The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a strained fermented dairy product comprising the following successive steps: (a) providing a dairy product, (b) adding a lactase and a culture of bacteria comprising at least one strain of thermophilic lactic acid bacteria, with the provision that that it does not comprise any strain of mesophilic lactic acid bacteria, and fermenting the dairy product to obtain a fermented dairy product, and (c) separating a liquid whey from the fermented dairy product to obtain a strained fermented dairy product.

Compositions having surfactant and carbohydrate-degrading activity are produced from Bacillus subtilis strain 6A-1. The compositions include cultured plaque, exudate and fractions having such activity. Methods of producing the compositions and compositions which have increased surfactant and carbohydrate-degrading activity and increased biomass are provided. Proteins and nucleic acid molecules associated with same and methods of identifying compositions comprising the surfactant and carbohydrate-degrading activity are provided. Feeding the compositions to animals results in increased unsaturated and/or decreased saturated fatty acids in the animals and their food products and can also result in increased absorption and/or retention of dietary calcium by said animals.

A pharmaceutical composition for preventing and treating liver diseases, includes cromolyn or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as an active ingredient.

Methods are provided for treating high solids concentrated milk products to delay gelation of the concentrated milk products by minimizing the rate at which the viscosity of the concentrates increases during cold storage. By another approach, the methods described herein are effective to substantially reduce the viscosity of the concentrated milk products. The methods described herein advantageously increase the length of time the high solids milk concentrates remain fluid and pumpable during refrigerated shelf-life. The high solids concentrated milk products treated with the methods provided herein include about 33 to about 43 percent total solids. By one approach, the high solids concentrated milk products have a pH of about 4.6 to about 6.7, and include salt at about 0.25 to about 6 percent by weight of the concentrate.

The invention concerns a sweetened strained fermented dairy product comprising a dairy material, at least one steviol glycoside, at least one additive selected from a polysaccharide of fructose units and a salt. The product may further comprise a lactase enzyme.

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

The invention concerns a sweetened dairy product comprising a fermented dairy composition, and a specific steviol glycoside composition comprising Rebaudioside B. The invention also concerns specific steviol glycoside compositions comprising Rebaudioside B. The fermented dairy composition may comprise lactase and may be strained fermented dairy composition.

Methods are provided for treating high solids concentrated milk products to delay gelation of the concentrated milk products by minimizing the rate at which the viscosity of the concentrates increases during cold storage. By another approach, the methods described herein are effective to substantially reduce the viscosity of the concentrated milk products. The methods described herein advantageously increase the length of time the high solids milk concentrates remain fluid and pumpable during refrigerated shelf-life. The high solids concentrated milk products treated with the methods provided herein include about 33 to about 43 percent total solids. By one approach, the high solids concentrated milk products have a pH of about 4.6 to about 6.7, and include salt at about 0.25 to about 6 percent by weight of the concentrate.

The invention concerns a sweetened dairy product comprising a dairy material, at least one steviol glycoside, at least one additive selected from a polysaccharide of fructose units and a salt.

A fortified dairy-based ready-to-drink beverage includes a dairy component containing aggregates of kappa-casein covalently bonded to beta-lactoglobulin and having a particle size of 5 to 10 m; and an amount of vitamins and minerals sufficient to provide fortification of the ready-to-drink beverage. The ready-to-drink beverage does not contain gum arabic; guar gum; xanthan gum; carrageenan; cellulose gum; an emulsifier; or a buffer. A method of making a fortified dairy-based ready-to-drink beverage includes forming a mixture by mixing a dairy component with an amount of vitamins and minerals sufficient to provide fortification of the ready-to-drink beverage; adjusting the pH of the mixture; homogenizing the pH-adjusted mixture; and subjecting the homogenized mixture to a heat treatment at 80-150 C. for 3 to 300 seconds. Neither the mixture nor the fortified dairy-based ready-to-drink beverage contains gum arabic; guar gum; xanthan gum; carrageenan; cellulose gum; an emulsifier; or a buffer.