle size.

[0263] The inventors have found that grinding at a temperature above ambient allows for more efficient particle size reduction. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that grinding at a temperature above ambient assists water absorption by the oat grain, increasing softening of the grain. It is also believed that grinding at temperatures above the starch gelatinisation temperature causes the starch granules to swell and soften, improving rupturing of the cells. It is also believed that grinding at higher temperatures facilitates beta glucan solubilisation, further facilitating the breakdown of cell walls during grinding.

[0264] Enzymatic treatment

[0265] Oats comprise protein, starch, lipid, ash, and fibre. The fibre component comprises cellulose, glucomannan, arabinoxylan (soluble and insoluble) and mixed linkage [3-glucan (soluble and insoluble). The oat composition is heterogeneously assembled into structures within the endosperm, germ and seed coat, which results in an oat structure that is hard, tough, and resistant to water absorption. To facilitate particle size reduction, enzymatic treatments may be used to disassemble the cellular structure. Suitable enzymes may include amylases, proteases, cellulases, and p-glucanases.

[0266] For example, cell wall hydrolysing enzymes may be used to break down the cellular structure of the oat material, facilitating the reduction of particle size by other means such as grinding, high pressure homogenisation, and / or cavitation.

[0267] When processing occurs at temperatures above the gelatinisation temperature of starch, the starch in the oats begins to gelatinise. This may cause an undesirable increase in viscosity and may even cause the slurry to solidify. To prevent this, it may be desirable to contact the oat material and / or the oat base with one or more starch degrading enzymes. Starch degrading enzymes break down starch chains, reducing the molecular weight of the starch and decreasing viscosity. Furthermore, enzymatic treatment may be used to convert starches into sugars, increasing the sweetness of the composition.

[0268] In some embodiments, contacting the oat material and / or the oat base with one or more enzymes is effective to: a. increase the effectiveness of processing steps at reducing particle size, for example by degrading starch and / or degrading cell walls; b. decrease viscosity, for example by degrading starch; c. improve mouthfeel, for example by degrading starch and / or reducing particle size; d. increase sweetness, for example by converting at least a portion of the starch into sugars; e. increase the solubility of protein, for example by partially hydrolysing it; or f. any combination of any two or more of (a) to (e).

[0269] In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes are selected from one or more arabinases, amylases, cellulases, hemicellulases, [3-glucanases, proteases, polygalacturonase depolymerases, and / or xylanases. In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes comprise one or more cell wall degrading enzymes. Oat cell walls predominantly comprise cellulose, beta glucan, and arabinoxylan, with smaller amounts of lignin and other compounds. Cell wall degrading enzymes may be used to improve particle size reduction by breaking up the cell walls. This may also facilitate the production of an oat base without the need to remove insoluble material, improving the nutritional profile (for example, fibre content) of the oat base.

[0270] In particular, enzymes that hydrolyse cellulose, beta glucan, and / or arabinoxylan may be useful to improve particle size reduction. It is preferred that the selected enzyme is selective for only one component of the cell wall, i.e. either cellulose, arabinoxylan, or beta glucan. More preferably, the cell wall degrading enzyme is selective for arabinoxylan, even more preferably for the xylan backbone. Arabinoxylan holds the cell wall together and is present in relatively small amounts, so partial hydrolysis of arabinoxylan may allow the degradation of the cell wall without substantially reducing dietary fibre.

[0271] The skilled person will appreciate that different enzymes may have different optimal processing conditions, for example temperature and / or pH. The skilled person may therefore increase or decrease the activity of an enzyme (for example, one enzyme in a blend of enzymes) by adjusting the processing conditions.

[0272] Some non-limiting examples of cell wall degrading enzymes include arabinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, [3-glucanase, xylanase, and polygalacturonase depolymerase. Such enzymes are readily available as commercial preparations, for example Viscozyme® (a multi-enzyme complex with strong pectolytic activity and activity against a wide range of carbohydrates), Ultroflo® Max (endo-1 ,4-xylanase and endo-1 ,3(4)-b-glucanase), Celluclase, Kleerase® (a multi-enzyme complex including pectin esterase, polygalacturonase depolymerase, arabinase, cellulase, and hemicellulase), Plant Beta Glucanase, Plant Cell, Viscoferm® (a blend of xylanase, [3-glucanase, and cellulase), and Pentopan® (endo-1 ,4-xylanase). Preferably the one or more enzymes comprise Pentopan®, Ultroflo® Max and / or Kleerase®. In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes comprise a [3- glucanase, an arabinoxylanase, a xylanase, a cellulase, or any combination of any two or more of these.

[0273] In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes comprises one or more starch degrading enzymes. Starch degrading enzymes hydrolyse starch to form dextrins and sugars such as glucose, maltose, and maltotriose. As the starch is broken down, the average molecular weight of the starch fragments decreases, the amount of sugar(s) increases, and the viscosity decreases. Enzymes suitable for degrading starch mostly sit within EC number 3.2.1 . This class includes enzymes with specificity for (1 ->4)-a-D-glucosidic linkages and / or (1 ->6)-a-D-glucosidic linkages. Further, due to the complex structure of the starch polymers, a combination of endoamylases, and exoamylases may be required. Debranching enzymes and transferases may also be useful.

[0274] Endo-acting enzymes or endoamylases are able to cleave a-1,4 glucosidic bonds present in the inner part of the amylose or amylopectin chain. One exemplary embodiment of an endoamylase is a-amylase (EC 3.2.1 .1 ), which hydrolyses a-1 ,4 linkages in the interior part of starch polymer in a random fashion, leading to the formation of linear and branched oligosaccharides, or a-limit dextrins.

[0275] Exoamylases such as glucoamylases (EC 3.2.1.3) and a-glucosidases (EC 3.2.1.20) cleave both a-1,4 and a-1 ,6 bonds on the external glucose residues of amylose or amylopectin from the nonreducing end and thus produce only glucose (glucoamylase and a-glucosidases). jB-amylases (EC 3.2.1 .2) cleave exclusively a-1,4 bonds to produce maltose and 3-limit dextrins.

[0276] Debranching enzymes catalyse the hydrolysis of a-1,6- glucosidic bonds in amylopectin. The affinity of debranching enzymes for the a- 1,6-bond distinguishes these enzymes from other amylases which have primary affinity for a-1,4-glucosidic linkages. This category consists of pullulanase (types I and II) and pullulan hydrolyase (types I, II and III).

[0277] Transferases sit outside EC 3.2.1 , and are enzymes that can hydrolyse starch, although they form a new glucosidic bond in the process. Transferases are a group of starch- converting enzymes that cleave an a-1 ,4 glucosidic bond of the donor molecule and transfer part of the donor to a glucosidic acceptor with the formation of a new glucosidic bond. Enzymes such as amylomaltase (EC 2.4.1.25) and cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.19) form a new a- 1 ,4 glucosidic bond while branching enzyme (EC 2.4.1 .18) forms a new a-1 , 6 glucosidic bond.

[0278] In some embodiments, the one or more starch degrading enzymes comprise one or more endoamylases, one or more exoamylases, one or more debranching enzymes, and / or one or more transferases.

[0279] Some preferred embodiments of starch degrading enzymes are given below. Delvo® Plant ALT. Enzyme preparation for food use containing bacterial a-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1 ) derived from a selected strain of Bacillus amylollquefaclens (subtills). Contains multiple side activities.

[0280] Delvo® Plant AHT. Thermostable a-amylase produced by a classical bacterial strain suitable for high temperature. Breaks interior a-1 ,4-glycosidic bonds in starch and starch fragments, predominantly releasing dextrins and oligosaccharides.

[0281] BAN 480 L - endo-amylase that hydrolyzes (1,4)-alpha-D-glucosidic linkages in starch polysaccharides; 1 ,4-a-D-Glucan Glucano-hydrolase (EC 3.2.1.1 ); this enzyme has substantial beta glucanase side activity. From selected Bacillus amylollquefaclens strain.

[0282] BAN 480 LS - endo-amylase that hydrolyzes (1,4)-alpha-D-glucosidic linkages in starch polysaccharides; 1 ,4-a-D-Glucan Glucano-hydrolase (EC 3.2.1.1 ); this enzyme has negligible beta glucanase side activity. From selected Bacillus amylollquefaclens strain.

[0283] Termamyl Classic is a liquid enzyme preparation containing a heat stable alpha-amylase expressed in and produced by a strain of Bacillus llchenlformls. The systematic name for the enzyme is 1,4- alpha-D-glucan glucano-hydrolase (EC 3.2.1.1 ).

[0284] Maxadjunct™ B L is a liquid enzyme preparation for food use containing bacterial alpha-amylase derived from selected strains of Bacillus subtills and Bacillus llchenlformls.

[0285] Delvo® Plant MAL is a fungal a-amylase produced by a classical fungal strain hydrolyzing dextrin. It is an alpha amylase derived from a selected strain of Aspergillus oryzae breaking down dextrins into naturally present Maltose and Maltotriose.

[0286] DELVO® PLANT GLU is a liquid, highly concentrated product, consisting of amyloglucosidase enzyme activity from a selected classical strain of Aspergillus nlger.

[0287] Maltogenase® 2X L is an exo-acting alpha-amylase. It mainly produces alpha-maltose.

[0288] Fungamyl® 800 L is an endo-acting maltogenic alpha-amylase from Aspergillus oryzae

[0289] In some embodiments, the one or more starch degrading enzymes are belong to Enzyme Commission (EC) numbers 3.2.1 and / or 2.4.1 ; preferably EC 3.2.1.1, 3.2.1.2, 3.2.1.3, 3.2.1.20, 2.4.1.18, 2.4.1 .19, and / or 2.4.1 .25. In some embodiments, the one or more starch degrading enzymes are produced by, or derived from, Bacillus amylollquefaclens, Bacillus llchenlformls, Bacillus subtills, Aspergillus oryzae, and / or Aspergillus nlger.

[0290] The skilled person may vary parameters such as the enzyme(s) used, enzyme to substrate ratios, time, temperature, and pH to control the breakdown of the starch.

[0291] In some embodiments, the starch degrading enzyme comprises an amylase, preferably an a- amylase. a-amylases hydrolyse the (1 ->4)-a-D-glucosidic linkages in polysaccharides, and belong to the enzyme class EC 3.2.1 .1 .

[0292] Some non-limiting examples of starch degrading enzymes include Delvo® Plant ALT, Novozymes BAN ® 480 L, and Novozymes Termamyl ®.

[0293] In some embodiments it may be desirable to limit the degradation of [3-glucans, in order to produce an oat base having a high [3-glucans content. It will be appreciated that, in these embodiments, the cell-wall degrading enzymes should be selected to avoid enzymes having [3- glucanase activity. For example, some commercially available enzyme preparations such as Viscoferm ® include a [3-glucanase enzyme, and it may therefore be desirable to limit or exclude this enzyme preparation if degradation of [3-glucans is to be avoided.

[0294] In some embodiments, the one or more cell-wall degrading enzymes are selected from one or more arabinases, cellulases, hemicellulases, and / or xylanases. In some embodiments the one or more cell-wall degrading enzymes do not comprise a [3-glucanase.

[0295] The inventors have surprisingly found that certain starch degrading enzymes may also break down P-glucans, i.e. may possess [3-glucanase side activity in addition to their primary amylolytic activity. Therefore, in some embodiments it may be useful to carefully select the one or more starch degrading enzymes to limit unwanted [3-glucanase activity.

[0296] In some embodiments the one or more cell-wall and / or starch degrading enzyme(s) may possess low, substantially no, or no [3-glucanase activity. In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes do not comprise a [3-glucanase. In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes are selected from an a-amylase, pectin esterase, polygalacturonase depolymerase, arabinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, and xylanase. In some embodiments, the one or more starch degrading enzymes are selected from Novozymes Termamyl ® Classic, BAN 480 LS, or Delvo® Plant ALT, preferably Termamyl ® Classic. Commercially available enzyme preparations that may be particularly useful to limit the degradation of [3-glucans include Termamyl ® (an a-amylase), Viscozyme® (a multi-enzyme complex with strong pectolytic activity and activity against a wide range of carbohydrates), Ultroflo® Max (endo-1 ,4-xylanase and endo-1 ,3(4)-b-glucanase), Kleerase® (a multi-enzyme complex including pectin esterase, polygalacturonase depolymerase, arabinase, cellulase, and hemicellulase), and Pentopan® (endo-1 ,4-xylanase). Preferably the one or more enzymes are selected from a xylanase, pectin esterase, polygalacturonase depolymerase, arabinase, cellulase, and hemicellulase.

[0297] The p-glucanase activity of enzymes may be determined using methods known in the art. One exemplary method for determining the [3-glucanase activity of enzymes is given below.

[0298] Oat material in the form of chopped oat groats is combined with cold water at 20% (w / w) oat solids and processed using a coarse grinder to produce a coarse slurry. This is cycled through a colloid mill with a gap of 0.1 mm for 5 min to produce a fine slurry. This is added to a Vitamix Ascent Series A3500i High-Performance Blender, and mixed on smoothie function 3 times to produce an oat suspension.

[0299] A sample of the oat suspension is pre-heated to the incubation temperature (for example, 60°C) and the enzyme to be tested is added. The suspension is incubated for a time period (for example, 120 minutes) with stirring at 1000 rpm, and then the enzyme is inactivated by heating to 95°C for 15 minutes.

[0300] Samples of the treated and untreated oat suspension are freeze-dried and the amount of [3-glucan is determined using a beta-glucan (mixed linkage) assay kit (K-BGLU, Megazyme). Briefly, 80- 120mg of sample is weighed into a centrifuge tube. Water (2.36 ml) is added to hydrate the sample and mixed using a vortex mixer. Ethanol (2.64 ml, 95%) is added so that the final ethanol concentration is 50% (v / v). This is vigorously stirred using a vortex mixer, centrifuged (1985 x g, 15min), the supernatant is discarded, and the pellet is retained for analysis according to Method (A) assay procedure for oat and barley flour and fiber samples - streamlined method (AOAC Method 995.16, AACC Method 32-23 and ICC Standard Method No. 166) starting at step 3.

[0301] The percentage reduction in [3-glucan content may be calculated as (1 - (^-glucan content of treated sample / [3-glucan content of untreated sample) x 100. The skilled person will be able to use the disclosures herein to select suitable enzymes with low, substantially no, or no [3-glucanase activity. The skilled person will also be able to vary the enzyme treatment conditions (for example, the temperature and / or incubation time) to minimise the reduction in [3-glucan content. For example, incubation at a higher incubation temperature may reduce the off-target [3-glucanase activity of certain enzymes.

[0302] The inventors have surprisingly found that increasing the incubation temperature and / or decreasing the incubation time may reduce the [3-glucanase side-activity of enzymes. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the temperature optimum for [3-glucanase sideactivity of certain enzymes may be different (e.g. lower) than the temperature optimum for the enzyme's main activity, for example amylase activity. Therefore, it may be possible to selectively reduce unwanted [3-glucanase side-activity by incubating at a higher temperature. A higher temperature may also allow the desired enzymatic activity to occur faster, allowing a reduced incubation time and further reducing unwanted [3-glucanase side-activity.

[0303] In some embodiments, the processing comprises incubating the oat material with the one or more enzymes at a temperature of at least about 60°C, such as at least about 6TC, 62°C, 63°C, 64°C, 65°C, 66°C, 67°C, 68°C, 69°C, 70°C, 71 °C, 72°C, 73°C, 74°C, 75°C, 76°C, 77°C, 78°C, 79°C, 80°C, 81 °C, 82°C, 83°C, 84°C, 85°C, 86°C, 87°C, 88°C, 89°C, or at least about 90°C, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 60°C to about 90°C, from about 60°C to about 85°C, from about 60°C to about 80°C, from about 60°C to about 75°C, from about

[0304] 62°C to about 90°C, from about 62°C to about 85°C, from about 62°C to about 80°C, from about

[0305] 62°C to about 75°C, from about 64°C to about 90°C, from about 64°C to about 85°C, from about

[0306] 64°C to about 80°C, from about 64°C to about 75°C, from about 66°C to about 90°C, from about

[0307] 66°C to about 85°C, from about 66°C to about 80°C, from about 66°C to about 75°C, from about

[0308] 68°C to about 90°C, from about 68°C to about 85°C, from about 68°C to about 80°C, from about

[0309] 68°C to about 75°C, from about 70°C to about 90°C, from about 70°C to about 85°C, from about

[0310] 70°C to about 80°C, from about 70°C to about 75°C, from about 72°C to about 90°C, from about

[0311] 72°C to about 85°C, from about 72°C to about 80°C, from about 72°C to about 75°C, from about

[0312] 74°C to about 90°C, from about 74°C to about 85°C, from about 74°C to about 80°C, from about

[0313] 74°C to about 75°C, from about 76°C to about 90°C, from about 76°C to about 85°C, or from about 76°C to about 80°C). In some embodiments, the processing comprises incubating the oat material with the one or more enzymes for at least about 20 minutes, such as at least about 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 1 10, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, or at least about 180 minutes, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 20 to about 70, from about 20 to about 60, from about 20 to about 50, from about 20 to about 40, from about 20 to about 30, from about 30 to about 70, from about 30 to about 60, from about 30 to about 50, from about 30 to about 40, from about 40 to about 70, from about 40 to about 60, from about 40 to about 50, from about 50 to about 70, from about 50 to about 60, from about 60 to about 70, from about 20 to about 180, from about 20 to about 160, from about 20 to about 140, from about 20 to about 120, from about 20 to about 100, from about 20 to about 80, from about 30 to about 180, from about 30 to about 160, from about 30 to about 140, from about 30 to about 120, from about 30 to about 100, from about 30 to about 80, from about 40 to about 180, from about 40 to about 160, from about 40 to about 140, from about 40 to about 120, from about 40 to about 100, from about 40 to about 80, from about 50 to about 180, from about 50 to about 160, from about 50 to about 140, from about 50 to about 120, from about 50 to about 100, from about 50 to about 80, from about 60 to about 180, from about 60 to about 160, from about 60 to about 140, from about 60 to about 120, from about 60 to about 100, or from about 60 to about 80 minutes).

[0314] In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes produce less than about a 60% reduction in [3- glucan content after incubation at 60°C for 120 minutes, preferably less than about 55%, 50%, 45%, 40%, 35%, 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, 14%, 13%, 12%, 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1 %, or about 0% reduction.

[0315] In some embodiments, the processing comprises contacting the oat material and / or the oat base with the one or more enzymes under conditions that result in less than about a 60% reduction in [3- glucan content, preferably less than about 55%, 50%, 45%, 40%, 35%, 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, 14%, 13%, 12%, 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1 %, or about 0% reduction.

[0316] Other enzymes may be used to modify the composition and / or functionality of the oat base. For example, enzymes may be used to modify the solubility of oat proteins, cross-link proteins, and / or degrade phytate. The skilled person will be able to select appropriate enzymes and processing conditions according to the desired modifications. Some exemplary classes of such enzymes include proteases, phytases, protein glutaminases, and laccases. The contacting may be at any point during the processing. For example, in some embodiments the oats are contacted with an enzyme during a soaking step. In some embodiments, the oats are contacted with an enzyme prior to a grinding step, and remain in contact during grinding. In some embodiments, the processing comprises grinding oats to produce a ground suspension, which is subsequently contacted with an enzyme. In some embodiments, the processing comprises subjecting oats to a first grinding step to produce a first ground suspension, contacting the ground suspension with an enzyme and optionally holding for a time period, and subsequently subjecting to a second grinding step.

[0317] It will be appreciated that various parameters of the enzymatic treatment may vary according to requirements and the enzyme(s) used. For example, the amount of enzyme used, the holding temperature, and holding time may vary depending on the particular enzyme(s) used, the amount of oat material, and the desired level of enzymatic treatment (for example, the desired level of conversion of starches into sugars). The skilled person will be able to select appropriate parameters depending on the enzyme(s) used.

[0318] In some embodiments, a single enzymatic treatment step is used. In some embodiments, two or more enzymatic treatment steps are used. It may be desirable to use two or more enzymatic treatment steps when using two or more different enzymes, particularly if these enzymes have different requirements for optimal performance, for example different optimal temperatures. In some embodiments, the processing comprises contacting the oat material and / or the oat base with a first enzyme at a first temperature, and contacting the oat material and / or the oat base with a second enzyme at a second temperature, wherein the first and second enzymes are different, and wherein the first and second temperatures are different.

[0319] In some embodiments, the enzymatic treatment comprises contacting the oat material and / or the oat base with 2.0 ml Novozymes BAN® 480 L per kg oat solids, and 2.0 ml Novozymes Maltogenase® 2XL per kg oat solids, preferably at a temperature of about 66°C to about 70°C, and preferably holding at this temperature for about 45 minutes.

[0320] In some embodiments, the enzymatic treatment comprises contacting the oat material and / or the oat base with 2.25 ml Delvo® Plant ALT per kg oat solids, and 1.30 ml Maxadjunct™ p L per kg oat solids, preferably at a temperature of about 66°C to about 70°C, and preferably holding at this temperature for about 45 minutes. In some embodiments, the enzymatic treatment comprises contacting the oat material and / or the oat base with 2.6 ml Delvo® Plant Go 01 per kg oat solids, preferably at a temperature of about 60°C, and preferably holding at this temperature for about 120 minutes.

[0321] In some embodiments, the enzymatic treatment comprises contacting the oat material and / or the oat base with 1.75 ml Delvo® Plant ALT per kg oat solids, and 1.0 ml Delvo® Plant Mai per kg oat solids, preferably at a temperature of about 60°C, and preferably holding at this temperature for about 120 minutes.

[0322] In some embodiments, the enzymatic treatment comprises contacting the oat material and / or the oat base with 2.0 ml Novozymes BAN ® 480 L per kg oat solids at a temperature of about 68°C to about 72°C and holding at this temperature for about 30 minutes; cooling to a temperature of about 48°C to about 52°C, adding 2.0 ml Novozymes Fungamyl ® per kg oat solids, and holding at this temperature for about 30 minutes.

[0323] In some embodiments, the enzymatic treatment comprises contacting the oat material and / or the oat base with 2.2 ml Delvo® Plant ALT per kg oat solids at a temperature of about 68°C to about 72°C and holding at this temperature for about 30 minutes; cooling to a temperature of about 60°C, adding 1.0 ml Delvo® Plant Mai kg oat solids, and holding at this temperature for about 120 minutes.

[0324] It may be desirable to inactivate the enzymes used once a desired treatment level has been reached. Some enzymes may be inactivated by heat treatment, as is known in the art. The particular requirements for heat inactivation may vary depending on the enzyme(s) used.

[0325] It may also be desirable to incompletely digest the starch present in the oat material. By controlling the enzymatic processing conditions (for example, the enzyme(s) used, the processing time, and / or the temperature), the amount of intact starch and / or the length of starch chains present may be adjusted to suit particular applications. Additionally, oat bases with different degrees of enzymatic processing may be combined in different ratios to achieve the desired composition.

[0326] For example, when producing a fermented nutritional composition, it may be desirable to provide an oat base comprising intact starch and / or starch chains of various lengths. Some exemplary embodiments of such fermented products are described in Example 9. The presence of intact starch or starch chains may also increase the viscosity of the composition. Increased viscosity may be desirable to improve mouthfeel and / or to increase stability, for example by reducing the propensity of particles to fall out of suspension. Accordingly, the level of starch digestion may be controlled to achieve various viscosities.

[0327] Oats contain appreciable amounts of phytic acid, typically in the range of 0.4 to 2.2 g of phytates per 100 g oats. Phytic acid is a substance found in the seeds of many plants that acts as an "antinutrient" by binding to minerals such as iron, zinc, and calcium, and inhibiting their dietary uptake. It may therefore be desirable to reduce or minimise the amount of phytic acid and / or phytates present in the oat base, nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream.

[0328] Phytic acid may be broken down by the action of phytase enzymes. Phytase enzymes may be present in the grains of cereals, and may be activated by soaking, however oats contain only low levels of phytase enzymes. It may therefore be desirable to add exogenous phytase enzyme(s) to decrease the amount of phytic acid / phytates present.

[0329] In some embodiments, the one or more enzymes comprise a phytase. In some embodiments, the processing comprises contacting the oat material with one or more phytase enzymes. In some embodiments, the processing reduces the amount of phytic acid and / or phytates present in the oat material by at least about 20% w / w, such as at least about 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or about 100% w / w, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 20% to about 100%, from about 20% to about 80%, from about 20% to about 60%, from about 40% to about 100%, from about 40% to about 80%, from about 40% to about 60%, from about 60% to about 100%, from about 60% to about 80%, or from about 80% to about 100%).

[0330] Homogenisation

[0331] One or more homogenisation steps may also be used to achieve the particle size requirements described herein, alone or in combination with other processing techniques such as grinding and / or enzymatic treatment.

[0332] The skilled person will be able to adjust the parameters of the homogenisation (for example, the pressure and / or number of passes) to achieve the particle size requirements described herein using the disclosures herein. Homogenisation may be achieved by a variety of means known in the art, including high pressure homogenisers. One exemplary embodiment of a high pressure homogeniser suitable for use in the invention is the GEA Lab Homogenizer PandaPLUS 2000.

[0333] Homogenisation may be by a single pass, or it may comprise multiple passes, for example multiple passes through the same homogeniser and / or passes through multiple homogenisers in series. Preferably, the processing comprises two passes of homogenisation.

[0334] It will be appreciated that additional passes of homogenisation may be used to further reduce particle size; however, this poses a trade-off between particle size reduction and process cost. The inventors have found that additional passes of homogenisation produce diminishing returns in terms of particle size reduction, and after five passes at a given pressure, little improvement in particle size is observed.

[0335] The pressure selected for homogenisation affects particle size reduction, with higher pressures producing a greater decrease in particle size. However, higher pressures also have higher energy costs and produce greater equipment wear. The inventors have found that the particle size reduction increases with increasing pressure from about 500 bar to about 1500 bar, but there is little benefit to homogenisation at pressures of higher than about 1500 bar. The inventors have also found that some particle aggregation is observed when homogenising at pressures higher than about 1500 bar.

[0336] Cavitation may also be used to reduce particle size. Therefore in some embodiments, the processing comprises cavitation. In some embodiments, the homogenisation comprises cavitation. Cavitation may be produced by a variety of methods known in the art, including (but not limited to) rotor-stator homogenisation, ultrasonics, and by pressure drop.

[0337] Exemplary methods of producing an oat base

[0338] Some exemplary embodiments of a method of producing an oat base will now be described.

[0339] Production of an oat base by fine grinding

[0340] Oat material in the form of hulled oat groats comprising oat endosperm, germ, and bran, are provided. The oat material is combined with water heated to 75°C in a weight ratio of 15% oats to 85% water. An a-amylase enzyme (DSM Delvo® Plant ALT) is added at a ratio of 2.25 ml enzyme per 1 kg oat solids. The oat material is ground using a disc mill to produce a coarse ground suspension.

[0341] The coarse ground suspension is ground using a colloid mill with a 100 pm gap to produce a finely milled oat suspension.

[0342] The finely milled oat suspension is further ground using a fine grinding colloid mill (ProXES toothed colloid mill) with a 100 pm gap to produce a very finely milled oat suspension.

[0343] The suspension is heated to 68-72°C and an additional enzymes are added (DSM Delvo® Plant ALT and Maxadjunct™ p L). The suspension is held at this temperature for 50 minutes.

[0344] The suspension is heated in a direct steam injection heat exchanger to 120°C for 80 s to inactivate the enzymes, then cooled to 75°C.

[0345] The suspension is passed through a microcut grinder, and then homogenised twice at 600 bar to produce the oat base.

[0346] Production of an oat base by grinding and high pressure homogenisation

[0347] Oat material in the form of hulled oat groats comprising oat endosperm, germ, and bran, is provided.

[0348] The oat material is combined with water in a weight ratio of 29% oats to 71 % water. The oat material is ground using a disc mill to produce a coarse ground suspension.

[0349] The coarse suspension is ground using a colloid mill with a 100 pm gap for 5 minutes to produce a fine suspension.

[0350] The suspension is combined with water in a weight ratio of 80% suspension, 20% water. This is blended using a blender.

[0351] The suspension is heated to 70°C and enzymes (Novozymes BAN ® 480L and Novozymes Maltogenase®) are added at a ratio of 2 ml of each enzyme per kg oat solids. The suspension is held at this temperature for 45 minutes.

[0352] The suspension is heated to 95°C, held for 5 minutes, then cooled. The suspension is passed twice through a homogeniser at 500 bar, then five times at 1000 bar, to produce the oat base.

[0353] Nutritional compositions

[0354] The oat base may be used to produce a variety of nutritional compositions, such as oat milk and oat cream.

[0355] Such nutritional compositions, oat milks, and / or oat creams typically comprise the oat base and a liquid (for example, water), and may optionally comprise one or more additional ingredients.

[0356] In some embodiments it may be desirable for the nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream to comprise additional protein that is not provided by the oat base. This may be accomplished by adding an additional source of protein to the nutritional composition. A variety of suitable protein sources are known in the art, including (but not limited to) oat protein, soy protein, pea protein, bean protein (for example, faba bean protein), wheat protein, rice protein, hemp protein, and dairy protein such as whey protein. In some embodiments, the additional protein is a plant protein, preferably oat protein.

[0357] The nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream may also comprise carbohydrates, for example sugars and / or fibre. Sugars may be present in the oat base, including sugars that are naturally present in oats and sugars produced during processing, for example by enzymatic treatment of starch. Alternatively, or additionally, carbohydrates may be added to the nutritional composition. Certain carbohydrates such as sugars may function as sweeteners.

[0358] The nutritional composition, oat milk, or oat cream may comprise only carbohydrates provided by the oat base, or may comprise added carbohydrates (for example, added sugar).

[0359] Added sugar is sugar that is not provided by the oat base and / or not derived from oats. In some embodiments, the added sugar is selected from the group consisting of beet sugar, brown sugar, brown rice sugar, cane juice, cane syrup, cane sugar, caramel, coconut sugar, corn syrup solids, corn syrup, refined sugar, confectioner's sugar, date sugar, maple syrup, malt, molasses, raw sugar, sugar, honey, agave, and any combination thereof.

[0360] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition comprises one or more lipids. A variety of lipids are suitable for use in the nutritional composition. The lipid may be in the form of an oil, a cream, a butter, a paste, a milk, a powder, a lyophilised powder, or any other form well known by a person skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the one or more lipids are selected from the group consisting of canola oil, coconut cream, coconut oil, corn oil, almond oil, chia oil, hemp oil, safflower oil, soybean oils, linseed oil, soy oil, grape seed oil, hazelnut oil, rice bran oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, acjaf oil, palm oil, avocado oil, brazil nut oil, passion fruit oil, cashew oil, olive oil, coconut butter, almond butter, peanut butter, hazelnut butter, cashew butter, nut paste, almond paste, microbially produced or derived lipids (preferably bacterial and / or algal lipids), and any combination thereof.

[0361] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition comprises one or more minerals. In some embodiments, the one or more minerals comprise a source of calcium, iron, phosphorus, selenium, and / or zinc.

[0362] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition comprises one or more vitamins. In some embodiments, the one or more vitamins comprise vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B7, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin K, niacin, riboflavin, and / or thiamine.

[0363] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition comprises one or more flavouring agents. Suitable flavouring agents are known in the art. In some embodiments, the one or more flavouring agents are selected form the group consisting of fruit flavours such as citrus flavour, strawberry flavour, peach flavour, apricot flavour, raspberry flavour, orange flavour, apple flavour, pear flavour; vegetable flavours; herb flavours; dairy flavours; tea flavours; food flavours; supplement flavours; vanilla flavours, caramel flavours, coffee flavours, almond flavours, and chocolate flavours.

[0364] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition comprises one or more stabilising agents. In some embodiments, the one or more stabilising agents are selected from the group consisting of a starch, a pectin, a guar, a xanthan, a carrageenan, a locust bean gum, a gellan gum, and any combination thereof.

[0365] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition comprises one or more sweeteners. Any suitable sweetener known in the art may be used. In some embodiments, the one or more sweeteners comprise a sugar. In some embodiments the one or more sweeteners comprise a sugar substitute, such as a sugar alcohol, monk fruit extract, and / or one or more stevia glycosides. In some embodiments, the one or more sweeteners are selected from the group consisting of fructose, galactose, glucose, maltose, sucrose, allulose, high fructose corn syrup, sugarcane syrup, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, a sugar alcohol (for example, sorbitol, mannitol, erythritol, and / or xylitol), monk fruit extract, stevia glycosides, and any combination thereof.

[0366] Nutritional compositions may be prepared from the oat base described herein. In one exemplary embodiment, the nutritional composition is prepared by combining the oat base with water, and optionally one or more additional ingredients, to produce the nutritional composition. The one or more additional ingredients may be selected from the lipids, carbohydrates, sugars, minerals, vitamins, flavouring agents, stabilising agents, and sweeteners disclosed herein, or any combination of these.

[0367] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition is dairy-free. In some embodiments, the nutritional composition is vegetarian or vegan.

[0368] Oat milk

[0369] Oat milk is a liquid nutritional composition that is suitable for use in place of dairy milk. The oat base described herein may be used to produce an oat milk with improved organoleptic properties, for example mouthfeel. The oat milk may also have improved nutritional properties compared to an oat milk that does not comprise oat solids comprising material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; for example a higher protein content, higher fibre content, higher [3-glucan content, higher mineral content, or any combination thereof.

[0370] In some embodiments, the nutritional composition is an oat milk. In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises the oat base described herein. In some embodiments, the oat milk is dairy-free. In some embodiments, the oat milk is vegetarian or vegan.

[0371] Preferably, the oat milk has acceptable sensory characteristics and / or mouthfeel, for example a smooth mouthfeel with low or no grittiness, chalkiness, or scratchiness, even when swallowed. Preferably, the oat milk has acceptable viscosity, for example a viscosity similar to that of dairy milk.

[0372] Oat milk typically comprises lipids. The lipid content of the oat base will vary depending on the oats used and other agronomic considerations. In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises one or more lipids. In some embodiments, the oat base may comprise sufficient lipid content that the oat milk does not require the addition of any lipids other than those present in the oat base. In other embodiments, the oat milk comprises one or more sources of lipids in addition to the oat base.

[0373] A variety of lipids are suitable for use in oat milk. The lipid may be in the form of an oil, a cream, a butter, a paste, a milk, a powder, a lyophilised powder, or any other form well known by a person skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the one or more lipids are selected from the group consisting of canola oil, coconut cream, coconut oil, corn oil, almond oil, chia oil, hemp oil, safflower oil, soybean oils, linseed oil, soy oil, grape seed oil, hazelnut oil, rice bran oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, acjaf oil, palm oil, avocado oil, brazil nut oil, passion fruit oil, cashew oil, olive oil, coconut butter, almond butter, peanut butter, hazelnut butter, cashew butter, nut paste, almond paste, and any combination thereof. The lipids may also be microbially produced or derived lipids, for example bacterial and / or algal lipids. Such lipids may be naturally produced by the microbial organisms in question, or may be produced recombinantly. In some embodiments, the one or more lipids comprise one or more microbially produced or derived lipids, preferably one or more bacterial and / or algal lipids.

[0374] The oat milk may also comprise one or more salts such as sodium chloride, which may be used to enhance the flavour of the oat milk.

[0375] Oat milk may comprise a variety of other additional ingredients. For example, oat milk may comprise one or more vitamins, minerals, buffering agents, pH adjusting agents, flavours, sweeteners, thickeners, emulsifiers, stabilising agents, and / or nutritional ingredients.

[0376] Oat milks with added vitamins and / or minerals may be referred to as fortified oat milks. Sources of such vitamins and / or minerals are known in the art. For example, minerals may be in the form of a salt that is dissolved or suspended in the oat milk.

[0377] In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises one or more flavouring agents. Suitable flavouring agents are known in the art. In some embodiments, the one or more flavouring agents are selected form the group consisting of fruit flavours such as citrus flavour, strawberry flavour, peach flavour, apricot flavour, raspberry flavour, orange flavour, apple flavour, pear flavour; vegetable flavours; herb flavours; dairy flavours; tea flavours; food flavours; supplement flavours; vanilla flavours, caramel flavours, coffee flavours, almond flavours, and chocolate flavours.

[0378] In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises one or more stabilising agents. In some embodiments, the one or more stabilising agents are selected from the group consisting of a starch, a pectin, a guar, a xanthan, a carrageenan, a locust bean gum, a gellan gum, and any combination thereof.

[0379] It may be desirable to reduce or prevent sedimentation of the nutritional composition or the oat milk. Sedimentation is affected by a number of parameters including particle size and the viscosity of the composition. For example, smaller particles and higher viscosity compositions are generally more resistant to sedimentation than larger particles and lower viscosity compositions.

[0380] Accordingly, resistance to sedimentation can be increased by decreasing particle size and / or increasing viscosity (for example, by adding one or more viscosity modifying agents).

[0381] Sedimentation may be measured by methods known in the art. Two exemplary methods are presented below.

[0382] A sample of the composition is weighed, placed in a centrifuge tube, and centrifuged at about 1 ,985 x g for about 15 minutes at 20°C. The supernatant is removed, and the sediment weighed. The sedimentation can be expressed as the weight of the sediment as a percentage of the total weight of the composition.

[0383] Alternatively, sedimentation may be determined after storage. A sample of the composition is weighed and stored at an appropriate temperature (for example, 4°C) for a time period (for example, 1 week). The supernatant is removed, the sediment weighed, and the sedimentation calculated as described above.

[0384] In some embodiments, the oat milk or the nutritional composition exhibits low, substantially no, or no sedimentation following storage at about 4°C for 1 week, and / or following centrifugation at about 1 ,985 x g for about 15 minutes at 20°C. In some embodiments, the oat milk or the nutritional composition exhibits less than about 20% by weight sedimentation following storage at about 4°C for 1 week, and / or following centrifugation at about 1 ,985 x g for about 15 minutes at 20°C, such as less than about 19%, 18%, 17%, 16%, 15%, 14%, 13%, 12%, 1 1 %, 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1 %, or about 0% by weight sedimentation, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 0% to about 20%, from about 0% to about 16%, from about 0% to about 12%, from about 0% to about 8%, from about 0% to about 4%, from about 0% to about 2%, from about 2% to about 20%, from about 2% to about 16%, from about 2% to about 12%, from about 2% to about 8%, from about 2% to about 4%, from about 4% to about 20%, from about 4% to about 16%, from about 4% to about 12%, or from about 4% to about 8%). The oat milk or the nutritional composition may be resistant to sedimentation, and / or any sediment present may be easily resuspended by shaking. Ability to be resuspended may be assessed by centrifuging a known volume of composition at about 650 to 1 ,000 x g in a graduated centrifuge vessel, inverting a number of times, and measuring the volume of sediment remaining. In some embodiments, any sediment present is fully resuspended by less than about 10 inversions, such as less than about 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or about 1 inversion, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 to about 10, from about 1 to about 5, from about 1 to about 3, from about 2 to about 10, from about 2 to about 6, or from about 2 to about 4).

[0385] In some embodiments, the oat milk comprises one or more sweeteners. Any suitable sweetener known in the art may be used. In some embodiments, the one or more sweeteners comprise a sugar. In some embodiments the one or more sweeteners comprise a sugar substitute, such as a sugar alcohol. In some embodiments, the one or more sweeteners are selected from the group consisting of sugar, fructose, glucose, maltose, sucrose, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, sugarcane syrup, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, a sugar alcohol like sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and any combination thereof.

[0386] The viscosity of the oat milk may be modified if required. For example, the addition of thickening agents such as guar, xanthan, carrageenan, locust bean, and / or gel Ian gums may be used to increase viscosity. In some embodiments, the oat milk has a viscosity of less than about 36 mPa-s at 100 s’1, such as less than about 34, 32, 30, 28, 26, 24, 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, or 2 mPa-s, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 2 to about 36, from about 2 to about 30, from about 2 to about 24, from about 2 to about 20, from about 2 to about 18, from about 2 to about 16, from about 2 to about 14, from about 2 to about 12, from about 6 to about 36, from about 6 to about 30, from about 6 to about 24, from about 6 to about 20, from about 6 to about 18, from about 6 to about 16, from about 6 to about 14, or from about 6 to about 12).

[0387] The pH of the oat milk may be adjusted by various means known in the art, for example by the addition of one or more food-safe pH adjustment agents and / or buffering agents. Preferred examples of such pH adjustment agents and / or buffering agents include acids such as acetic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, and hydrochloric acid; conjugate bases such as acetate, citrate, lactate, and malate; carbonates and bicarbonates such as calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate; hydroxides such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide; and phosphates such as mono-, di-, or tripotassium phosphate, and mono-, di-, or trisodium phosphate.

[0388] The oat milk described herein may have useful properties such as an increased froth persistence when placed on top of, or used to produce, a hot beverage. The oat milk may also have an increased yield from frothing. In some embodiments, the oat milk, when frothed, produces a froth that persists for at least about 1 minute on a beverage at 65°C, such as at least about 1 .5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or at least about 10 minutes, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 to about 10 minutes, from about 1 to about 8 minutes, or from about 1 to about 5 minutes).

