The invention relates to barley plants having a high α-amylase activity. The barley plants of the invention may for example carry a mutation in one or more α-amylase promoters, in the HRT gene, in the HBL12 gene and/or in the WRKY38 gene. The invention further provides plant products prepared from said barley plants.

A food composition is disclosed which comprises the acid-resistant bacterial strain Lactobacillus acetotolerans LE36. The L. acetotolerans LE36 strain has anti-inflammatory properties. The food composition can be further provided as a pharmaceutical composition.

The invention relates to a bread-based beverage comprising probiotics selected from Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria, Saccharomyces yeast, or a combination thereof, wherein the probiotics has a live probiotic cell count of >5.0 log CFU/mL. There is also provided a method of preparing the bread-based beverage thereof, comprising mixing bread with water to form a mixture; adding probiotics to the mixture to form an inoculated mixture and fermenting the inoculated mixture to form the beverage.

The present invention discloses a method to prepare a fruit ferment containing propionic acid and/or a salt thereof comprising i) obtaining a liquid fruit preparation, ii) optionally supplementing the liquid fruit preparation with water and/or with additional components to support fermentation, iii) fermenting the optionally supplemented liquid fruit preparation with a propionic acid-producing bacterial strain, iv) optionally further processing the fermentation product, to obtain the fruit ferment. Next to a propionic acid-producing bacterial strain, a lactic acid-producing bacterial strain may be used in the fermentation. The invention also relates to a fruit ferment obtainable by said method.

Rapid hydrolysis methods for producing oat-based beverage compositions, and compositions produced thereby. Continuous flow process to yield a hydrolyzed oat-based beverage in only a few hours, comprising a sequential treatment of an oat flour slurry with glucoamylase and then alpha-amylase enzyme with respective hydrolysis times of less than about 1.5 hours to yield a final hydrolyzed oat slurry, and finishing the composition with one or more flavorings or additional ingredients yield the oat-based beverage composition.

The present application belongs to the technical field of research and development of fermented beverages, and a method for preparing Cordyceps militaris ferment by two-stage fermentation and complex enzymatic hydrolysis is provided. The present application involves preparation of a Cordyceps militaris powder and a Cordyceps militaris slurry, preparation of a Cordyceps militaris fermentation substrate, lactic acid bacteria fermentation in combination with complex enzymatic hydrolysis, and yeast fermentation, followed by centrifugation, filtration, formulation, sterilization, and filling to obtain a product. By employing lactic acid bacteria fermentation in combination with complex enzymatic hydrolysis, and secondary fermentation by yeast, the present application can quickly finish a whole fermentation process in 2 to 3 days.

A beer-taste beverage containing (A) γ-octanolactone, (B) 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), (C) trans-oaklactone, and (D) 4-ethylguaiacol, wherein the components satisfy the following (1) and (2): (1) a concentration ratio of the component A to the component B, A/B (ppb/ppb), is 0.009 or more; and (2) a concentration ratio of the component C to the component D, C/D (ppb/ppb), is 0.1 or more. In the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, rich sweetness and a smoky feel are given in an excellent balance, and off-flavors distinctively owned by the beer-taste beverages or a degradation odor generated with the change over time is masked (reduced), so that a new taste can be provided as a luxury product.

The present invention provides a beer-flavored beverage in which the methanol concentration is 8.0 to 600 mg/L, the total amount of nitrogen is 0.3 mg/100 mL or more, and the apparent extract concentration is 0.25 to 3.8% by mass.

The present invention belongs to the technical field of beverages, and relates to a probiotic fermented fruit and vegetable puree composition containing active bacteria and its preparation method. The composition containing active bacteria is obtained by fermenting fruit and vegetable puree with Lactobacillus casei NCU215. The probiotic fermented fruit and vegetable puree has the following characteristics: the probiotic fermented fruit and vegetable puree may generate a natural mellow sour, effectively remove an astringency in fruit and a wild Artemisia flavor in vegetable, and neutralize an unpleasant sour in the fruit; with probiotic fermentation, the present invention may improve a content of amino acid in the fruit and vegetable by 20% or more, generate multiple aromatic substances, improve a flavor substance by 30% or more, and effectively improve a taste and a mouthfeel of the product; the present invention prolongs a shelf life of the product and prevents rot.

Provided herein are fermented beverages comprising symbiotic microbial communities, and methods of production thereof.