High Protein, Micellar Casein-Containing Nutritional Liquids Enriched with Catechin Compounds and Method of Production Stable, High-Protein Dairy Beverages With Added Polyphenols

This patent describes a high-protein nutritional liquid based on micellar casein and enriched with catechin compounds, together with a method of producing it. The composition targets the medical and high-protein consumer beverage market, where it is difficult to keep dairy protein, polyphenols and a drinkable viscosity together in a stable, shelf-ready product.

The Problem

High-protein dairy beverages are a fast-growing category across both medical nutrition and sports and active lifestyle products. As protein concentration rises, however, two problems become acute. First, dairy proteins, particularly casein, tend to aggregate, sediment and increase viscosity rapidly, especially during heat treatment and storage. Second, when functional ingredients such as catechins, the polyphenols famous from green tea, are added, they interact with the proteins in ways that can change colour, taste and stability. Manufacturers want the benefits of both, a high protein load that supports lean mass and recovery, and the additional functional positioning that catechins provide, but they have not had a clean route to combine the two without compromising mouthfeel or shelf life.

What This Invention Does

The patent provides a composition of a high-protein, micellar casein-containing nutritional liquid that is enriched with one or more catechin compounds and that retains acceptable viscosity, colour and stability through processing and storage. It also provides a method for producing such liquids, covering the ingredient selection, processing parameters and any auxiliary steps needed to manage the interactions between micellar casein and the added catechins.

The disclosed approach is positioned to make high-protein, catechin-fortified dairy drinks feasible across pasteurised, UHT and other typical processing routes.

Key Features

• Micellar casein as the protein backbone. Uses milk protein concentrate and micellar casein for slower-digesting protein with strong nutritional positioning.
• Catechin compound enrichment. Adds the polyphenol functionality that supports antioxidant and metabolic claims.
• Controlled viscosity at high protein content. Process and formulation choices that keep the drink within the viscosity range consumers expect, even at elevated protein levels.
• Stability through heat processing. The composition is engineered to survive the heat treatments needed for shelf-stable dairy beverages without unacceptable sedimentation or browning.
• Method of production. The patent claims the process as well as the composition, supporting enforcement against direct manufacturing copying.

Who Is Behind It

The applicant is Arla Foods amba, one of the largest dairy cooperatives in the world, headquartered in Denmark and owned by farmers across Northern Europe. Arla is a major supplier of whey and casein ingredients to the global medical, sports and infant nutrition categories. The named inventor is Marcela Alexander. The Australian patent attorney of record is listed on the title page.

Why It Matters

Australia is a significant market for premium dairy beverages, with strong demand from active-lifestyle consumers and a substantial medical nutrition channel through public and private hospitals and aged care. A composition and process that lets manufacturers combine a high casein load with catechins in a stable, drinkable product opens a clear new positioning across both retail and clinical channels. Holding the IP in Australia matters for any partner production or licensing activity Arla undertakes in the region.

Related Concepts

• Casein – the family of proteins at the heart of the formulation.
• Catechin – the polyphenol class being added.
• Ultra-high-temperature processing – the heat-treatment regime the beverage must survive.
• Functional food – the broader category the product sits in.
• Medical nutrition – one of the principal end markets for stable high-protein dairy drinks.

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AU 2026201892 was published in the Australian Official Journal of Patents on 2 April 2026 and is open for public inspection. Patent applications represent inventions that are sought to be protected and do not necessarily reflect commercially available products.