[0389] In some embodiments, the oat milk increases in volume by at least about 10% when frothed, such as at least about 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, or at least about 60%, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 10% to about 60%, from about 20% to about 50%, or from about 30% to about 40%).

[0390] Oat milk may be prepared using the oat base described herein. To produce oat milk, the oat base is typically combined with water to achieve a desired oat solids content. One or more additional ingredients, for example one or more lipids, one or more additional protein sources, one or more vitamins, and / or one or more minerals may also be added.

[0391] The skilled person will be able to produce oat milk by a variety of methods using the disclosures of the present specification, according to their need. One exemplary method for producing oat milk is described below.

[0392] The oat base is combined with water, and optionally one or more additional ingredients as desired, in sufficient amounts to provide a composition comprising the desired content of oat solids (for example, about 10% w / w oat solids), and optionally the one or more additional ingredients.

[0393] In one exemplary embodiment, the oat base is combined with water, a lipid source (for example, canola oil), and sodium chloride to provide a composition comprising about 10% w / w oat solids, about 1 % w / w lipid, and about 0.1 % w / w sodium chloride.

[0394] The combination is mixed thoroughly via any suitable means, for example using a high speed mixer or high shear blender, to produce oat milk. The pH of the oat milk is adjusted to a target pH. The target pH may be any pH desired, preferably from about 7.0 to about 8.0, more preferably about 7.5. As the pH of the oat milk may decrease slightly during ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment or pasteurisation, the pH may be adjusted to slightly above the target pH (for example to a pH of about 7.6 to about 7.7, if the target pH is about 7.5) so that after UHT treatment or pasteurisation, the pH is at or about the target pH.

[0395] Adjustment of pH may be by any suitable means, typically by adding a food-safe pH adjusting agent. In some embodiments, pH is adjusted by adding a phosphate salt, preferably dipotassium phosphate. The pH adjusting agent may be added in the form of a solid, or it may be dissolved before adding.

[0396] The oat milk may optionally be subjected to ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment. Various systems for UHT treatment are known in the art, and the skilled person will be able to select appropriate parameters for UHT treatment. Some exemplary embodiments of UHT treatments include direct steam injection and indirect UHT.

[0397] In one exemplary embodiment, the oat milk is UHT treated by preheating to a temperature of from about 70°C to about 75°C, heating to a temperature of about 142°C and holding at this temperature for about 10 seconds, then cooling to a temperature of from about 70°C to about 75°C, to produce a UHT oat milk.

[0398] The oat milk may optionally be pasteurised. Pasteurisation may be by various means known in the art.

[0399] In one exemplary embodiment, the oat milk is pasteurised by heating to about 90°C and holding at this temperature for about 15 minutes, then cooling to about 50°C, to produce a pasteurised oat milk.

[0400] The oat milk may optionally be homogenised. Various systems for homogenisation are known in the art, and the skilled person will be able to select appropriate parameters according to their need. In some embodiments, the oat milk is homogenised at a pressure of at least about 50 bar, such as at least about 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, or at least about 1500 bar, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 50 to about 1500 bar, from about 50 to about 1000 bar, from about 50 to about 800 bar, from about 50 to about 600 bar, from about 200 to about 1500 bar, from about 200 to about 1000 bar, from about 200 to about 800 bar, from about 200 to about 600 bar, from about 300 to about 1500 bar, from about 300 to about 1000 bar, from about 300 to about 800 bar, from about 300 to about 700 bar, from about 300 to about 600 bar, from about 400 to about 1500 bar, from about 400 to about 1000 bar, from about 400 to about 800 bar, from about 400 to about 700 bar, or from about 400 to about 600 bar).

[0401] In one exemplary embodiment, the oat milk is homogenised using a two-stage homogeniser at a total pressure of about 380 bar and a stage 2 pressure of about 80 bar. In another exemplary embodiment, the oat milk is homogenised using a two-stage homogeniser at a total pressure of about 500 bar and a stage 2 pressure of about 50 bar.

[0402] The oat milk is then cooled (for example to about 25°C) and may be used directly or packaged as desired.

[0403] Oat cream

[0404] The oat base described herein may also be used to produce an oat cream. Oat cream is a liquid nutritional composition that has a higher lipid content than oat milk.

[0405] The lipid content of oat cream may vary depending on the desired application. For example, oat cream used for coffee (sometimes referred to as "half-and-half") may have a lipid content in the range of 10-18% w / w, single oat cream may have a lipid content in the range of 18-22% w / w, and double oat cream (or whipping oat cream) may have a lipid content of about 23% w / w or higher.

[0406] A variety of lipids are suitable for use in oat cream. The oat cream may comprise a single lipid source, or it may comprise two or more sources of lipid. In some embodiments, the oat cream comprises one or more oils (that is to say, one or more lipids that are liquid at room temperature, for example at about 20°C) and one or more solid lipids (that is to say, one or more lipids that are solid at room temperature, for example at about 20°C). In some embodiments, the lipids comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of one or more triglycerides.

[0407] Exemplary lipids that are oils include (but are not limited to) canola oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, olive oil, peanut oil, avocado oil, corn oil, soybean oil, vegetable oil, cottonseed oil, rice bran oil, flaxseed oil, and hemp oil.

[0408] Exemplary lipids that are solid at room temperature include (but are not limited to) coconut oil, hydrogenated coconut oil, fully hydrogenated coconut oil, coconut oil RBD, palm oil, palm kernel oil, cocoa butter, margarine, vegetable shortening, and partially or fully hydrogenated plant oils. It will be appreciated that lipids may be modified, for example by partial or complete hydrogenation. Hydrogenation is a process that increases the saturation of lipids, partially or completely converting an unsaturated lipid (e.g. an oil) into a saturated lipid. This can change the physical properties of the lipid, including increasing the melting temperature, and may therefore be used to provide a lipid that is solid at room temperature.

[0409] The oat cream may also comprise one or more emulsifiers. A variety of emulsifiers are known in the art, and the skilled person will be able to select suitable emulsifiers according to need. Some exemplary embodiments of an emulsifier suitable for use in an oat cream are sucrose esterified fatty acids (e.g. DK Ester® F-160), polysorbates (e.g. Tween), sodium stearoyl lactylate, diacelyl tartaric acid esterified mono and diglycerides (DATEM), and mono- and di-glycerides (MDG).

[0410] The oat cream may optionally be subjected to ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment. Various systems for UHT treatment are known in the art, and the skilled person will be able to select appropriate parameters for UHT treatment.

[0411] In one exemplary embodiment, the oat cream is UHT treated by preheating to a temperature of from about 70°C to about 75°C, heating to a temperature of about 142°C and holding at this temperature for about 10 seconds, then cooling to a temperature of from about 70°C to about 75°C, to produce a UHT oat cream.

[0412] The oat cream may optionally be pasteurised. Pasteurisation may be by various means known in the art.

[0413] In one exemplary embodiment, the oat cream is pasteurised by heating to about 90°C and holding at this temperature for about 15 minutes, then cooling to about 50°C, to produce a pasteurised oat cream.

[0414] The oat cream may optionally be homogenised. Various systems for homogenisation are known in the art, and the skilled person will be able to select appropriate parameters according to their need. In some embodiments, the oat cream is homogenised at a pressure of at least about 50 bar, such as at least about 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 1 10, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300, 310, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 390, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, or at least about 1500 bar, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 50 to about 1500 bar, from about 50 to about 1000 bar, from about 50 to about 800 bar, from about 50 to about 600 bar, from about 50 to about 500 bar, from about 50 to about 400 bar, from about 50 to about 390 bar, from about 50 to about 380 bar, from about 50 to about 370 bar, from about 50 to about 360 bar, from about 50 to about 350 bar, from about 100 to about 1500 bar, from about 100 to about 1000 bar, from about 100 to about 800 bar, from about 100 to about 600 bar, from about 100 to about 500 bar, from about 100 to about 400 bar, from about 100 to about 390 bar, from about 100 to about 380 bar, from about 100 to about 370 bar, from about 100 to about 360 bar, or from about 100 to about 350 bar).

[0415] The oat cream is then cooled (for example to about 25°C) and may be used directly or packaged as desired.

[0416] The oat cream described herein may possess various useful properties, such as an increased whipping yield, decreased reduction time, and / or decreased whip time to soft peaks.

[0417] In some embodiments the oat cream increases in volume by at least about 50% when whipped, such as at least about 75%, 100%, 125%, 150%, 175%, 200%, 225%, 250%, 275%, 300%, 325%, 350%, 375%, 400%, 425%, 450%, 475%, or at least about 500%, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 50% to about 500%, from about 50% to about 400%, from about 50% to about 350%, from about 100% to about 500%, from about 100% to about 400%, or from about 100% to about 350%).

[0418] In some embodiments, the time to whip the oat cream to soft peaks is less than about 10 minutes, such as less than about 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or less than about 1 minute, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 to about 10 minutes, from about 1 to about 5 minutes, or from about 1 to about 2 minutes).

[0419] In some embodiments, the simmer time to reduce a volume of the oat cream by 50% is less than about 10 minutes, such as less than about 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or less than about 1 minute, and useful ranges may be selected between any of these values (for example, from about 1 to about 10 minutes, from about 1 to about 5 minutes, or from about 1 to about 2 minutes).

[0420] Fermented products

[0421] The oat base described herein may also be used to produce a variety of fermented products, for example an oat yoghurt or an oat cream cheese. When producing fermented products, it may be desirable to retain a higher content of longer starch fragments or intact starch. This may be achieved by modifying or removing the enzymatic treatment during production of the oat base.

[0422] In some embodiments, the processing does not comprise contacting the oats and / or the oat base with one or more enzymes. In some embodiments, the processing comprises contacting the oats and / or the oat base with one or more cell-wall degrading enzymes, but not with one or more starch-degrading enzymes. In some embodiments, the processing comprises contacting the oats and / or the oat base with one or more starch-degrading enzymes under conditions (for example, temperature and / or incubation time) such that less than about 100% by weight of the starch is degraded, preferably less than about 75%, more preferably less than about 50%. In other words, in some embodiments the processing comprises an incomplete enzymatic digestion of starch.

[0423] The content of intact starch and / or longer starch fragments present the oat base may be adjusted by mixing together oat bases produced without enzymatic digestion of starch, with limited digestion of starch, and / or with complete digestion of starch.

[0424] Fermented products such as oat yoghurt and oat cream cheese may be prepared from such an oat base using techniques known in the art. Briefly, an oat base may be inoculated with one or more bacterial cultures and incubated (for example, at about 37°C) until a suitable acidification level has been reached (for example, a pH of about 4.2, or about 4.0, or lower) to produce a fermented oat base.

[0425] The fermented oat base may be further processed to produce the desired product. For example, it may be combined with one or more lipids, minerals, vitamins, emulsifiers, stabilisers, flavours, and / or colours, to produce the desired product.

[0426] Some exemplary embodiments of fermented products are described in Example 9.

[0427] Examples

[0428] 1. Example 1 — Production of oat base by fine grinding

[0429] 1.1 Oat base

[0430] An oat base was prepared by fine grinding as described below. 1 . 30 kg of intact, dehulled oat groats were ground using a coarse grinder (disc mill with 4 mm holes) together with 170 kg of water heated to 75°C and 20.25 ml of a-amylase enzyme (DSM Delvo® Plant ALT) to produce a coarsely ground oat suspension.

[0431] 2. The coarsely ground oat suspension was passed through a colloid mill (100 pm gap), and subsequently through a fine grinding colloid mill (ProXES toothed colloid mill with a 100 pm gap).

[0432] 3. The finely milled oat suspension was transferred to a stirred, heated tank and the temperature adjusted to 68-72°C.

[0433] 4. 47.35 ml of a-amylase enzyme (DSM Delvo® Plant ALT) and 40.50 ml of Maxadjunct™ p L were added, and the suspension held at 68-72°C for 50 minutes.

[0434] 5. The suspension was transferred to a direct steam injection (DSI) heat exchanger and heated to 120°C for 80 s to inactivate the enzymes, then cooled to 75°C.

[0435] 6. The suspension was passed through a microcut grinder (Urschel Comitrol ® Processor 1700 with 222 blade microcutter head).

[0436] 7. The suspension was then passed twice through a high pressure homogeniser (Tetra Pak high pressure homogeniser) at 600 bar to produce the oat base.

[0437] The formulation of the oat base is shown in Table 1 .

[0438] Table 1. Oat base formulation.

[0439] Ingredient Amount added

[0440] 1.2 Further oat base

[0441] A second oat base was prepared in a 345 kg batch size. 1. Whole dehulled oat groats were combined with water heated to 75°C to provide 14-16% w / w total oat solids.

[0442] 2. An a-amylase enzyme (DSM Delvo® Plant ALT) was added (74.8 ml).

[0443] 3. The mixture was ground through a first coarse grinder (disc mill with 4 mm holes), second grinder (fine-grinding colloid mill with a 100 pm gap), and third grinder (Praxes toothed colloid mill with a 100 pm gap).

[0444] 4. DSM Delvo® Plant ALT (41.6 ml) and Maxadjunct™ p L (67.27 ml) were added to the ground mixture, and held at 68-72°C for 50 minutes.

[0445] 5. The mixture was passed through a micro-cut grinder (Urschel Comitrol ® Processor 1700 with 222 blade microcutter head).

[0446] 6. The enzymes were deactivated by heating the mixture to 120°C for 80 seconds, then flash cooling to 75°C.

[0447] 7. The mixture was passed twice through a homogeniser (Tetra Pak high pressure homogeniser) at 600 bar to produce the oat base.

[0448] The composition of the oat base is shown in Table 2 and the particle size distribution of the oat base when used to produce an oat milk is shown in Example 5.

[0449] Table 2. Oat base composition.

[0450] Component Amount (g / 100 g total solids)

[0451] Protein 15.9

[0452] Lipid (Total) 6.0

[0453] Dietary fibre 8.1

[0454] Ash 5.0

[0455] Carbohydrate (by difference) 65.0

[0456] 1.3 Oat base produced from oat flour

[0457] An oat base was prepared from using oat flour as the starting material using two alternative processes.

