An object of the invention is to provide a novel technique for preventing muscle atrophy by directly promoting muscle synthesis or suppressing muscle degradation without through physical activity. An agent for preventing muscle atrophy containing a lactic acid bacterium having a muscle synthesis-promoting effect and/or a muscle degradation-suppressing effect, a treated product of the lactic acid bacterium or an extract thereof as an active ingredient in which the lactic acid bacterium having a muscle synthesis-promoting effect is Lactobacillus gasseri or the like and the lactic acid bacterium having a muscle degradation-suppressing effect is Lactobacillus reuteri or the like is provided.

The present invention relates to a method of producing a fermented milk product comprising adding lactic acid bacteria to milk, wherein the bacteria comprise Lactobacillus casei and at least one further strain of lactic acid bacteria of a species other than Lactobacillus casei, wherein the further strain has a deficiency in lactose metabolism but is capable of metabolizing one or several carbohydrates other than lactose present in the milk.

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 disclosure relates to a coated probiotic having enhanced acid tolerance, bile tolerance, gastrointestinal survivability, cold storage stability and room temperature storage stability by including milk-derived phospholipid and Aloe vera gel as a coating agent, a food composition containing the same, and a method for producing the same. As the coated probiotic includes the Aloe vera gel and the milk-derived phospholipid as the coating agent, it may have increased stabilities against external environmental stress, such as lyophilization stability and storage stability of the probiotic itself, and may have significantly enhanced acid tolerance and bile tolerance which are the indices of the gastrointestinal stability of the probiotic after taking.

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.

The present disclosure relates to non-dairy fermented food products and methods of making non-dairy fermented food products. In particular, methods are disclosed for making non-dairy fermented food products using pea protein and having a desired texture without the use of added stabilizers.

A method is provided on producing a yoghurt base composition, said method comprising combining butter milk and a small-size-particle WPC-fraction. In addition, the invention provides a method of producing a liquid yoghurt product or liquid yoghurt-like product, said method comprising mixing said yoghurt base composition with a liquid, such as water, milk, butter milk, milk permeate, juice, milk and/or juice concentrates. The invention also comprises a yoghurt base composition and a liquid yoghurt product or liquid yoghurt-like product comprising butter milk and a small-size-particle WPC-fraction. Furthermore, the invention provides a small-size-particle WPC-fraction, wherein said WPC particles have an average size in the range of 15-60 nanometer and the method of producing such a small-size-particle WPC-fraction.

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 present invention provides a method for producing a fermented food, comprising: a fermentation step of fermenting a raw material milk-containing milk preparation solution added with Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Streptococcus thermophilus carrying a prtS gene.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a fermented milk soft cheese product comprising the steps of a) Providing a first milk base, b) Optionally subjecting the first milk base to a concentration step to obtain a concentrated first milk base, c) Adding a first starter culture comprising at least one EPS producing lactic acid bacterium strain, d) Fermenting the concentrated first milk base for a period of time until a target pH is reached to obtain an EPS-containing fermented milk composition, e) Mixing the EPS-containing fermented milk composition with one or more other ingredients, if any, selected from the group consisting of a milk fat composition, a second fermented milk composition and one or more additives, to obtain a fermented milk mixture, and f) Subjecting the fermented milk mixture to heat treatment to obtain a fermented milk soft cheese product.