Two-step emulsification process for preparing infant formula

A process for preparing a lipid and protein component-containing composition, which is an infant or follow-on formula or a growing up milk and which comprises lipid globules, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing an aqueous phase with a dry matter content of 5 to 75 wt. % (based on total weight of the aqueous phase), which comprises at least one protein component,
• b) providing a liquid lipid phase, which comprises at least one lipid,
• c) carrying out a first homogenization step by homogenizing the lipid phase with the aqueous phase in a ratio of 3 to 50% (w/w) lipid to aqueous phase so as to obtain a first lipid and protein component-containing composition comprising lipid globules, wherein at least 10 vol.-% of the lipid globules have a diameter of >12 μm and/or wherein the lipid globules have a volume-weighted mode diameter from 7 to 15 μm, and
• d) carrying out a second homogenization step by homogenizing the first lipid and protein component-containing composition obtained in step c) with an atomizer, wherein the particle size of the lipid globules obtained in step c) is reduced so as to obtain a second lipid and protein component-containing composition comprising lipid globules, wherein less than 10 vol.-% of the lipid globules have a diameter of >12 μm and/or wherein the lipid globules have a volume-weighted mode diameter from 3 to 6 μm,
• wherein the first homogenization step c) is conducted using a rotor stator machine that uses a tip speed of 1 to 15 m/s.