[0458] 1 . Oat flour was combined with water heated to 75°C at 16% w / w total solids.

[0459] 2. An a-amylase enzyme (DSM Delvo® Plant ALT) was added at 0.378 ml per kg oat solids. 3. The mixture was processed using a high shear mixer for 10 minutes.

[0460] 4. The mixture was transferred to a holding tank and the temperature adjusted to 68-72°C.

[0461] 5. Additional a-amylase enzyme (DSM Delvo® Plant ALT) was added to bring the amount to 1 .89 ml per kg oat solids, and Maxadjunct™ p L was added at 1 .30 ml per kg oat solids.

[0462] 6. The mixture was held at 68-72°C for 45-60 minutes.

[0463] At this point, the mixture was split into two batches.

[0464] Batch 1

[0465] 7. The mixture was passed through a micro-cut grinder (Urschel Comitrol ® Processor 1700 with 222 blade microcutter head).

[0466] 8. The enzymes were deactivated by heating the mixture to 120°C for 80 seconds, followed by flash cooling to 75°C.

[0467] 9. The mixture was passed twice through a homogeniser at 600 bar, and the oat base collected.

[0468] Batch 2

[0469] 7. The enzymes were deactivated by heating the mixture to 120°C for 80 seconds, followed by flash cooling to 75°C.

[0470] 8. The mixture was passed through a fine grinding colloid mill (ProXES toothed colloid mill with a 100 pm gap).

[0471] 9. The mixture was passed twice through a homogeniser at 600 bar, and the oat base collected.

[0472] Characteristics

[0473] The characteristics of the oat bases produced are shown in Table 3.

[0474] Table 3. Oat base characteristics.

[0475] Oat base Characteristic

[0476] Batch 1 pH 6.45 Brix 11.51

[0477] Sedimentation (% v / v)116

[0478] Total solids (% w / w) 14.05 pH 6.45

[0479] Brix 11.59

[0480] Batch 2

[0481] Sedimentation (% v / v)115

[0482] Total solids (% w / w) 14.35

[0483] 1After centrifugation at 1500 g for 10 minutes.

[0484] 2. Example 2 — Production of oat base by grinding and high pressure homogenisation

[0485] An oat base was prepared by grinding and high pressure homogenisation as described below.

[0486] 1 . 5.75 kg of chopped oat groats were coarsely ground using a commercial immersion stick blender together with 14.25 kg of cold water to produce a coarse slurry.

[0487] 2. The coarse slurry was cycled through a colloid mill (JML80 with 0.1 mm gap size, Zhejiang Xingsheng Machinery Co. Ltd.) for 5 minutes to produce a fine slurry.

[0488] 3. 800 g of the fine slurry and 200 g water were added to a Vitamix Ascent Series A3500i High-Performance Blender and blended using the "smoothie" function three times.

[0489] 4. The oat suspension was heated to 70°C in a water bath, and 0.4 ml of endo a-amylase (Novozymes BAN ® 480L) and 0.4 ml of exo-acting maltogenic amylase (Novozymes Maltogenase®) were added.

[0490] 5. The suspension was held at 70°C for 45 minutes.

[0491] 6. The suspension was then heated to 95°C and held for 5 minutes, then cooled.

[0492] 7. The suspension was passed twice through a high pressure homogeniser (GEA Lab Homogenizer PandaPLUS 2000) at 500 bar, then five times at 1000 bar, to produce the oat base.

[0493] The oat base was stored at 4°C until needed.

[0494] The particle size distribution of the oat base when used to produce an oat milk is shown in Example 5. 3. Example 3 — Particle size

[0495] 3.1 Materials and methods

[0496] 3.1.1 Sample preparation

[0497] Oat milk sample 1 was prepared from an oat base as described in Example 1 by combining with canola oil at 1 % w / w and sodium chloride at 0.08% w / w.

[0498] For samples S1 to S4, an oat milk base was prepared as follows. Chopped oat groats were combined with cold water at 20% (w / w) oat solids and processed using a coarse grinder to produce a coarse slurry. This was cycled through a colloid mill with a gap of 0.1 mm for 5 min to produce a fine slurry. The oat slurry was added to a Vitamix Ascent Series A3500i High-Performance Blender, and mixed on smoothie function 3 times to produce an oat suspension. The oat suspension was subjected to enzymatic digestion. The enzymes were inactivated by heating to 95°C and held for 5 minutes, then cooled. The suspension was passed twice through a high pressure homogeniser (GEA Lab Homogenizer PandaPLUS 2000) at 500 bar, then three times at 1000 bar, to produce the oat base.

[0499] The oat base was sequentially centrifuged at 162, 253, 364 and 2279 x g. At each speed, the supernatant was removed and centrifuged at the next highest speed, and the pellet retained. The moisture content of a subsample of the pellets was determined by loss on drying. Based on the solids of each fraction, the fractions were recombined at 10% solids to give different particle size distributions.

[0500] Samples S5 to S9 were prepared using variations in grinding time and homogenisation pressure to achieve different particle size distributions.

[0501] Samples S10, S11 and S12 were prepared taking 200 mL of an oat milk with a slight to gritty texture and splitting into two portions. To 99 g of oat milk, 1.0 g of xanthan gum was added with stirring, stirred for 60 minutes then stored at 4°C for 12 h to hydrate. The oat milk was inspected to ensure that the xanthan had dispersed. The xanthan-containing oat milk was then blended with different proportions of the same starting oat milk to achieve different viscosities.

[0502] Viscosity was determined using a Discovery HR 30 Rheometer (TA Instruments) fitted with a concentric cylinder (diameter: 28.04 mm) in a cup (internal diameter: 30.2). The sample was filled into the cup and equilibrated at 25°C for 10 minutes then the shear rate was increased from 0.1 s1to 100 s1over 10 minutes followed by decreasing from 100 s1to 0.1 s1over 10 minutes. An appropriate rheology model was fitted to the table and the viscosity was extracted.

[0503] 3.1.2 Particle size distribution

[0504] The particle size distribution was determined for a subsample of each pellet using a HORIBA Laser Scattering Particle Size Distribution Analyzer LA-950.

[0505] 3.1.3 Sensory analysis

[0506] The sensory was carried out by two expert tasters. Tasting was carried out independently and samples assessed for the level of grittiness and chalkiness. The results were then discussed, samples re-tasted and consensus achieved. 3.2 Results

[0507] The particle size distribution and sensory characteristics of oat milk sample 1 and samples S1-S9 are shown in Tables 4 and 5.

[0508] Table 4. Particle size distribution and sensory characteristics.

[0509] Particle S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 size category

[0510] D10 3.7 4.7 4.8 3.7 1.0 1.0 0.7 0.4

[0511] D20 5.2 6.3 6.3 5.2 3.8 3.5 7.3 0.6

[0512] D40 1 1.3 10.6 10.9 9.7 9.1 9.2 16.2 1.4

[0513] D50 19.2 14.7 14.9 13.7 12.5 12.8 22.4 2.2

[0514] D60 41.5 25.4 23.8 21.1 16.1 16.2 37.9 8.5

[0515] D80 91.5 93.9 86.5 69.6 24.8 23.9 92.7 52.1

[0516] D90 131.8 123 1 17.5 106.9 31.5 30.1 131.6 70.8

[0517] D95 178.4 147.4 143.3 148.3 37.3 35.5 181.4 85

[0518] Sensory Very Gritty Gritty Slightly Smooth Smooth Gritty, Smooth, description gritty gritty, just texture texture unpleasant slightly acceptable mouthfeel chalky Table 5. Particle size distribution and sensory characteristics.

[0519] Particle size Oat milk sample 1 S9 category

[0520] D10 3.6 3.1

[0521] D20 5.0 4.4

[0522] D30 6.5 6.0

[0523] D50 10.6 14.3

[0524] D70 20.5 58.2

[0525] D80 52.2 85.5

[0526] D90 122.3 132.2 D95 178.4 173.4

[0527] Sensory description Acceptable in mouth, slightly gritty on Gritty mouthfeel and on swallowing swallowing

[0528] The particle size distribution of samples S10-S12 is shown in Table 6, and the viscosity and sensory properties is shown in Table 7.

[0529] Table 6. Particle size distribution of adjusted viscosity samples.

[0530] Particle size category D10 D20 D40 D50 D60 D80 D90 D95

[0531] 3.3 4.7 6.4 1 1.7 36.6 77.2 137.7 186.5

[0532] Table 7. Viscosity and sensory properties of adjusted viscosity samples.

[0533] S10 S11 S12

[0534] Xanthan gum (%) 0 0.35 0.50

[0535] Viscosity (mPa.s at 100 s1) 8.6 153.0 190.0

[0536] Sensory description gritty very slightly gritty not gritty, smooth mouthfeel

[0537] 4. Example 4 — Enzyme treatment

[0538] The effects of starch degrading and cell wall degrading enzymes on resistance to sedimentation, [3- glucan content, and dietary fibre content were investigated.

[0539] 4.1 Materials and methods

[0540] 4.1.1 Effect of cell wall degrading enzymes on sedimentation

[0541] Oat slurry

[0542] Chopped oat groats were combined with cold water at 20% (w / w) oat solids and processed using a coarse grinder to produce a coarse slurry. This was cycled through a colloid mill with a gap of 0.1 mm for 5 min to produce a fine slurry. This was packed into 1 kg batches and blast frozen until required.

[0543] When needed, the oat slurry was defrosted and added to a Vitamix Ascent Series A3500i High- Performance Blender, and mixed on smoothie function 3 times to produce an oat suspension.

[0544] Enzyme incubation

[0545] 1 kg of oat slurry (20% solids w / w) was pre-heated to 70°C and Delvo® Plant ALT (DSM) and Maxadjunct™ p L (DSM) were added at 2.25ml / kg and 1.30ml / kg of oat solids, respectively. This was incubated for 30min at 70°C with stirring at 10OOrpm, then split into ten 100 g portions.

[0546] Additional enzymes were added at 0.2% (w / w) as shown in Table 8.

[0547] Table 8. Enzymes added.

[0548] Sample Enzyme(s) Description

[0549] Control - No additional enzymes added

[0550] VC Viscozyme® Multi-enzyme complex with a strong pectolytic activity and a

[0551] (Novozymes) wide range of carbohydrases, including arabanase, cellulase,

[0552] P- glucanase, hemicellulase, and xylanase

[0553] UFM Ultroflo® Max Endo-1 , 4-xylanase and endo-1 ,3(4)-p-glucanase

[0554] (Novozymes)

[0555] CC Celluclast® 1.5 L Catalyzes the breakdown of cellulose into glucose, cellobiose

[0556] (Novozymes) and higher glucose polymers

[0557] KR Kleerase® 100XL Multi-enzyme including pectin esterase, polygalacturonase

[0558] (Zymus) (PG) depolymerase, arabinase, cellulases and hemicellulases Plant BGL [3-glucanase, hydrolyzes [3-glucans and hemicelluloses such as arabinoxylans Plant CEL Multi-component enzyme system including a multi-cellulase complex and hemicellulases that hydrolyze and break down structural and non-structural carbohydrates in plant derived foods

[0559] VCF Viscoferm ® A blend of endo-1 ,4-xylanase, endo-1 ,3(4)-p-glucanase, and

[0560] (Novozymes) cellulase

[0561] PTP Pentopan® Endo-1 , 4-xylanase

[0562] (Novozymes) These mixtures were incubated at 60°C for 120 min with stirring. Enzymes were inactivated by heating to 95°C for 15 min. The hydrolysed oat mixtures were homogenized at 8000 rpm for 1 min using an Ultra Turrax fitted with a S 25 KD - 18 G Dispersing tool.

[0563] Sedimentation

[0564] The ability of the solids to remain suspended was determined by sequentially centrifuging the suspensions at 648, 1458 and 1985 x g and determining the amount of supernatant and precipitate after each centrifuging step.

[0565] 4.1.2 Effect of cell wall degrading enzymes on P-glucan content

[0566] The samples described in section 4.1.1 were freeze dried and the amount of [3-glucan determined using a [3-glucan (mixed linkage) assay kit (K-BGLU, Megazyme). Briefly, 80-120mg of sample was weighed into a centrifuge tube. Water (2.36 ml) was added to hydrate the sample and mixed using a vortex mixer. Ethanol (2.64 ml, 95%) was added so that the final ethanol concentration was 50% (v / v). This was vigorously stirred using a vortex mixer, centrifuged (3500rpm, 15min), the supernatant was discarded, and the pellet retained for analysis according to Method (A) assay procedure for oat and barley flour and fiber samples - streamlined method (AOAC Method 995.16, AACC Method 32-23 and ICC Standard Method No. 166) starting at step 3.

[0567] 4.1.3 Effect of starch degrading enzymes on (3-glucan content

[0568] An enzyme-catalysed starch hydrolysis experiment was used to investigate the role of starch degrading enzymes on [3-glucan.

[0569] Samples of 100 g oat slurry (20%, w / w) as described in section 4.1.1 were pre-heated to 70°C. The samples had either no enzymes added (control), 45pl Plant ATL (2.25ml / kg oat), 26pil of Maxadjunct PL (1 ,30ml / kg oat), or 45pl Plant ATL (2.25ml / kg oat) + 26pil of Maxadjunct [3L (1 ,30ml / kg oat) added.

[0570] These were incubated at 70°C for 30 minutes, and the enzymes inactivated by heating to 95°C for 15 minutes. The beta-glucan was determined as described in section 4.1.2.

