A butter with caramel is suggested, which is obtainable or obtained by: (a) separating whole milk into a skimmed milk fraction and a cream fraction by means of a separation step; (b) subjecting the cream fraction such obtained to a nanofiltration (NF) step and/or a reverse osmosis (RO) step, obtaining a NF/RO retentate and a NF/RO permeate; (c) subjecting the NF/RO retentate such obtained to a heat treatment step, in the process of which the sugar contained therein is caramelised at least in part; and (d) churning the caramelised NF/RO retentate such obtained in a manner known per se.

A process for the coupled production of sweet whey and lactic acid from acid whey is suggested, comprising the following steps: (a) providing acid whey having a lactic acid content of about 0.1 to about 1% by weight; (b) nanofiltration of the acid whey, obtaining a first permeate P1 and a first retentate R1; (c) optionally, redilution of the first retentate R1 with water to reconstitute the initial dry matter content, and preparation of the second nanofiltration step; (d) nanofiltration or nano-diafiltration of the retentate R1, obtaining a second permeate P2 and sweet whey as a second retentate R2; (e) combining the two permeates P1 and P2 and subjecting the mixture to reverse osmosis, obtaining a third permeate P3 which, substantially, only contains water, and a concentrate of lactic acid as a third retentate R3.

The present invention relates to a method (200) for producing a heat-treated concentrated dairy product (cdp). The method (200) comprising the steps of passing (210) the dairy product (dp) under a pre-determined pressure through a reverse osmosis, RO, filter (110) at a first temperature, the pre-determined pressure being sufficient to allow reverse osmosis, thereby concentrating the dairy product (dp). Preheating (230) the concentrated dairy product (dp) at a second temperature for a second period of time to stabilize the concentrated dairy product (dp). Homogenizing (240) the stabilized concentrated dairy product (dp) to reduce a size of particles in the stabilized concentrated dairy product (dp). Heating (250) the stabilized concentrated dairy product (dp) at a third temperature for a third period of time to reduce microorganisms in the stabilized concentrated dairy product (dp), thereby forming the heat-treated concentrated dairy product (cdp).

Food products and systems and methods for their production involve subjecting pasteurized milk to a concentration process thereby forming liquid concentrated milk, then fermenting the liquid concentrated milk to form a fermented concentrated milk product. The fermented concentrated milk product is combined with a liquid emulsifying agent, thereby forming a food product. The food product is formed without the fermented concentrated milk product and the food product reaching a temperature of 145? F.

Disclosed are processes for preparing dry or powder dairy compositions having low lactose contents and containing polyphenol compounds. The resultant dry or powder dairy compositions can be used to form reconstituted fluid dairy products, which can have improved organoleptic properties, such as less cooked flavor, sulfur odor, and brown color.

The method of solvent recovery includes using a plurality of solvent recovery units to recover solvent from a dilute solution. The solvent recovery units can include a plurality of reverse osmosis or forward osmosis membrane systems arranged in series. For reverse osmosis, at least some of the concentrate in a last reverse osmosis unit of the series is recycled back to the permeate of that unit to provide a mixed permeate. The mixed permeate is then passed successively to the permeate side of each preceding reverse osmosis unit in the series. For forward osmosis, a draw solution is passed sequentially from the permeate side of each unit to the permeate side of the preceding unit. The draw solution may be prepared by concentrating part of the concentrate stream by evaporation and recycling it back as a draw solution.

The present invention pertains to a new packaged, heat-treated beverage preparation having a pH in the range of 2.0-4.7. The invention furthermore relates to a method of producing a packaged, heat-treated beverage preparation and to different uses of the packaged, heat-treated beverage preparation.

Food products and systems and methods for their production involve subjecting pasteurized milk to a concentration process thereby forming liquid concentrated milk, then fermenting the liquid concentrated milk to form a fermented concentrated milk product. The fermented concentrated milk product is combined with a liquid emulsifying agent, thereby forming a food product. The food product is formed without the fermented concentrated milk product and the food product reaching a temperature of 145 F.

This disclosure features human milk permeates and compositions containing the same obtained from fractionated whole human milk. The oligosaccharide rich permeate and permeate compositions of the present invention are useful as nutritional supplements for pre-term and full term infants, for establishing or maintaining gut flora and for treating the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.

A method using a membrane-concentration method and a freeze-concentration method includes: a membrane-concentration step in which a fluid to be treated is cooled and a membrane-concentrated fluid is prepared by membrane-concentrating the solid content concentration thereof by more than 1.5 times; an ice crystal generation step in which said membrane-concentrated fluid is cooled, ice crystals of said membrane-concentrated fluid are generated in said membrane-concentrated fluid, and a mixed fluid to be treated is formed wherein said mixed fluid to be treated is comprised of said ice crystals and a concentrated fluid to be treated produced from said membrane-concentrated fluid by generating said ice crystals in said membrane-concentrated fluid thereby said membrane-concentrated fluid is concentrated; and an ice crystal separation step in which said mixed fluid is separated into said concentrated fluid to be treated and said ice crystals, and said separated concentrated fluid to be treated is retrieved.