A taste and flavor profile enhancing composition is described. The composition includes glucosylated steviol glycosides which can enhance the intensity of a taste and/or a flavor in a food or beverage product.

A vegetable food product and a method of making a dehydrated vegetable food product are provided. A quantity of vegetables is cut to a predetermined size. The quantity of cut vegetables is cooked. The quantity of cut vegetables has surface moisture removed. A flavoring material is imparted into the quantity of vegetables. The quantity of cut vegetables is substantially dehydrated, wherein each of the cut vegetables has a jerky-like texture, whereby shearing through the jerky-like texture requires a force of at least 30 N until a 95% strain is achieved utilizing a TA-HD Plus Texture Analyzer Device. The quantity of vegetable may include a quantity of potatoes.

[Problem] To provide sugar preserved vegetable foods containing sugar alcohol characterized in displaying a quality similar to that of conventional candied foods while being sugar free or with low sugar (reduced sugar).

[Means to Solve the Problem] Sugar preserved vegetable foods, immersion syrup used therefor and method for manufacturing said vegetable foods, wherein 50% or more of the saccharides contained in the sugar preserved vegetable foods consists of sugar alcohol, this sugar alcohol comprising 50% to less than 99.5% maltitol, 0.5% to less than 50% sorbitol, and 5% or less of sugar alcohol with a degree of polymerization of 3.

[Problem] To provide sugar preserved vegetable foods containing sugar alcohol characterized in displaying a quality similar to that of conventional candied foods while being sugar free or with low sugar (reduced sugar).

[Means to Solve the Problem] Sugar preserved vegetable foods, immersion syrup used therefor and method for manufacturing said vegetable foods, wherein 50% or more of the saccharides contained in the sugar preserved vegetable foods consists of sugar alcohol, this sugar alcohol comprising 50% to less than 99.5% maltitol, 0.5% to less than 50% sorbitol, and 5% or less of sugar alcohol with a degree of polymerization of 3.

The present invention relates to a Lactuca sativa seed designated 41-655 RZ. The present invention also relates to a Lactuca sativa plant produced by growing the 41-655 RZ seed. The invention further relates to methods for producing the lettuce cultivar, represented by lettuce variety 41-655 RZ.

The present invention relates to a Lactuca sativa seed designated 41-655 RZ. The present invention also relates to a Lactuca sativa plant produced by growing the 41-655 RZ seed. The invention further relates to methods for producing the lettuce cultivar, represented by lettuce variety 41-655 RZ.

The present invention relates to a Lactuca sativa seed designated 41-692 RZ. The present invention also relates to a Lactuca sativa plant produced by growing the 41-692 RZ seed. The invention further relates to methods for producing the lettuce cultivar, represented by lettuce variety 41-692 RZ.

The present invention relates to a Lactuca sativa seed designated 41-692 RZ. The present invention also relates to a Lactuca sativa plant produced by growing the 41-692 RZ seed. The invention further relates to methods for producing the lettuce cultivar, represented by lettuce variety 41-692 RZ.

A fruit snack with probiotics that is stable at room temperature is manufactured by combining various ingredients including fruit juices/purees to produce a slurry and cooking the slurry to produce a center that contains a high moisture content. The fruit snack center is covered with a barrier layer which in turn is covered by an outer layer that contains heat sensitive ingredients, such as probiotic cultures. The barrier layer substantially prevents migration of moisture from the center to the outer layer, and the fruit snack is cooled prior to applying the outer layer to minimize damage/harm to the heat sensitive ingredients. In addition to including probiotic cultures and being stable at room temperature, the fruit snack has other desirable characteristics including a chewy soft texture and fruit-flavorings, and may be manufactured using traditional processes.

An inventive method and a device for the biotechnological reduction of sugar substances in fruit educts for the purpose of obtaining low-sugar fruit products characterized by enzymatic and/or fermentative reaction processes. Said method is characterized by a closed-loop control process, by means of which the pH value in the low-sugar fruit product is adjusted to a predetermined higher value, as compared to the pH value in the fruit educt, in such a way that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 30% by weight to less than 40% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.6 and 1.0 pH units; or that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 40% by weight to less than 50% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.7 and 1.1 pH units; or that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 50% by weight to less than 65% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.8 and 1.2 pH units; or that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 65% by weight to less than 80% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.9 and 1.3 pH units; or that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 80% by weight, the pH value is increased between 1.0 and 1.4 pH units;
wherein the aforementioned pH values may also turn out to be higher or lower by up to 0.1 or up to 0.2 pH units; and/or
wherein, in the case of fermentatively formed sugar alcohols having a % by weight fraction of up to 3.0% by weight, the increase in the pH value with the simultaneous reduction of the sugar substances may turn out to be less by up to 0.3 pH units, as compared to a purely enzymatic process, wherein preferably both values correlate to each other, in particular, linearly.

The present invention can be used to obtain, in particular, low-sugar fruit products, such as fruit pures or fruit preparations or fruit powder or whole fruit beverages (smoothies) or fruit juices and/or vegetable juices (regardless of whether bottled undiluted as NFC juice or rediluted as fruit juice from fruit juice concentrate) or comparable fruit beverages that can be characterized as alcohol-free.