Process for production of improved nutritional products containing milk protein and milk saccharides, and products obtained by the process

A method of producing a nutritional product, comprising the steps of: a) providing a milk feed, b) subjecting the milk feed to microfiltration (MF) or microfiltration/diafiltration, thereby providing an MF retentate enriched with respect to micellar casein and an MF permeate enriched with respect to milk serum protein, c) subjecting the MF permeate to nanofiltration (NF) or nanofiltration/diafiltration using a membrane that allows for the passage of monovalent ions but retains milk saccharide to obtain an NF retentate and an NF permeate, d) subjecting the NF retentate to electrodialysis, so as to obtain a demineralised, milk saccharide-containing milk serum protein product which has a reduced level of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. The method may also include a step e) adding a casein source, and optionally one or more additional ingredients, to the demineralised, milk saccharide-containing milk serum protein product to obtain the nutritional product, and f) optionally converting the product to a powder, wherein the milk serum protein-containing streams following step b) are not subjected to ultrafiltration that separates milk serum protein from milk saccharide. The method provides nutritional products, such as, for example, infant formula or infant formula bases containing milk proteins and milk saccharides.