A mutant transglutaminase (mutant TG) having high thermostability and/or high pH stability is provided. A mutant TG having a mutation at amino acid residue(s) such as D1, Y24, R48, S101, G102, N139, D142, L147, K152, G157, R167, N176, K181, E182, H188, D189, R208, T245, S246, G250, G275, S284, H289, G301, and K327 and/or a mutation of introducing a disulfide bond.

A block former (1) for the production of blocks of cheese (19) includes an upright drainage column (2) having a feed opening (3) for curd particles (4) at an upper end (5) of the drainage column (2). The drainage column (2) includes an inner wall (6) having an interior surface (7) against which a pillar of curd (8) formed of the curd particles (4) slides as the pillar of curd (8) moves downwardly through the drainage column (2). The upright drainage column (2) is divided into an upper part (9) and a lower part (10). The interior surface (7) at the upper part (9) has a first finish and the interior surface (7) at the lower part (10) has a second finish that provides higher friction with the pillar of curd (8) relative to the first finish.

Novel cheese products and methods of producing such cheese products that include a biogenerated exopolysaccharide (EPS) formed in-situ and separate from the main cream cheese fermentation. In some approaches, the methods and cheese products herein build a unique texture and/or microstructure that permits the cheese to utilize a simplified ingredient line while still mimicking the desired organoleptic characteristics of more-conventional, full-ingredient cheese.

This invention provides an IFN inducer comprising, as an active ingredient, lactic acid bacteria and capable of inducing IFN production, an immunopotentiating agent or prophylactic agent against virus infection comprising such inducer, and a food or drink product comprising such IFN inducer and having IFN-inducing activity, immunopotentiating activity, or prophylactic activity against virus infection. The agent for inducing IFN production comprises, as active ingredients, lactic acid bacteria that can activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and promote IFN production, such as Lactococcus garvieae NBRC100934, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris JCM16167, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris NBRC100676, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM1180, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM11040, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC12007, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NRIC1150, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM20101, Leuconostoc lactis NBRC12455, Leuconostoc lactis NRIC1540, Pediococcus damnosus JCM5886, or Streptococcus thermophilus TA-45.

A method, process, and computer program for determining an order in which a food product is successively cultured with a set of bacterial cultures in a process for producing a fermented food product, each bacterial culture of the set of bacterial cultures including at least one bacterial strain, wherein the set of bacterial cultures comprises a first subset of one or more bacterial cultures comprising one or more unknown bacterial strain, and a second subset of one or more bacterial cultures comprising one or more known bacterial strains, wherein each of the bacterial strains of the second subset is known; wherein the process is carried out with an initial order of the set of bacterial cultures; wherein during culturing with each bacterial culture of the first subset a process sample is collected, wherein a culture sample of a bacterial culture of the second subset is exposed to the collected process samples in order to determine bacteriophage sensitivities of the one or more bacterial cultures of the second subset to bacteriophages present in the collected process sample, wherein an adapted order of the set of bacterial cultures is determined based on the determined bacteriophage sensitivities such as to reduce common bacteriophage sensitivities in successive bacterial cultures.

Cheese that shows a suppressed decrease in texture and/or stretchability of cheese due to heating, may be produced by allowing glucose oxidase, α-glucosidase, transglutaminase, or a combination of such enzymes to act on raw cheese. Cheese analogues improved in meltability and/or stretchability during heating, may be produced by allowing α-glucosidase to act on a mixture containing plant-derived oil and starch, or starch before mixing with plant-derived oil.

Systems and methods for monitoring a cheesemaking process, and for identifying certain stages of the process, are disclosed. The system includes a sonic sensor, along with a processor that will receive, from the sonic sensor, a signal that is indicative of a speed of sound in a material that is being processed in the cheesemaking process. The processor will use the speed of sound to identify a cut point in the cheesemaking process. The processor will generate a signal when the cut point is reached. Optionally, before this happens the processor also may use the speed of sound to identify a flocculation point in the cheesemaking process.

Systems and methods for monitoring a cheesemaking process, and for identifying certain stages of the process, are disclosed. The system includes a sonic sensor, along with a processor that will receive, from the sonic sensor, a signal that is indicative of a speed of sound in a material that is being processed in the cheesemaking process. The processor will use the speed of sound to identify a cut point in the cheesemaking process. The processor will generate a signal when the cut point is reached. Optionally, before this happens the processor also may use the speed of sound to identify a flocculation point in the cheesemaking process.

Systems and methods for monitoring a cheesemaking process, and for identifying certain stages of the process, are disclosed. The system includes a sonic sensor, along with a processor that will receive, from the sonic sensor, a signal that is indicative of a speed of sound in a material that is being processed in the cheesemaking process. The processor will use the speed of sound to identify a cut point in the cheesemaking process. The processor will generate a signal when the cut point is reached. Optionally, before this happens the processor also may use the speed of sound to identify a flocculation point in the cheesemaking process.

Systems and methods for monitoring a cheesemaking process, and for identifying certain stages of the process, are disclosed. The system includes a sonic sensor, along with a processor that will receive, from the sonic sensor, a signal that is indicative of a speed of sound in a material that is being processed in the cheesemaking process. The processor will use the speed of sound to identify a cut point in the cheesemaking process. The processor will generate a signal when the cut point is reached. Optionally, before this happens the processor also may use the speed of sound to identify a flocculation point in the cheesemaking process.