The present invention relates to a method for making cheese of the continental type or the cheddar type, especially reduced-fat or low-fat cheese.

The present invention relates to compositions for use and formulation as weight management products and in particular fermented dairy foodstuffs. The compositions generally comprise two or more of the following components: a) a microbiome modifying component; b) a satiety modifying component; and c) a metabolic modifying component and at least one of the following: d) Streptococcus thermophilus CBS 139100 and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CBS 139099 microbial strains or mutant strains or fragments or fractions thereof; e) a combination of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus microbial strains which together, or individually, are capable of secreting polysaccharides having high levels of galactosamine and no or low levels of rhamnose and glucuronic acid when grown on a dairy substrate; or f) polysaccharides formed of: i) 15-25% galactosamine; ii) 45-60% galactose; and iii) 20-30% glucose. The compositions may also be useful in the management or treatment of obesity, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension or heart disease.

The present invention relates to compositions for use and formulation as weight management products and in particular fermented dairy foodstuffs. The compositions generally comprise two or more of the following components: a) a microbiome modifying component; b) a satiety modifying component; and c) a metabolic modifying component and at least one of the following: d) Streptococcus thermophilus CBS 139100 and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CBS 139099 microbial strains or mutant strains or fragments or fractions thereof; e) a combination of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus microbial strains which together, or individually, are capable of secreting polysaccharides having high levels of galactosamine and no or low levels of rhamnose and glucuronic acid when grown on a dairy substrate; or f) polysaccharides formed of: i) 15-25% galactosamine; ii) 45-60% galactose; and iii) 20-30% glucose. The compositions may also be useful in the management or treatment of obesity, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension or heart disease.

The present invention provides methods of producing a fermented milk product comprising a step wherein milk is fermented, wherein: (a) the fermentation is initiated by a starter culture, which starter culture comprises lactic acid bacteria capable of metabolizing one or several carbohydrates present in the milk, (b) the fermentation is terminated by a decrease of the concentration of the one or several carbohydrates during fermentation, and (c) the decrease is at least also caused by the metabolic activity of the lactic acid bacteria. The invention further provides respective methods comprising a step, wherein at least part of the whey is separated from the fermented milk product.

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 invention relates to a dry compositions for lactic acid bacteria and in particular to a dry composition comprising from 10.sup.9 to 10.sup.13 cfu/g of the composition of lactic acid bacteria cells, wherein the composition is characterized by that it also comprises following amounts of protective agents (all amounts of protective agents below are given relative to 1 g of lactic acid bacteria cells in the composition): from 6 to 9 g of trehalose, from 0.1 to 1 g of inulin and from 0.5 to 3 g of hydrolyzed casein, and by that it does not comprise a salt of alginic acid. The composition has an improved storage stability of the cell of interest. Comparison experiments have been made between compositions with and without alginate and it has been found that there is substantially no difference between compositions with or without alginate with regard to stability. Further, the invention relates to a method for preparing a dry lactic acid bacteria composition.

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.

A novel co-fermented food product formed from oats and dairy is described herein. The co-fermented food product includes a grain ingredient, a dairy ingredient, and a bacterial culture. The novel co-fermented food product includes a set of metabolites derived from the co-fermentation of the oat ingredient and the dairy ingredient by the bacterial culture.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fermented milk and polysaccharide capable of inhibiting cancerous cachexia. A fermented milk with cancerous cachexia inhibitory effect according to one aspect of the present invention contains Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus as an active ingredient. Also, polysaccharide with cancerous cachexia inhibitory effect according to another aspect of the present invention are produced from the Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. It is preferable that the Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus is Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus OLL1073R-1 (accession number: FERM BP-10741).

An object of the present invention is to provide a fermented milk and polysaccharide capable of inhibiting cancerous cachexia. A fermented milk with cancerous cachexia inhibitory effect according to one aspect of the present invention contains Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus as an active ingredient. Also, polysaccharide with cancerous cachexia inhibitory effect according to another aspect of the present invention are produced from the Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. It is preferable that the Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus is Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus OLL1073R-1 (accession number: FERM BP-10741).