[0571] 4.1.4 Effect of temperature on (3-glucanase side-activity of starch degrading enzymes

[0572] An enzyme catalysed starch hydrolysis experiment was performed using an oat [3-glucan concentrate (PromOat® Beta Glucan GF) containing about 29% beta glucan. A solution containing

[0573] 3.1 % (w / w) oat p-glucan concentrate was prepared and split into seven 50 g samples. Four samples were pre-heated to a temperature of 58-62 °C, and 22.5 pL of Delvo® Plant ALT, 20 pL BAN 480 L, 40 pL Novozymes Termamyl ® (a thermostable endo-acting a-amylase), or no enzyme added (control) was added. Three samples were pre-heated to a temperature of 71-73 °C and 22.5 pL of Delvo® Plant ALT, 20 pL BAN 480 L or 40 pL Termamyl added.

[0574] The samples were incubated for 160 minutes and the enzymes inactivated by adjusting the pH to

[0575] 4.2 with 1 M HCI and heating to at least 98°C and holding for 10 minutes.

[0576] The amount of [3-glucan in the samples was determined as described in section 4.1.2.

[0577] 4.2 Results

[0578] 4.2.1 Effect of cell wall degrading enzymes on sedimentation

[0579] The effect of cell wall degrading enzymes on resistance to sedimentation is shown in Table 9.

[0580] Table 9. Resistance to sedimentation. Treatment % w / w pellet % w / w pellet recovered at % w / w pellet recovered at 648 x 3000rpm (30min) from recovered at 1985 x g (30min) supernatant of 648 x g g (50min)*

[0581] Control 24.86 23.82 43

[0582] VC 24.61 21.39 38.5

[0583] UFM 26.45 17.23 36.7

[0584] CC 24.14 23.68 41

[0585] KR 24.19 23.42 39

[0586] PBG 26.45 19.36 38.7

[0587] PC 23.54 21.89 38.4

[0588] * The whole sample was centrifuged at 1985 x g, i.e. it was not sequentially centrifuged.

[0589] 4.2.2 Effect of cell wall degrading enzymes on P-glucan content

[0590] The effect of cell wall degrading enzymes on [3-glucan content is shown in Table 10. The [3-glucan content of another oat milk is also shown. Compared to this oat milk, the control had a 69.2% reduction in [3-glucan content.

[0591] Table 10. (3-glucan content.

[0592] Sample P-glucan content (% w / w dry % reduction in P-glucan compared to details basis) control

[0593] Control 0.52

[0594] VC 0.43 17.3

[0595] UFM 0.38 26.9

[0596] CC 0.32 38.5

[0597] KR 0.51 1.9

[0598] PGB 0.22 58.1

[0599] PC 0.32 39.0

[0600] VCF 0.14 74.0

[0601] PTP 0.43 17.3

[0602] 4.2.3 Effect of starch degrading enzymes on P-glucan content

[0603] Given the reduction in [3-glucan content of the control compared to the unprocessed oat milk sample, the role of starch degrading enzymes (Delvo® Plant ALT and Maxadjunct™ p L) in p-glucan degradation was investigated.

[0604] Incubation of the oat slurry with Delvo® Plant ALT, and Delvo® Plant ALT + Maxadjunct™ p L, resulted in a 27.7% and 29.7% reduction in [3-glucan respectively, suggesting that Delvo® Plant ALT is responsible for the observed reduction in [3-glucan content.

[0605] 4.2.4 Effect of temperature on P-glucanase side-activity of starch degrading enzymes Termamyl showed no demonstratable [3-glucanase activity, and samples at both temperatures exceeded the absorbance limits permitted for the assay indicating little or no degradation had occurred.

[0606] The Plant ALT sample incubated at a temperature of > 70°C showed at least 6.5 fold more [3-glucan than the Plant ALT sample incubated at about 60°C.

[0607] The BAN 480 L sample incubated at a temperature of > 70 °C showed at least 8.9 fold more [3- glucan than the BAN 480 L sample incubated at about 60°C.

[0608] The Plant Alt sample incubated at a temperature of > 70°C showed at least 2.1 fold more [3-glucan than the BAN 480 L sample incubated at > 70°C. The Plant Alt sample incubated at a temperature of 60°C showed at least 3.1 fold more [3-glucan than the BAN 480 L sample incubated at 60°C.

[0609] 5. Example 5 — Oat milk

[0610] 5.1 Oat milk formulation 1

[0611] An oat milk was prepared using the oat base produced in Example 1 section 1.2.

[0612] The oat base was mixed with water and canola oil as shown in Table 1 1.

[0613] Table 11. Oat milk formulation 1.

[0614] Ingredient Amount added (kg)

[0615] Oat base from Example 1 (14% total solids) 71.43

[0616] Water 27.47

[0617] Canola oil 1.00

[0618] Salt 0.10

[0619] Total 100.00

[0620] The ingredients were combined in a high speed mixer and the pH was adjusted to 7.6-7.7 with 20% w / v dipotassium phosphate solution so that after UHT treatment, the pH was 7.5.

[0621] The oat milk was subjected to UHT treatment: the oat milk was preheated to 70-75°C, heated to 142°C and held for 10 s, cooled to 70-75°C, passed through a two-stage homogeniser (Tetra Pak pilot scale homogeniser) with a total pressure of 380 bar and stage 2 pressure of 80 bar, and cooled to 25°C. The oat milk was then aseptically packaged.

[0622] The particle size distribution of the oat milk was determined using a HORIBA Laser Scattering Particle Size Distribution Analyzer LA-950. The oat milk had a volume-based particle size distribution as shown in Table 12.

[0623] Table 2. Volume-based particle size distribution.

[0624] Proportion of particles (by volume) Particle size (pm)

[0625] 5% < 2.5

[0626] 10% < 3.3

[0627] 20% < 4.7

[0628] 30% < 6.4

[0629] 50% < 11.7

[0630] 70% < 36.6

[0631] 80% < 77.2

[0632] 90% < 137.7

[0633] 95% < 186.5

[0634] 5.2 Oat milk formulation 2 An oat milk was prepared using the oat base produced in Example 2.

[0635] The oat base was mixed with water and canola oil as shown in Table 13.

[0636] Table 13. Oat milk formulation 2.

[0637] Ingredient Amount added (g)

[0638] Oat base from Example 2 (20% total solids) 300.0

[0639] Water 298.9

[0640] Canola oil 1.0

[0641] "Salt 0.1

[0642] Total 600.0

[0643] The ingredients were combined in a high speed mixer and the pH was adjusted to 7.6 with 20% w / v dipotassium phosphate solution so that after heat treatment, the pH was 7.5.

[0644] The oat milk was subjected to heated to 90°C and held for 15 minutes, cooled to 50°C, passed through a two-stage homogeniser (GEA Lab Homogenizer PandaPLUS 2000) with a total pressure of 500 bar and stage 2 pressure of 50 bar, and cooled to 25°C.

[0645] The oat milk was packaged and stored at 4°C. The particle size distribution of the oat milk was determined using a HORIBA Laser Scattering Particle Size Distribution Analyzer LA-950.

[0646] The oat milk had a volume-based particle size distribution as shown in Table 14. Table 14. Volume-based particle size distribution.

[0647] Proportion of particles (by volume) Particle size (pm)

[0648] 10% < 1.2

[0649] 20% < 2.7

[0650] 40% < 7.4

[0651] 50% < 13.3

[0652] 60% < 19.4

[0653] 80% < 31.4

[0654] 90% < 39.7

[0655] 95% < 46.6

[0656] 5.3 Oat milk formulation 3

[0657] An oat milk prepared as described in section 5.2, using the formulation shown in Table 15.

[0658] Table 15. Oat milk formulation 3.

[0659] Ingredient % w / w

[0660] Oat base from Example 2 (20% total solids) 56.292

[0661] Water 42.494

[0662] Canola oil 1.013

[0663] Salt 0.101

[0664] Dipotassium phosphate 0.1-0.2 5.4 Fortified oat milk

[0665] An oat milk prepared as described in section 5.2, using the formulation shown in Table 16.

[0666] Table 16. Fortified oat milk formulation.

[0667] Ingredient % w / w

[0668] Oat base from Example 2 (20% total solids) 56.292

[0669] Water 42.494

[0670] Canola oil 1.013

[0671] Salt 0.101

[0672] Dipotassium phosphate 0.1-0.2

[0673] Tricalcium phosphate 0.200

[0674] Vitamin B2 0.0002

[0675] Vitamin B12 0.0005

[0676] 5.5 Barista, enriched, high protein, and chocolate oat milks An oat base was prepared as described in section 1.2 of Example 1.

[0677] For the high protein oat milk, a protein solution containing 10% w / w protein was prepared. 80 kg of water at 60°C was combined with 8.9 kg of oat protein powder in a high shear mixer (Tetra Pak, recirculation type) and mixed for 15 minutes under high shear. The solution was allowed to hydrate for 45 minutes, and passed once through a double-stage homogeniser (GEA Lab Homogenizer PandaPLUS 2000) at 600 / 80 bar (stage 1 / stage 2). The resulting solution contained -10% w / w protein.

[0678] For the chocolate milk, the cocoa powder was combined with water prior to combining with the other ingredients. 1.28 kg of cocoa powder (i.e. 0.8% w / w of a 160 kg batch of chocolate oat milk) was combined with 25 kg water and heated to 95°C for 30 minutes.

[0679] Oat milks were then prepared by combining ingredients shown in Table 17 in a high shear mixer (Tetra Pack Scanima) and mixed with heating to 60°C. Dipotassium phosphate was added to adjust the pH to 7.8 ± 0.05 (7.9 ± 0.05 for high protein oat milk). Table 17. Oat milk formulations.

[0680] Ingredient Barista Enriched High protein Chocolate

[0681] Oat base to 10% total oat to 10% total oat to 10% total oat to 10% total oat solids solids solids solids

[0682] Canola oil 2% w / w 1 % w / w 1 % w / w 1 % w / w

[0683] Sodium chloride 0.08% w / w 0.08% w / w 0.08% w / w 0.08% w / w

[0684] Vitamins & minera ils 72 g

[0685] Oat protein solution (10% 50 kg w / w) Potassium

[0686] .+140 g carbonate

[0687] Dipotassium . . . . p .hosp .ha *te 1 kg 1 kg 320 g

[0688] Gellan gum 32 g in 3.2 kg water

[0689] Cocoa powder 0.8% w / w

[0690] Sugar

[0691] Vanilla flavour 16 ml

[0692] Chocolate 32 ml

[0693] Total 160 kg 160 kg 160 kg 160 kg

[0694] The mixture was then subjected to ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment using an indirect UHT process. The mixture was pre-heated to 70-75°C, followed by heating to 142°C for 10 seconds. The mixture was then cooled to 70-75°C, homogenised using a single stage at 380 bar, cooled to 25°C, and packaged. Characteristics of the oat milks are shown in Table 18.

[0695] Table 18. Oat milk characteristics. Oat milk Characteristic Before UHT After UHT pH 7.65 7.25

[0696] .tBrix 9.98 1 1.17 aNS aSedimentation (% v / v)117 12.0

[0697] Total solids (% w / w) 12.21 12.12 pH 7.64 7.16 Brix 9 95 1076

[0698] Total solids (% w / w) 15.09 14.98

[0699] 1After centrifugation at 1500 g for 10 minutes.

[0700] 6. Example 6 — Oat milk comparison

[0701] The nutritional profiles of an oat milk comprising all parts of hulled oat groats (including endosperm, germ, and bran) and comparative oat milks were compared. 6.1 Materials and methods

[0702] Sample 1 was an oat milk comprising all parts of hulled oat groats, and was prepared as described in Example 5, formulation 1.

[0703] Sample 2 was a comparative oat milk in which more than a third of the oat material was removed as insoluble particles. Sample 3 was a commercial oat milk product made from whole grain oats (USA- Elm hurst).

[0704] The water, protein, lipid, ash and dietary fibre of samples 1 and 2 were determined using AOAC online 950.46B, AOAC 981.10 online (using protein correction value for oats of 5.83), acid hydrolysis and solvent extraction, AOAC 942.05 online and AOAC 991.43 online, respectively. From these results the carbohydrate content was calculated as the difference from 100% and the sum of the water, protein, lipid, ash and dietary fibre contents.

[0705] The micro-element composition of samples 1 , 2, and 3 were also determined. Oat milk samples were digested by microwave after addition of nitric acid, and digested samples were analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and results quantified after internal calibration. 6.2 Results

[0706] The macro-nutrient composition of samples 1 and 2 are shown in Table 19.

[0707] Table 19. Composition of oat milks.

[0708] Sample 1 — Oat milk Sample 2 — Oat milk with omposi ion g containing whole grain insoluble particles removed

[0709] Water 89.00 87.86

[0710] Protein 1.59 0.93

[0711] Lipid (Total) 1.60 1.70

[0712] Dietary fibre 0.81 0.10

[0713] Ash 0.50 0.30

[0714] Carbohydrate 6.50 9.11 Sample 1 had a higher dietary fibre and protein content than sample 2. Sample 1 also had a whole grain content of 25.0 g / 250 ml, whereas sample 2 contained no whole grain, as a portion of the whole grain, in the form of insoluble particles, had been removed.

[0715] The micro-element composition of samples 1 , 2, and 3 is shown in Table 20.

[0716] Table 20. Micro-element composition of oat milks.

[0717] Sample 1 Sample 2 „ , „

[0718] Sample 3 Micro-element Oat milk Oat milk with

[0719] . .. . ... . . . . . . . . . .. . Commercial oat milk

[0720] (mg / kg oat milk) containing whole insoluble particles ,

[0721] . . (USA-Elmhurst) grain removed

[0722] Boron 0.36 ± 0.02 0.16 ± 0.01 < 0.1

[0723] Magnesium 132.00 ± 2.83 26.2 ± 0.28 51.75 ± 0.07

[0724] Calcium 99.80 ± 3.1 1 13.45 ± 0.35 88.2 ± 0.57

[0725] Manganese 5.52 ± 0.09 0.97 ± 0.00 2.27 ± 0.06

[0726] Iron 4.71 ± 0.08 0.79 ± 0.00 1.18 ± 0.01

[0727] Zinc 2.95 ± 0.05 0.6 ± 0.02 1.11 ± 0.04

[0728] Sample 1 had higher levels of boron, magnesium, calcium, manganese, iron, and zinc than comparative samples 2 and 3.

