The present invention relates to a novel strain of Lactobacillus rhamnosus, compositions comprising said strain and to methods for the preparation of such compositions.

The invention relates to the use of a Streptococcus thermophilus strain with a deficiency in glucose metabolism for improving growth of a Lactobacillus strain in a process for producing a fermented milk product.

The present invention relates to novel strains of Streptococcus thermophilus, compositions comprising said strains and to methods for the preparation of such compositions.

The invention relates to a food biopreservative composition comprising a consortium of lactic acid bacteria comprising at least one homofermentative lactic acid bacteria; at least one heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria and an activating agent. The biopreservative composition inhibits the growth of pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus and can prolong the shelf-life of processed and unprocessed food.

Provided is a liquid fermented milk that, while keeping a sourness that is favorable for yogurt, particularly a sourness in a latter stage, has a satisfactory drink feeling and a rich taste, and has a strong feeling of remaining in the mouth, and a long-lasting afterglow of a yogurt flavor. The liquid fermented milk has, in a dynamic property measurement using a measurement device in which a sample of a liquid fermented milk is supplied from a supply unit disposed on an inclined surface onto the inclined surface, the sample supplied from the supply unit toward the inclined surface is detected with a supply sensor, the sample flowing down or sliding down through a predetermined point on the inclined surface is detected with an arrival sensor, the timing of a detection of the sample with each of the supply sensor and the arrival sensor is recorded with a timing recording unit, an image of the sample flowing down or sliding down on the inclined surface is taken from above the inclined surface to obtain a front image, an image of the sample flowing down or sliding down on the inclined surface is taken from a side of the inclined surface to obtain a lateral image, and a state parameter that represents a state of the sample flowing down or sliding down on the inclined surface is calculated using at least one of an output of the timing recording unit, the front image, and the lateral image, whereby a state of swallowing of the sample is simulatively reproduced and a movement and a shape of the sample are measured, an upper part velocity of the sample flowing down or sliding down on the inclined surface of 0.2 m/s or more and 0.55 m/s or less, a maximum thickness of the sample flowing down or sliding down on the inclined surface of 1.4 mm or more and 4 mm or less, a final thickness of the sample flowing down or sliding down on the inclined surface of 0.20 mm or more and 0.7 mm or less, and a shear stress of the sample flowing down or sliding down on the inclined surface of 0.0075 N/m.sup.2 or more and 0.04 N/m.sup.2 or less.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for producing fermented milk products with increased amount of probiotic bacteria. In particular, the invention relates to a process for producing a fermented milk which comprises adding to a milk base (i) a starter culture comprising at least one lactose-deficient Streptococcus thermophilus strain, which is capable of metabolizing a non-lactose carbohydrate, and at least one lactose-deficient Lactobacillus strain, which is capable of metabolizing a non-lactose carbohydrate, (ii) one or more non-lactose carbohydrate capable of being metabolized by the lactic acid bacteria, in an amount measured so as to become depleted when the pH of the fermented milk product is between 4.9 and 5.5 and (iii) a probiotic strain selected from a Lactobacillus strain and a Bifidobacterium strain. In addition, the present invention relates to compositions and to fermented milk food or feed products produced by the process of the invention.

In a preparation step, raw material milk is prepared. In a lactose degradation step, at least part of lactose included in the prepared raw material milk is degraded using a lactose-degrading enzyme. The lactose concentration in the raw material milk in which lactose is degraded is not more than 2.5% by mass with respect to a total amount of the raw material milk. A lactic acid bacterium is added to the raw material milk in which at least part of lactose is degraded, and the raw material milk to which the lactic acid bacterium is added is fermented.

A nutrient dense non-dairy food product includes water, a highly dispersible whole grain ingredient, a protein, a fiber, and a fat such that the product is free of exogenous stabilizers. The food product may also contain a fermentation agent.

The dairy industry today faces a problem of providing an alternative to adding sweeteners to fermented milk products in order to achieve the desired sweet taste without the added calories. Furthermore, it would be highly advantageous to establish a method for reducing lactose in fermented milk products to a level which is acceptable for lactose-intolerant consumers. The above problems have been solved by providing mutant Streptococcus thermophilus strains and mutant Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strains that excrete glucose to the milk when the milk is inoculated and fermented with such Streptococcus thermophilus strains and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp, bulgaricus strains. Thus, the present invention relates to strains of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp, bulgaricus which secrete glucose to the milk substrate during fermentation, as well as to mixed cultures comprising the Streptococcus thermophilus strains and the Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp, bulgaricus strains, starter cultures comprising the strains and dairy products manufactured with the cultures. The present method also relates to use of the strains for decreasing the lactose content of a fermented food product and for boosting growth of the probiotic BB-12®.

The present invention relates to a composition for producing a fermented milk product comprising (i) at least one Streptococcus thermophilus (St) strain, wherein the St strain is galactose-fermenting, wherein the strain carries a mutation in the DNA sequence of the glcK gene encoding a glucokinase protein, wherein the mutation inactivates the glucokinase protein or has a negative effect on expression of the gene, and (ii) at least one Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (Lb) strain, wherein the Lb strain is lactose-deficient and capable of metabolizing a non-lactose carbohydrate.