Sweetener and flavor compositions with improved taste profiles are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of making and methods of using such sweetener and flavor compositions.

Provided herein are compositions with enhanced sweetness per weight when compared to the sweetener carbohydrate or sweetener polyol component thereof, and methods for the preparation thereof.

A method for providing a low lactose milk-based product having GOS fiber is provided in which a milk substrate having lactose is treated with a transgalactosylating enzyme to provide GOS fiber and remaining lactose; deactivating the transgalactosylating enzyme; contacting the milk-based substrate having GOS fiber with a lactase to degrade the remaining lactose to provide the low lactose milk-based product having GOS fiber and deactivating the lactase. Also provided are enzymes and GOS fiber and lactose amounts and stability.

According to the invention, a composition which can promote the growth of a Bifidobacterial strain which can be a good bacterium is provided. The composition contains a human milk oligosaccharide mixture containing lacto-N-neotetraose, lacto-N-tetraose, 2'-fucosyllactose, 3'-sialyllactose, 6'-sialyllactose and Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis.

Methods of making protein-fortified yogurt products are described. The methods may include mixing a casein-containing ingredient with starting milk to make a yogurt milk, where the casein-containing ingredient has a casein-to-whey protein ratio of 82:18 or greater. The yogurt milk may be fermented after adding yogurt culture to make a yogurt mixture. The yogurt mixture may then be formed into the protein-fortified yogurt product. The total protein concentration in the protein-fortified yogurt product may be 10 wt. % or more. One variety of the protein-fortified yogurt product is a spreadable yogurt product having the total protein concentration of 11 wt. % or more.

Novel Stevia rebaudiana plant cultivars, a process for preparing superior compositions comprising steviol glycosides, and the advantageous use of the compositions comprising steviol glycosides in consumables, including food and beverage products, are disclosed.

The invention relates to a low-sugar acidified product, preferably yogurt or quark, and to a process for its preparation, wherein a milk raw material having a lactose content in the range from about 0.6 weight-% to 2.5 weight-% is used as a starting material.

A taste-improving agent for a high-intensity sweetener, the taste-improving agent having a carotenoid degradation product as an active ingredient. The taste-improving agent can be formulated through a manufacturing method that includes a step for carrying out an oxidation treatment on carotenoids in an oil and fat to obtain a carotenoid degradation product. The carotenoid degradation product is preferably obtained by degrading one or more selected from the group consisting of carotenes and xanthophylls. The taste-improving agent is suitably used as a food product ingredient, etc., for improving the taste of, inter alia, a food product that includes a high-intensity sweetener.

The present invention is directed to a composition of colloidal microcrystalline cellulose, particularly for developing (uplifting) premium texture in various types of fermented or acidified milk products, preferably, yoghurt types, produced by using a colloidal microcrystalline cellulose and at least one other hydrocolloid, products made therewith and process for production of these products. The present invention is mainly directed to fermented or acidified milk products as yogurt type and ambient stable yogurt.

The present invention pertains to a method of producing a high protein, acidified dairy product by combining a whey protein powder having a pH in the range 3.8-5.2 with a first acidified dairy product.