[0729] 7. Example 7 — Comparative oat milks

[0730] The composition and properties of an oat milk described herein was compared with those of oat milks produced using comparative processes.

[0731] 7.1 Materials and methods

[0732] 7.1.1 Oat milk sample 1 An oat milk sample was produced from an oat base as described in Example 1 . The formulation of the oat milk was the same as Sample 1 in Example 6.

[0733] 7.1.2 Comparative sample 1

[0734] Heat-treated oats were pulverised using a dry ball mill to obtain a micronised oat flour with an average particle size of 39.3 pm. The oat flour was dissolved in water (15% w / w), heated at 55°C and stirred for 12 minutes to prepare a raw material slurry. Enzymes were added as a percent of the oat flour weight — [3-amylase (0.35% w / w) and transglucosidase (0.35% w / w) were added to the raw material slurry and incubated at 60°C for 30 minutes, then 0.35% w / w a-amylase and 0.5% w / w of transglutaminase were added and incubated at 60° C for 60 minutes. The hydrolysed raw material slurry was heated to 90°C for 15 minutes to inactivate enzymes, producing an oat base.

[0735] The oat base was formulated into a simple oat milk with the addition of 1 % w / w canola oil and 0.15% w / w sodium chloride, followed by homogenisation with an ultraturrax fitted with a S 25 KD - 18 G dispersing tool at 1000 rpm for 1 minute.

[0736] 7.1.3 Comparative sample 2

[0737] Heat-treated oats were wet ground in a colloid mill, then ground three times in a Vitamix on smoothie function to obtain a slurry with a Dgo of < 158 pm and the solids adjusted to 14.3% w / w. Alpha-amylase (BAN480S, 0.2% w / w), pullulanase (0.4% w / w) and amyloglucosidase (Plant Glu, 0.2% w / w) were added to the slurry then incubated at 60° C for 90 minutes. The pH was adjusted to 6.9 with disodium hydrogen phosphate and heated to about 98°C for 5 minutes to inactivate the enzymes. 0.05% w / w transglucosidase was added and incubated at 60°C for 90 minutes. The pH was adjusted to 8.5 with 4M sodium hydroxide solution, and the enzyme was inactivated by heating to between 95-100°C for 30 s. The slurry was centrifuged at 162 x g to remove coarse particles to produce an oat base.

[0738] The oat base was formulated into a simple oat milk with the addition of 1 % canola oil and 0.15% sodium chloride followed by homogenisation with an ultraturrax fitted with a S 25 KD - 18 G dispersing tool at 1000 rpm for 1 minute.

[0739] 7.1.4 Comparative sample 3

[0740] Heat-treated oats were wet ground in a colloid mill, then ground three times in a Vitamix on smoothie function, then homogenised in a high pressure homogeniser with two passes at 600 bar and two passes at 1000 bar to obtain a slurry with a Dgo of < 73.7 pm and the solids adjusted to 14.3% w / w. Alpha-amylase (BAN480S, 0.2% w / w), pullulanase (0.4% w / w) and cellulase (Celluclast, 0.1 % w / w) were added and incubated at 60°C for 90 minutes. The pH was adjusted to 6.9 with disodium hydrogen phosphate and heated to about 98°C for 5 minutes to inactivate the enzymes. 0.2% w / w transglucosidase was added and incubated at 60°C for 90 minutes. The pH was adjusted to 8.5 with 4M sodium hydroxide solution, and the enzyme was inactivated by heating to 95-100°C for 30 s to produce an oat base.

[0741] The oat base was formulated into a simple oat milk with the addition of 1 % canola oil and 0.15% sodium chloride followed by homogenisation with an ultraturrax fitted with a S 25 KD - 18 G dispersing tool at 1000 rpm for 1 minute.

[0742] 7.1.5 Properties and composition

[0743] The sensory properties of the oat milks were assessed by two expert tasters with a focus on product smoothness.

[0744] The p-glucan content was determined using a Megazyme mixed linkages kit following the methodology for liquid samples. The dietary fibre content was determined according to AOAC 942.05 online and AOAC 991.43 online. The water, protein, lipid and ash was determined using AOAC online 950.46B, AOAC 981.10 online (using protein correction value for oats of 5.83), acid hydrolysis and solvent extraction, AOAC 942.05 online and AOAC 991.43 online, respectively. From these results the carbohydrate content was calculated as the difference from 100% and the sum of the water, protein, lipid, ash and dietary fibre contents.

[0745] Viscosity was determined as described in Example 3.

[0746] 7.2 Results

[0747] Oat milk sample 1 was not chalky and only very slightly gritty. Comparative sample 1 had a very chalky mouthfeel, with a fine grittiness. Comparative sample 2, after removal of the coarse material, had a thin mouthfeel, but not chalky or gritty. Comparative sample 3 was less chalky than comparative sample 1 , and very slightly gritty.

[0748] The composition of oat milk sample 1 and comparative sample 3 is shown in Table 21 .

[0749] Table 21. Composition.

[0750] Component Oat milk sample 1 Comparative sample 3

[0751] Total solids (g / 100 g) 1 1 16

[0752] Oat solids (g / 100 g) 10 15 Water (g / 100 g) 89.00 84.00

[0753] Carbohydrate (by difference) (g / 100 g) 6.50 10.44

[0754] The p-glucan and dietary fibre content of the samples are shown in Table 22.

[0755] Table 22. (3-glucan and dietary fibre content.

[0756] Component Oat milk Comparative Comparative Comparative sample 1 sample 1 sample 2 sample 3

[0757] P-glucan (g / 100 g 0.19 0.01 Not detected 0.02 oat milk) dietary fibre (g / 100 7.4 Not tested 1.5 3.5 g oat solids) The viscosity of the samples is shown in Table 23.

[0758] Table 23. Viscosity.

[0759] Oat milk sample Comparative sample Comparative sample 1 1 3

[0760] Viscosity (mPa-s at 100 1 1.0 2.3 10.1 s’1)

[0761] 8. Example 8 — Oat cream

[0762] 8.1 Single and double oat cream Single and double oat creams were prepared as follows:

[0763] Ingredients were combined in a high shear mixer (Tetra Pack Scanima) with water as needed and mixed with heating to 60°C. Dipotassium phosphate was added to adjust the pH to 7.5 ± 0.05.

[0764] The mixture was then subjected to ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment using an indirect UHT process. The mixture was pre-heated to 70-75°C, followed by heating to 142°C for 10 seconds. The mixture was then cooled to 70-75°C, homogenised at 50 / 20 bar (stage 1 / stage 2), cooled to 30°C, and packaged.

[0765] Single and double cream formulations are shown in Table 24 and Table 25 respectively.

[0766] Table 24. Single oat cream. Ingredient % w / w

[0767] Oat milk formulation 3 (Example 5) 65.9

[0768] Fully hydrogenated coconut fat 3.1

[0769] Coconut oil, RBD17

[0770] Water 12.1

[0771] Canola oil 1 1

[0772] Mono diglyceride 0.6 sucrose esterified fatty acid (DK Ester® F-160) 0.3

[0773] 1Refined, bleached, and deodorised.

[0774] Table 25, Double oat cream.

[0775] Ingredient % w / w

[0776] Oat milk formulation 3 (Example 5) 66.40

[0777] Fully hydrogenated coconut fat 15.78

[0778] Coconut oil, RBD17.86

[0779] Canola oil 8.75

[0780] Mono diglyceride 0.81 sucrose esterified fatty acid (DK Ester® F-160) 0.40

[0781] 1Refined, bleached, and deodorised.

[0782] 8.2 Culinary cream and whipping cream Additional oat creams were prepared as described above using the oat base produced in section

[0783] 1 .2 of Example 1 . The formulation of these creams is shown in Table 26, their composition in Table

[0784] 27, and their properties in Table 28.

[0785] Table 26. Oat cream formulations.

[0786] Ingredient Culinary cream Whipping cream

[0787] Oat base to 4.5% total oat solids to 4.5% total oat solids

[0788] Sodium chloride 64 g 64 g

[0789] Stabilisers (combined in 12 kg water at 50°C)

[0790] Coconut oil, RBD 1 1.2 kg 12.5 kg

[0791] Fully hydrogenated coconut fat 4.96 kg 24.2 kg

[0792] Canola oil 18.2 kg 16.1 kg sucrose esterified fatty acid (DK 0.56 kg 0.64 kg

[0793] Ester® F-160)

[0794] Monoglycerides 0.72 kg 1.296 kg

[0795] Dipotassium phosphate 288 g 160 g

[0796] Total batch size 160 kg 160 kg Table 27. Oat cream composition.

[0797] Component (g / 100 g) Culinary cream Whipping cream

[0798] Water 72.875 60.939

[0799] Protein 0.714 0.714

[0800] Lipid 22.545 34.481

[0801] Dietary fibre 0.441 0.441

[0802] Ash 0.5 0.5

[0803] Carbohydrate12.925 2.925

[0804] 1Calculated by difference

[0805] Table 28. Oat cream characteristics.

[0806] Oat cream Characteristic Before UHT After UHT pH 7.55 7.22

[0807] _ Brix 6.36 13.36

[0808] Cu 11 n a ry c rea m . . .... ... . --- .

[0809] 3Sedimentation (% v / v) 10 7

[0810] 1After centrifugation at 1500 g for 10 minutes.

[0811] 8.3 Whipped cream properties

[0812] The properties of various oat cream formulations when whipped was investigated.

[0813] 8.3.1 Oat bases

[0814] A standard oat base was prepared as described in Example 2. A limited-digestion oat base was prepared as follows:

[0815] 1. 5.75 kg of chopped oat groats were combined with 14.25 kg cold water and blended to produce a coarse slurry.

[0816] 2. The coarse slurry was cycled through a colloid mill with a gap of 0.1 mm for 5 min to produce a fine slurry. This was packed into 1 kg batches and blast frozen until required. 3. When needed, a 1 kg bag of oat slurry was defrosted for 24 h at 4°C.

[0817] 4. 800 g of the oat slurry and 200 g water were added to a Vitamix Ascent Series A3500i High- Performance Blender and mixed on smoothie function 3 times to produce an oat suspension. 5. The oat suspension was transferred to a beaker, heated to 70°C in a water bath, and 0.45 mL of a-amylase enzyme (DSM Delvo® Plant ALT) was added. This was held at 70°C for 45 minutes.

[0818] 6. The enzymes were deactivated by heating the suspension to 95°C and holding at this temperature for 5 minutes.

[0819] 7. The suspension was cooled and transferred to a high pressure homogeniser (Panda Plus 2000). The suspension was passed twice through homogeniser at 500 bar and five times at 1000 bar, then chilled to 4 °C until required.

[0820] 8.3.2 Oat whipping cream formulations Whipping cream formulations were prepared as detailed in Tables 29-31.

[0821] Table 29. Whipping cream formulations.

[0822] Amount (% w / w)

[0823] Ingredient 1 2 3 4 5 6

[0824] Standard oat base (20% w / w oat solids) 33.20 0.00 22.50 0.00 0.00 0.00

[0825] Limited digestion oat base (20% w / w oat solids) 0.00 33.20 0.00 22.50 22.50 22.50

[0826] Water 25.05 25.05 35.75 35.75 35.75 35.75

[0827] Lipid mix 33.00 33.00 33.00 33.00 33.00 33.00

[0828] Glucose monohydrate 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.00 2.00 2.00

[0829] MDG 0.81 0.81 0.81 0.81 0.61 0.40 sucrose esterified fatty acid, DK Ester F-160 0.40 0.40 0.40 0.40 0.60 0.81

[0830] Stabiliser mix 7.50 7.50 7.50 7.50 7.50 7.50

[0831] Salt 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.04

[0832] Table 30. Lipid mix.

[0833] Ingredient Amount (% w / w)

[0834] Coconut fat RBD 40.55

[0835] Hydrogenated coconut fat 30.41

[0836] Canola Oil 29.04

[0837] Table 31. Stabiliser mix.

[0838] Ingredient Amount (% w / w)

[0839] Guar gum solution (1 % w / w) 33.33 Xanthan gum solution (1 % w / w) 33.33

[0840] Lipids were combined and heated to 45-55°C with stirring to ensure homogenisation. MDG was added to the lipid mixture and heated to 75-80°C until completely melted. DK Ester F-160, and guar, xanthan, and carrageenan solutions (1 % w / w) were combined with the oat base, water, glucose, and salt and heated to 45-55°C with stirring. The lipid mixture was then slowly added under intense stirring (700 rpm) for 8 minutes. The solution was then heated at 90°C for 10 minutes followed by cooling to 70°C before homogenising the mixture using a Panda Plus 2000 at 50 / 20 total pressure / stage 2, respectively. The final solution was then cooled to 15°C with stirring and the pH was adjusted to 7.5 using 20% w / v dipotassium phosphate solution. The final product was stored at 4°C until further use.

[0841] 8.3.3 Methods

[0842] The test method was based on the methods of Bruhn and Bruhn (1988, Journal of Dairy Science, 71 :857-862) and van Lent et al (2008, International Dairy Journal, 18:1003-1010).

[0843] Briefly, an unwhipped cream sample was poured into a container of known volume, the sample weighed, and the density calculated. A 500mL sample of the same cream stored at 5°C was placed into a stainless steel mixing bowl and whipped, stopping every 30s to determine whether the maximum overrun had been reached. Whipping continued until the cream had reached maximum overrun (based on visual inspection) and the time recorded. The whipped cream was placed into the same container of known volume and re-weighed. The density of the whipped cream was calculated. The overrun value was calculated using the formula:

[0844] OR(%) = ((weight cream -Wei C| htwhipped cream ) / weig htwhipped cream ) x 100

[0845] 8.3.4 Results

[0846] The creams were held for 10 days at 4°C before whipping, and the results are shown in Table 32. Formulations 1 and 2 were not whipped as they were solid. Formulations 3-6 remained pourable after 10 days storage and were able to be whipped using a standard procedure.

