This invention relates to a nutritious, multiple micronutrient fortified, fat including essential fatty acids and protein rich product to meet the nutritional requirements of undernourished children of age 6 months and above and a process for manufacture thereof.

Nutrition is one of the many factors that influence cognitive development in infants and children, particularly in undernourished children in developing countries. Macronutrient deficiencies, such as energy deficiency, in formative - years, would affect the normal physical growth and development, immunity and also cognitive performance. Similarly, Micronutrient deficiencies, such as iron and iodine deficiencies, are associated with impaired cognitive development in infants and young children and there is emerging, conflicting evidence that deficiencies in zinc, folate, and vitamin B-12 are also linked to compromised development in children. More recent publications indicate a possible role for the long chain n_3 fatty acids, in particular, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), on child cognitive development.,

In the younger age groups when brain development is at its peak it is particularly sensitive to insults due to dietary deficiencies. However, micronutrient deficiencies are known to often coexist, and hence, any fortification if it is to be effective and successful should be on multiple micronutrient basis only.

Biscuits, are products generally made with refined wheat flour, sugar and fat that would have a protein and fat content of around 7 - 9g and 15 - 20g respectively per 100g finished product. Increasing the protein and fat content of biscuits from the above mentioned level is a challenge as incorporation of any source of protein would make the biscuits unacceptable in terms of its taste, flavour, mouth feel and bite characteristics and increased fat levels would lead to unacceptable mouth feel and higher breakages making transportation of the product impossible.

Fortification of biscuits with vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids at high levels would affect the taste, appearance and shelf life characteristics. Hence, to maintain the good taste that is to be acceptable to consumer, normally biscuits, if when fortified, are fortified with only very low levels of said nutrients. Moreover, while vitamins are generally destroyed by heat, they are much more destroyed by moist heat, which makes this incorporation and retention through the shelf life of vitamins at high levels in biscuits is a challenge.

The proposed supplementary food which is a ready to eat biscuit will have the nutritional characteristics mentioned herein:

The supplementary food product proposed here is a baked food product and one of its preferred forms is BISCUIT. The process for the manufacture of a multiple micronutrient and essential fatty acids fortified, protein and fat rich product according to this invention, comprises of mixing vitamin premix with wheat flour, a creaming stage, a dough making stage, addition of vitamin premix mixed with wheat flour, and baking stage, such as described here in, to obtain a formulation with nutritional characteristics as mentioned here in.

A general description of the process proposed herein is given below followed by a process flow chart given as an example for carrying out the process, by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.
Wheat flour is mixed with requisite quantity (6 - 8kgs) depending on the batch size) of vitamin and mineral premix.

In a separate dough mixer, preparation of the dough is taken up through a three stage mixing:

1. Creaming stage: Where in sugar 3-7 %, defatted soya flour, (a source of protein) 15 - 25% are added along with other ingredients like oil (30 - 40%), skimmed milk powder and casein (2 - 6%), soya bean oil and flax seed oil (2 - 4%), emulsifiers (0.5 - 3%), salt, flavour and mixed at RPM >30 followed by leavening agents dissolved in water and mixed at a speed > 30 RPM speed for 2 minutes to 20 minutes.

2. Dough making stage: Wheat flour (35 - 45%) is added and mixed at RPM below 50 for a minute followed by dough conditioner and further mixed at RPM <50 for 7.5 minutes to 30 minutes.

3. Addition of vitamin - mineral premix mixed with wheat flour: Mixture made out vitamin - mineral premix and wheat flour is added at the end of this mixing and mixed at RPM below 50 for a minute or two. This prevents interaction of dough conditioner with vitamin premix and there by helps in retention of vitamins.

PROCESS FLOW CHART PREPARATION OF MIXTURE:

3.5% of vitamin - mineral premix is mixed with wheat flour in a separate blender for 1 - 10 minutes. THIS IS MIXTURE "A".

CREAMING STAGE: 35.0% palm oil, 16.5% defatted soya flour, 4% sugar, 4% skimmed milk powder + Casein, 3.5% soya bean oil + flax seed oil, 0.65% emulsifiers, salt, flavour are mixed at 40 rpm. Leavening Agents dissolved in water is mixed at high speed for 5 - 7 minutes.

DOUGH MAKING STAGE: Wheat flour (39%) followed by Acidulant (Sodium acid pyrophosphate) are added and mixed.

ADDITION OF MIXTURE "A": Mixture of vitamin - mineral premix with wheat flour is added and mixed for a minute or two. Formed dough is then baked.

The terms and expressions in this specification are of description and not of limitation, as such terms and expression do not, and are not intended to, exclude any equivalents of the features of this invention illustrated and described, but various other modes of carrying out the process herein are possible without departing from the scope and ambit of this invention.

We claim:

1. A process for the manufacture of a high fat, high energy, multiple micronutrients fortified, protein rich, nutritious supplementary biscuit comprising the steps of preparing a premix of wheat flour with vitamin and mineral (6 - 8kgs); preparing dough In a separate dough mixer, through a three stage mixing, namely, (i) a creaming stage wherein sugar 3-7 %, defatted soya flour (a source of protein) 15 - 25% are added along with oil (30 - 40%), skimmed milk powder and casein (2 - 6%), soya bean oil and flax seed oil (2 - 4%), emulsifiers (0.5 - 3%), salt, flavour and mixed at RPM >30 followed by leavening agents dissolved in water and mixed at a speed > 30 RPM speed for 2 minutes to 20 minutes (ii) dough making stage wherein wheat flour (35 - 45%) is added and mixed at RPM below 50 for a minute followed by dough conditioner and further mixed at RPM <50 for 7.5 minutes to 30 minutes (iii) addition of the said premix thereafter and mixing the same at RPM below 50 for less than two minutes for enabling optimum retention of vitamins; and baking the resulting mix to obtain biscuits.

2. A process for the manufacture of a high fat, high energy, multiple micronutrients fortified, protein rich, nutritious supplementary biscuit substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the flow chart

3. A high fat, high energy, multiple micronutrients fortified, protein rich, nutritious supplementary biscuit whenever manufactured by a process as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims.