GOS-HMO Aqueous Composition for Stable Liquid Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) result in syrups that are not storage stable due to crystallization, necessitating energy-intensive drying or crystallization steps, and require solid dosing in wet blending processes, which is complicated and not commonly supported by production plants.
Innovation Solution
Aqueous compositions are formulated by blending HMO-containing syrups with GOS, FOS, and/or PDX, maintaining a solids content of 50-80 wt%, with specific weight ratios, to create a storage-stable liquid that can be easily dosed in wet blending processes, eliminating the need for crystallization and drying steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If HMO syrup is concentrated to above 70 wt% or cooled to prevent microbial contamination, then microbial safety is improved, but HMO crystallizes out of the syrup reducing storage stability
Solution Approach 1:
GOS syrup is introduced as an intermediary substance that modifies the physical chemistry of the HMO syrup system. The GOS acts as a mediator that interferes with HMO crystallization through molecular interactions, allowing the system to maintain stability at lower concentrations where microbial growth would normally occur, thus resolving the contradiction between microbial safety and storage stability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the concentration parameter of HMO from the conventional >70 wt% to a lower range of 25-70 wt%, and simultaneously adjusts the system composition by adding GOS. This parameter change allows the syrup to remain stable without crystallization while still maintaining microbial safety through the combined effect of lower water activity and the presence of GOS
2Stability of the object's composition
If HMO syrup is dried to form powder to ensure storage stability, then storage stability is improved, but energy consumption increases due to energy-intensive drying steps
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the energy-intensive drying step from the conventional HMO processing sequence. By formulating a stable liquid syrup through the addition of GOS, the process removes the need for spray-drying or freeze-drying operations, thereby significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining storage stability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the expensive and energy-intensive drying process with a simpler, lower-cost liquid formulation approach. The GOS-HMO syrup system provides inherent stability without requiring conversion to powder form, eliminating the need for costly drying equipment and energy input
3Manufacturing precision
If solid HMO is dosed in wet blending processes, then dosing precision is improved, but device complexity increases as solid dosing is not commonly supported by production plants
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from solid dosing to liquid dosing, utilizing hydraulic principles that are inherent in wet blending processes. The liquid HMO-GOS syrup can be dosed using standard liquid handling equipment already present in wet blending production plants, eliminating the need for complex solid dosing mechanisms while maintaining dosing precision through volumetric measurement
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional HMO production methods are used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but productivity decreases due to crystallization steps and drying requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the HMO production with GOS production into a single integrated syrup formulation process. By combining these two oligosaccharides in liquid form, the process eliminates separate crystallization and drying steps that would otherwise be required for HMO, thereby increasing productivity while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary formulation by pre-mixing HMO and GOS in their syrup forms before final product formulation. This preliminary action creates a stable liquid composition that prevents subsequent crystallization, eliminating the need for later crystallization steps and improving overall process efficiency and productivity
Data Source
AI summary
Aqueous oligosaccharide composition having a solids content of 50-80 wt %, 45-100 wt % of said solids consisting of (i) one or more oligosaccharides selected from galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), polydextrose (PDX), and combinations thereof, and (ii) one or more human milk oligosaccharides (HMO), wherein the weight ratio of (i) oligosaccharides selected from galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), polydextrose (PDX), and combinations thereof to (ii) human milk oligosaccharides is in the range 0.25-600.