[0847] Table 32. Cream formulation performance.

[0848] Sample Observation of Observation of Overrun (%) cream whipped cream

[0849] 1 Solid -

[0850] 2 Solid

[0851] 3 Pourable Bubbly 370.54

[0852] 4 Pourable Bubbly 350.44

[0853] 5 Pourable Smooth 229.91

[0854] 6 Pourable Smooth 216.20 Though the overruns of formulations 5 and 6 were lower than 3 and 4, the appearance and richness of 3 and 4 were improved and firmness was higher. The cream formulations in order of pourability were 3 > 4 > 5 > 6. The formulations in order of smoothness after whipping were 5=6 > 4 > 3. Piped whipped cream formulation 5 stood better on the plate than the other formulations.

[0855] 9. Example 9 — Fermented products

[0856] Fermented products may be made from an oat base. It may be desirable to modify the oat base to achieve desirable attributes in the fermented products. For example, it may be desirable to use an oat base having a higher content of longer starch fragments or intact starch, by modifying or removing the starch hydrolysis step during production of the oat base.

[0857] 9.1 Oat base

[0858] 9.1.1 Intact starch

[0859] An oat base comprising intact starch was prepared as follows:

[0860] 1. 5.75 kg of chopped oat groats were combined with 14.25 kg cold water and blended to produce a coarse slurry.

[0861] 2. The coarse slurry was cycled through a colloid mill with a gap of 0.1 mm for 5 min to produce a fine slurry. This was packed into 1 kg batches and blast frozen until required.

[0862] 3. When needed, a 1 kg bag of oat slurry was defrosted for 24 h at 4°C.

[0863] 4. 800 g of the oat slurry and 200 g water were added to a Vitamix Ascent Series A3500i High- Performance Blender and mixed on smoothie function 3 times to produce an oat base. The oat base was chilled until required.

[0864] 9.1.2 Limited starch digestion

[0865] A limited starch digestion oat base was prepared as described in 9.1.1 , with the following additional steps:

[0866] 5. The oat base was transferred to a beaker, heated to 70°C in a water bath, and 0.45 mL of a- amylase enzyme (DSM Delvo® Plant ALT) was added. This was held at 70°C for 45 minutes.

[0867] 6. The enzymes were deactivated by heating the suspension to 95°C and holding at this temperature for 5 minutes. 7. The oat base was cooled and transferred to a high pressure homogeniser (Panda Plus 2000). The suspension was passed twice through homogeniser at 500 bar and five times at 1000 bar, then chilled to 4 °C until required.

[0868] 9.2 Unsweetened oat yoghurt

[0869] An unsweetened oat yoghurt was prepared as follows:

[0870] The intact starch oat base was heated to 90°C for 2 minutes, then added to the limited starch digestion oat base in a ratio of 30% intact starch oat base, 70% limited digestion oat base. The mixture was heated to 37°C in a water bath, inoculated with 2U / 1000L of lactic acid bacteria (DSM Delvo® Plant FP 210) and held at 37°C until the pH decreased to about 4.2.

[0871] The yoghurt was transferred to Vitamix Ascent Series A3500i High-Performance Blender and mixed on the smoothie function for one cycle, then transferred into polypropylene pottles and stored in the fridge.

[0872] The yoghurt had a pleasant oat flavour and desirable texture with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel.

[0873] 9.3 Oat cream cheese

[0874] Flavoured and unflavoured cream cheeses were prepared as follows:

[0875] The formulation of the cream cheeses are shown in Table 33. The limited digestion oat base at a pH of 6.4 and 20% oat solids was inoculated with lactic acid bacteria (DSM Delvo® Plant FP 410) and held at 35°C until the pH was about 4.0 to produce a fermented oat base.

[0876] Concurrently, the intact starch oat base, salt, optional flavouring, and beta-glucan concentrate (PromOat® Beta Glucan GF) were combined using high shear mixing. The lipid and oil components were melted and added to the oat base (intact starch) with high shear mixing. The fermented oat base was added to the intact starch oat base mixture using high shear mixing and the pH was adjusted if necessary to 4.3 or less. This composition was heated to 90°C to pasteurise the product, cooled to 70°C and homogenised at 350 / 50 bar (total pressure / stage 2), cooled to 5°C, and packed into polypropylene tubs and stored at 4°C.

[0877] Table 33. Oat cream cheese formulations.

[0878] Ingredients Flavoured Unflavoured

[0879] Limited digestion oat base 38.7% 38.7%

[0880] Intact starch oat base 35.2% 35.4% Hydrogenated coconut oil 9.8% 9.8%

[0881] Coconut Oil 9.8% 9.8%

[0882] Canola Oil 5.0% 5.0%

[0883] Oat 0-glucan concentrate 1.0% 1.0%

[0884] Flavouring 0.1 % 0.0%

[0885] Salt 0.4% 0.3%

[0886] The oat cream cheese had a spreadable, smooth texture.

[0887] 10. Example 10 — Minimising fibre and |3-glucan degradation

[0888] Experiments are conducted to determine appropriate temperature and / or digestion time to minimise the degradation of dietary fibre and [3-glucan while still allowing sufficient starch and / or cell wall hydrolysis.

[0889] 10.1 Materials and methods

[0890] A range of starch- and / or cell-wall-degrading enzymes are tested, including for example Delvo® Plant ALT and BAN 480 L.

[0891] The effect of time and / or temperature on [3-glucan and dietary fibre degradation is tested as described in section 4.1.4 of Example 4, with the following changes:

[0892] A range of incubation temperatures between about 60°C and about 85°C are tested. A range of incubation times between 0 and about 100 minutes are also tested.

[0893] The enzymes are inactivated at neutral pH by heating to 95°C for 10 minutes.

[0894] The amount of [3-glucan is determined as described in section 4.1.2 of Example 4, and the amount of dietary fibre is determined as described in AOAC 991.43 online.

[0895] 10.2 Results

[0896] The incubation time and temperature are selected to minimise degradation of [3-glucan and dietary fibre, while still allowing sufficient starch and / or cell wall hydrolysis.

[0897] Industrial application

[0898] This invention generally relates to compositions comprising whole oats. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention relates to an oat base comprising whole oats, and nutritional compositions such as oat milk and oat cream comprising whole oats. Methods for producing an oat base and nutritional compositions are also provided.

Claims

INDICATIVE CLAIMS:

1. An oat base comprising: a. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids; and c. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv.

2. An oat base comprising: a. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. p-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.20 g / 100 g total solids; and c. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm;ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv.

3. The oat base of claim 1 or 2, comprising fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 5.0 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 6.0 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 7.0 g / 100 g total solids.

4. The oat base of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least about 20% w / w of total fibre present in the oat base is derived from oats, preferably at least about 50% w / w, more preferably at least about 90% w / w.

5. The oat base of any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising [3-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.40 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 0.80 g / 100 g total solids, more preferably at least about 1.00 g / 100 g total solids, most preferably at least about 1.50 g / 100 g total solids.

6. The oat base of any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a protein content of at least about 8% w / w relative to total solids.

7. The oat base of any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a total solids content of from about 5% to about 30% w / w.

8. The oat base of any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising material derived from oat bran in an amount of at least about 1 % w / w relative to total solids.

9. The oat base of any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising:a. at least about 0.20 mg / 100 g total solids of boron; b. at least about 30 mg / 100 g total solids of magnesium; c. at least about 20 mg / 100 g total solids of calcium; d. at least about 1.0 mg / 100 g total solids of manganses; e. at least about 1.0 mg / 100 g total solids of iron; f. at least about 0.7 mg / 100 g total solids of zinc; or g. any combination of any two or more of a to f.

10. The oat base on any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the oat base is an aqueous liquid composition.

11. A nutritional composition comprising: a. oat solids comprising material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 0.1 g / 100 g total solids and / or at least about 0.1 g / 100 g of the nutritional composition, preferably at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids and / or at least about 0.4 g / 100 g of the nutritional composition; and c. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm;iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv.

12. A nutritional composition comprising: a. oat solids comprising material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; b. p-glucan in an amount of at least about 20 mg / 100 g total solids and / or at least about 20 mg / 100 g of the nutritional composition, preferably at least about 0.40 g / 100 g total solids and / or at least about 40 mg / 100 g of the nutritional composition; and c. particles derived from oats, wherein: i. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; ii. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iii. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; iv. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or v. any combination of any two or more of i to iv.

13. The nutritional composition of claim 11 or 12, comprising fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 5.0 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 6.0 g / 100 g, more preferably at least about 7.0 g / 100 g.

14. The nutritional composition of any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the nutritional composition comprises [3-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.80 g / 100 g total solids, preferably at least about 1.0 g / 100 g, more preferably at least about 1.5 g / 100 g.

15. The nutritional composition of any one of claims 11 to 14, comprising: a. one or more lipids; b. one or more minerals; c. one or more vitamins; d. one or more stabilising agents; e. one or more sweeteners; f. one or more flavouring agents; or g. any combination of any two or more of a to f.

16. The nutritional composition of any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the nutritional composition is a food, a beverage, a fermented product, or an acidified product.

17. The nutritional composition of any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the nutritional composition is an oat milk.

18. The nutritional composition of any one of claims 11 to 17, comprising oat solids in an amount of from about 5% to about 15% w / w, preferably from about 8% to about 12% w / w, more preferably about 10% w / w.

19. The nutritional composition of any one of claims 11 to 18, comprising a lipid content of from about 0.1 % to about 5% w / w.

20. The nutritional composition of any one of claims 11 to 19, comprising a protein content of at least about 1.0% w / w.

21. The nutritional composition of any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the nutritional composition is an oat cream.

22. The nutritional composition of any one of claims 11 to 16 or 21, comprising oat solids in an amount of from about 1 % to about 10% w / w, preferably from about 2.5% to about 6.5% w / w, more preferably about 4.5% w / w.

23. The nutritional composition of any one of claims 11 to 16 or 21 to 22, comprising a lipid content of at least about 10.0% w / w.

24. The nutritional composition of any one of claims 11 to 23, comprising: a. at least about 0.20 mg / 100 g total solids of boron; b. at least about 30 mg / 100 g total solids of magnesium; c. at least about 20 mg / 100 g total solids of calcium; d. at least about 1.0 mg / 100 g total solids of manganese; e. at least about 1.0 mg / 100 g total solids of iron; f. at least about 0.7 mg / 100 g total solids of zinc; or g. any combination of any two or more of a to f.

25. The nutritional composition of any one of claims 11 to 24, wherein the nutritional composition comprises the oat base of any one of claims 1 to 10.

26. A method of producing an oat base, the method comprising the steps of: a. providing oat material comprising oat endosperm, germ, and bran; and b. processing the oat material to produce an oat base comprising: i. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; ii. fibre derived from oats in an amount of at least about 4.0 g / 100 g total solids; and iii. particles derived from oats, wherein: iv. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm;v. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; vi. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; vii. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or viii. any combination of any two or more of iv to vii.

27. A method of producing an oat base, the method comprising the steps of: a. providing oat material comprising oat endosperm, germ, and bran; and b. processing the oat material to produce an oat base comprising: i. oat solids in an amount of at least about 50% w / w relative to total solids, wherein the oat solids comprise material derived from oat endosperm, germ, and bran; ii. p-glucan in an amount of at least about 0.20 g / 100 g total solids; and iii. particles derived from oats, wherein: iv. the volume-based D60 of the particles is less than about 23 pm; v. the volume-based D80 of the particles is less than about 80 pm, preferably less than about 70 pm, more preferably less than about 60 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; vi. the volume-based D90 of the particles is less than about 140 pm, preferably less than about 125 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm;vii. the volume-based D95 of the particles is less than about 190 pm, preferably less than about 180 pm, more preferably less than about 150 pm, more preferably less than about 70 pm, most preferably less than about 50 pm; or viii. any combination of any two or more of iv to vii.

28. The method of claim 26 or 27, wherein the oat material is, or comprises, hulled oat groats.

29. The method of any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein the processing comprises contacting the oat material with one or more enzymes.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the one or more enzymes comprise a starch degrading enzyme and / or a cell wall degrading enzyme.

31. The method of claim 29 or 30, wherein the one or more enzymes, when incubated with [3- glucan at 60°C for 120 minutes, reduces the amount of [3-glucan by less than about 60%, preferably less than about 30%, more preferably less than about 10%.

32. The method of any one of claims 26 to 31, wherein oat material comprises [3-glucan, and wherein the oat base comprises [3-glucan in an amount that is at least about 40% of the amount of [3-glucan present in the oat material, preferably at least about 70%, more preferably at least about 90%.

33. The method of any one of claims 26 to 32, wherein the processing comprises grinding, preferably grinding with water.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the grinding comprises grinding with a colloid mill, a microcut grinding mill, or a Silverson-type inline grinding system.

35. The method of any one of claims 26 to 34, wherein the processing comprises homogenising.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the homogenising is at a pressure of from about 250 to about 750 bar.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the homogenising is at a pressure of at least about 800 bar.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the homogenising comprises a first homogenisation step at a pressure of from about 250 to about 750 bar, and a second homogenisation step at a pressure of at least about 800 bar.

39. An oat base produced by the method of any one of claims 26 to 38.

40. The method of any one of claims 26 to 38, or the oat base of claim 39, wherein the oat base is an oat base according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

41. A method of producing a nutritional composition, the method comprising contacting: a. the oat base of any one of claims 1 to 10, 39, or 40; b. water; c. optionally one or more lipids; d. optionally one or more minerals; e. optionally one or more vitamins; f. optionally one or more emulsifiers; g. optionally one or more stabilisers; and h. optionally one or more flavours; to produce the nutritional composition.

42. A nutritional composition produced by the method of claim 41.

43. The method of claim 41 , or the nutritional composition of claim 42, wherein the nutritional composition is a nutritional composition according to any one of claims 11 to 25.

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