This invention provides an IFN inducer comprising, as an active ingredient, lactic acid bacteria and capable of inducing IFN production, an immunopotentiating agent or prophylactic agent against virus infection comprising such inducer, and a food or drink product comprising such IFN inducer and having IFN-inducing activity, immunopotentiating activity, or prophylactic activity against virus infection. The agent for inducing IFN production comprises, as active ingredients, lactic acid bacteria that can activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and promote IFN production, such as Lactococcus garvieae NBRC100934, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris JCM16167, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris NBRC100676, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM1180, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM11040, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC12007, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NRIC1150, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM20101, Leuconostoc lactis NBRC12455, Leuconostoc lactis NRIC1540, Pediococcus damnosus JCM5886, or Streptococcus thermophilus TA-45.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a fermented milk product (e.g. a pasta filata cheese) with a relatively stable pH value at the end of the fermentation comprising use of lactase in a first step (a) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in a further step, characterized by that the LAB are lactose-deficient (Lac(?)) and capable of metabolizing glucose (Glu(+)). The invention further relates to a Streptococcus thermophilus cell CHCC26980 deposited with registration number DSM32600 and a method to obtain a mutant of this strain.

This invention provides an IFN inducer comprising, as an active ingredient, lactic acid bacteria and capable of inducing IFN production, an immunopotentiating agent or prophylactic agent against virus infection comprising such inducer, and a food or drink product comprising such IFN inducer and having IFN-inducing activity, immunopotentiating activity, or prophylactic activity against virus infection. The agent for inducing IFN production comprises, as active ingredients, lactic acid bacteria that can activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and promote IFN production, such as Lactococcus garvieae NBRC100934, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris JCM16167, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris NBRC100676, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM1180, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM11040, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC12007, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NRIC1150, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM20101, Leuconostoc lactis NBRC12455, Leuconostoc lactis NRIC1540, Pediococcus damnosus JCM5886, or Streptococcus thermophilus TA-45.

The present invention provides a process for the preparation of a cheese, the process comprising the steps of (i) providing milk; (ii) acidifying the milk, where the mild is acidified with carbon dioxide to a pH of 6.2 to 6.6 when measured at a temperature of 29 to 38 C. to provide an acidified milk; (iii) inoculating the acidified milk with a starter culture, wherein the inoculation is a direct vat inoculation, to provide an inoculated acidified milk and making the cheese therefrom; wherein the inoculated acidified milk contains a coagulant, wherein the coagulant comprises at least a microbial protease coagulating agent.

The present invention is related to the field of bioprotection, in particular to the strain of Lactobacillus paracasei CHCC14676 with accession no. DSM25612. Furthermore, the present invention concerns an antifungal composition comprising the strain, an antifungal composition comprising the strain and at least one strain of Lactobacillus rhamnosus, food, feed and pharmaceutical products comprising such an antifungal composition, a method of manufacturing such food, feed and pharmaceutical products, a method for reducing the content of yeasts and molds of such food, feed and pharmaceutical products and uses of the antifungal composition.

The invention relates to a polypeptide having chymosin activity which: a. is capable of hydrolyzing bovine alpha s1-casein at position F23F24 so as to form s1-I CN (f24-199) more rapidly than camel chymosin; and b. has a C/P ratio higher than the C/P ratio of bovine chymosin.

The invention relates to a polypeptide having chymosin activity which: a. is capable of hydrolyzing bovine alpha s1-casein at position F23F24 so as to form s1-I CN (f24-199) more rapidly than camel chymosin; and b. has a C/P ratio higher than the C/P ratio of bovine chymosin.

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).

Disclosed are nucleotide sequences encoding thioesterase enzymes, methods for their production, their use in methods to form thioesters, and their use in methods of screening for other wild type bacteria capable of producing said thioesterase enzymes. Also disclosed are compositions comprising thioesters produced by the methods disclosed herein.

Variants of chymosin with improved milk-clotting properties.