Patent ID: 7781002

Claim:
A water soluble mineral complex of lactobionic acid and mineral metal divalent or multivalent ion, the mineral complex of lactobionic acid comprising lactobionic acid, a mineral metal ion source, and an edible acid, wherein the mineral complex of lactobionic acid provides more dissolved mineral metal ion at room temperature than the corresponding salt of the same mineral metal ion and lactobionic acid per unit volume of water and wherein the mineral complex of lactobionic acid is prepared by mixing about 50 to about 90 percent source of lactobionic acid and about 2 to about 20 percent of the edible acid in an aqueous solution to provide an aqueous edible acid blend and mixing the edible acid blend with about 5 to about 25 percent of the water soluble mineral divalent or multivalent metal ion source to provide the mineral complex of lactobionic acid which includes a mineral metal ion and wherein the mineral complex of lactobionic acid can be incorporated in a food or beverage product to provide about 5 to about 200 percent of the current recommended United States Daily Value of mineral metal per single serving size of the food or beverage product.