The application is directed to a method to manufacture pasta-filata cheese based on cultures comprising or consisting of either 1) at least a galactose-positive Streptococcus thermophilus strain as defined herein or 2) at least a Streptococcus thermophilus strain and a Lactococcus lactis strain, and to a stretched curd or cheese produced by this method. The application is also directed to a culture or kit-of-part comprising or consisting of a) a galactose-positive Streptococcus thermophilus strain as defined herein, and b) Lactococcus strain(s) and/or Lactobacillus helveticus strain(s).

The invention concerns a sweetened dairy product comprising a dairy material, at least one steviol glycoside, and a lactase enzyme.

Fermented milk bases and methods of making fermented milk bases are disclosed. Such fermented milk bases are solid and contain little or no non-dairy stabilizers and non-dairy thickeners. Also disclosed are packaged food products including the disclosed fermented milk bases.

A process for producing pure lactic acid from a whey by-product rich in lactose and minerals, for example delactosed why permeate or concentrated whey permeate, is described. The method comprises upstream steps of neutralising the whey by-product with a basic metal hydroxide to form a precipitate comprising calcium and phosphate, and separating the precipitate from the whey by-product to provide a clarified whey by-product. The clarified whey by-product is fermentated by a bacterium capable of bioconversion of lactose to lactic acid to provide a fermentation broth containing a lactic acid salt. In the downstream steps, the fermentation broth is acidified to release lactic acid from the lactic acid salt, precipitate from the broth produced by acidification is removed, and the acidified fermentation broth is treated to recover pure lactic acid by removal of residual salts, and water, and optionally protein. The process of the invention produces lactic acid having a purity of 80-98% and an isomeric purity of >98% L-lactic acid using a process that employs upstream removal of divalent salts by chemical precipitation, bacterial fermentation of the demineralised substrate, and minimum downstream processing of the fermentation broth. The methods of the invention may also be employed with milk permeates.

The present invention relates to a new method of producing a high-protein, acidified, liquid, dairy product. The invention furthermore relates to new high-protein acidified, liquid dairy product, to protein/mineral compositions and uses of these for producing liquid dairy products having a high-protein content and a low viscosity.

The present invention relates to a new method of producing a high-protein, acidified, liquid, dairy product. The invention furthermore relates to new high-protein acidified, liquid dairy product, to protein/mineral compositions and uses of these for producing liquid dairy products having a high-protein content and a low viscosity.

The present invention relates to preparation of cross-linked milk protein co-precipitate, which includes treatment with a transglutaminase, and use of the cross-linked milk protein co-precipitate in production of acidified milk products.

The present invention relates to methods for producing dairy food products modified with respect to their firmness and/or gelation time comprising cross-linked protein compounds and to methods for modifying said properties of said dairy food products, as well as to said modified dairy food products obtainable or obtained by such methods. Modification is achieved by in situ generation of H2O2 via carbohydrate oxidase, preferably cellobiose oxidase (EC 1.1.99.18), and cross-linking protein-tyrosine residues in a reaction using H202 via peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7). Adding small phenolic compounds such as preferably p-coumaric acid or vanillin allows better control of the cross-linking reaction.

The present invention relates to the use of a milk whey protein hydrolysate for preventing or treating transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and/or TEWL-associated disorders or/and enhancing skin barrier function in young and adult mammals. The protein hydrolysate may be used in the prevention or treatment of TEWL-associated disorders, such as atopic dermatitis, dry or reactive skin or skin dehydration. It may also be used in the cosmetic use of improving skin appearance.

The application discloses a method for obtaining polylactic acid (PLA) from cheese whey, which comprises, inter alia, steps of deproteinisation and inoculation, fermentation, separation, polymerisation and drying. The claimed method includes the use of microorganisms such as Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Streptococcus thermophilus. In addition, the separation step includes an adsorption process in a tower packed with activated cationic zeolite, which exchanges H.sup.+ for Ca.sup.+, and the solvent n-pentane is used in said separation step to extract lactic acid, with recovery of 90% of the lactic acid obtained by fermentation.