The present invention relates to high pressure processing (HPP) methods of and containers for preparation of food products such as solid or semi-solid foods, beverages and food supplements containing high-pressure sensitive probiotics and other high-pressure sensitive substances, which maintain their viability, biological activity and other beneficial properties in the prepared food product. The present invention also relates to pasteurized food products containing biologically active high-pressure sensitive probiotics, other high-pressure sensitive substances, or their combinations.

The present invention relates to high pressure processing (HPP) methods of and containers for preparation of food products such as solid or semi-solid foods, beverages and food supplements containing high-pressure sensitive probiotics and other high-pressure sensitive substances, which maintain their viability, biological activity and other beneficial properties in the prepared food product. The present invention also relates to pasteurized food products containing biologically active high-pressure sensitive probiotics, other high-pressure sensitive substances, or their combinations.

A method for producing stirred yogurt, whereby raw milk is treated with a protein glutaminase to form a modified milk prior to fermentation with a starter culture. After fermentation, a gel structure of the resulting yogurt is then disrupted to form the stirred yogurt. Under such a sequence, stirred yogurts are formed having sufficiently high viscosities without the need for thickeners or cross-linking enzymes.

The present invention relates to a method for obtaining a lactic acid bacteria strain which results in a high mechanical shear resistance of the products fermented with the strain and to bacteria strains obtainable by such a method. Furthermore, the present invention relates to lactic acid bacteria strains which results in a high resistance towards mechanical shear treatment of the products fermented with the strains or mutants and variants thereof. The improved stability of the texture can be measured as reduced sedimentation in drinking yoghurt applications and reduced syneresis in set-type yoghurt applications. Thus, the present invention also relates to methods for preparation of a fermented milk product, such as a yoghurt, with such lactic acid bacteria strains and to such fermented milk products.

The present invention relates to a method for obtaining a lactic acid bacteria strain which results in a high mechanical shear resistance of the products fermented with the strain and to bacteria strains obtainable by such a method. Furthermore, the present invention relates to lactic acid bacteria strains which results in a high resistance towards mechanical shear treatment of the products fermented with the strains or mutants and variants thereof. The improved stability of the texture can be measured as reduced sedimentation in drinking yoghurt applications and reduced syneresis in set-type yoghurt applications. Thus, the present invention also relates to methods for preparation of a fermented milk product, such as a yoghurt, with such lactic acid bacteria strains and to such fermented milk products.

Process for producing an ambient storage food product comprising providing a food product with a pH of between 3.4 and 4.4, subjecting the food product to a heat treatment to obtain a heat treated food product, adding aseptically to the heat treated food product one or more of ambient storage lactic acid bacteria strains to obtain an ambient storage food product, and storing the ambient storage food product at ambient temperature for a period of time, wherein the ambient storage lactic acid bacteria strain is selected from the group consisting of strains: (i) wherein the strain is capable of retaining viability at the end of 20 days at a temperature of 25 #C; and (ii) wherein the pH at most decreases 0.8 units during the storage period; and (iii) wherein the strain is selected from the group consisting of strains of the genus Oenococcus, and mutants thereof.

Process for producing an ambient storage food product comprising providing a food product with a pH of between 3.4 and 4.4, subjecting the food product to a heat treatment to obtain a heat treated food product, adding aseptically to the heat treated food product one or more of ambient storage lactic acid bacteria strains to obtain an ambient storage food product, and storing the ambient storage food product at ambient temperature for a period of time, wherein the ambient storage lactic acid bacteria strain is selected from the group consisting of strains: (i) wherein the strain is capable of retaining viability at the end of 20 days at a temperature of 25 #C; and (ii) wherein the pH at most decreases 0.8 units during the storage period; and (iii) wherein the strain is selected from the group consisting of strains of the genus Oenococcus, and mutants thereof.

The Lactobacillus curvatus strain deposited as DSM18775 is used as a biopreservative culture in a wide range of meat products due to its production of bacteriocin. The present invention relates to Lactobacillus curvatus strains having an extended lag phase of at least 24 hours at 30° C. relative to DSM18775. In a presently preferred embodiment, the strains are mutants of DSM18775, such as the Lactobacillus curvatus strain deposited as DSM32590 and the Lactobacillus curvatus strain deposited as DSM 32591. Further, the invention relates to a method for inhibiting Listeria in a food product comprising adding bacteria of a Lactobacillus curvatus strain according to the invention to a food product in a concentration of at least 10.sup.5 CFU/g.

The present disclosure relates to a method for preparing an antimicrobial complex strain from kefir, which includes: 1) providing and, optionally filtering, kefir or kefir whey; 2) introducing a fermentable sugar into the kefir or kefir whey, wherein based on the weight of the kefir or kefir whey, at least a saturation amount of said fermentable sugar is used, and allowing curd to gather at the top, so as to form a pre-fermentation composition; and 3) enabling the pre-fermentation composition to ferment until a microbial membrane that is capable of growth develops at the top and a whey liquid forms underneath, and the whey liquid demonstrates antimicrobial activity and has a pH of about 3.0, wherein during the fermentation, if needed, further adding said kefir or kefir whey and/or said fermentable sugar.

The present disclosure relates to a method for preparing an antimicrobial complex strain from kefir, which includes: 1) providing and, optionally filtering, kefir or kefir whey; 2) introducing a fermentable sugar into the kefir or kefir whey, wherein based on the weight of the kefir or kefir whey, at least a saturation amount of said fermentable sugar is used, and allowing curd to gather at the top, so as to form a pre-fermentation composition; and 3) enabling the pre-fermentation composition to ferment until a microbial membrane that is capable of growth develops at the top and a whey liquid forms underneath, and the whey liquid demonstrates antimicrobial activity and has a pH of about 3.0, wherein during the fermentation, if needed, further adding said kefir or kefir whey and/or said fermentable sugar.