The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a strained fermented dairy product comprising the following successive steps: (a) providing a dairy product containing starch, (b) fermenting the dairy product after adding lactic acid bacteria to obtain a fermented dairy product, and (c) separating a liquid whey from the fermented dairy product to obtain a strained fermented dairy product The present invention relates also to the use of starch for preventing the clogging of the separating device used in the preparation of a strained fermented dairy product.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a fermented milk product, including sequentially performing a first step of mixing raw material milk and lactic acid bacteria to obtain a mixed liquid, and a second step of fermenting the mixed liquid, characterized by performing a step of adding a Paenibacillus-derived protease to the raw material milk and/or the mixed liquid (protease addition step) before the second step is completed. According to this manufacturing method, the hardness of the fermented milk product can be adjusted to a desired value while original smoothness of the fermented milk product is maintained.

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).

Refrigerated or frozen cultured dairy bar products comprise a cultured dairy composition having i) a total solids content of at least about 22% by weight of the cultured dairy composition and a milk solids content of greater than 38 wt % based on total solids content, ii) a gelatin content of from about 0.7 to about 1.5% by weight of the cultured dairy composition, and iii) a viscosity of from about 200,000 cP to about 700,000 cP at 4 C. The cultured dairy composition is in the form of cultured dairy portions completely enveloped by a fat-based coating composition comprising from about 20 to about 80% fat by weight of the fat-based coating composition. The fat-based coating composition is a solid at 45 F. The cultured dairy bar product is at a temperature at or below about 45 F. Processes for making the cultured dairy bar products are also described.

A probiotic organism which is capable of proliferation in iron-rich media, an environment which is generally unfavourable to probiotic organisms, is described.

Bacteriophage Insensitive Mutants (BIMs) of three Streptococcus thermophilus parent strains were generated and characterized for phage sensitivity, sedimentation rate, cell chain length, phage adsorption and CRISPR loci alterations. Several BIMs showed an altered sedimentation phenotype as well as an increase cell chain length, reduced phage sensitivity, reduced phage adsorption and 100% identity in three CRISPR loci. The results show that the derived BIMs have become phage-resistant through a mechanism other than CRISPR.

The invention relates to the manufacture of strained fermented dairy products. The invention allows improvements in the use of the materials and by-products as well as in the properties of the product obtained. A lactic acid bacteria having a low lactose metabolization capacity in acid whey is used.

The invention relates to improved acid whey compositions, having an improve lactose content and stability. The invention also relates to processes of making such compositions.

The present disclosure relates to an immune-enhancing composition comprising Lactobacillus rhamnosus LM1019 and starter strains. An immune-enhancing composition comprising Lactobacillus rhamnosus LM1019 and starter strains according to the present disclosure has an excellent immune-enhancing effect by increasing the amount of nitric oxide (NO) produced and improving the TNF-? secretion ability. Also, since the immune-enhancing composition contains the starter strain, it can be used to produce fermented milk. Under the provisions of the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure, the Lactobacillus rhamnosus LM1019 strain was deposited with the international depositary authority: the Korean Culture Center of Microorganisms (KCCM) on Aug. 11, 2017, under the Accession Number: KCCM12308P.

The present invention relates to a bacterium of the species Lactobacillus fermentum, wherein the bacterium is characterized in that it increases the pH of a fermented milk product comprising the Lactobacillus fermentum during storage after fermentation in comparison to a milk product fermented with the same starter culture not containing the Lactobacillus fermentum. In a related embodiment the present invention provides a bacterium of the species Lactobacillus fermentum characterized in that a fermented milk product comprising the Lactobacillus fermentum maintains a pH above 4.0 when stored for at least 14 days at 25 C., wherein the fermented milk product is obtained by a method comprising incubating a milk with the Lactobacillus fermentum in a concentration of at least 10.sup.7 CFU/g and with a starter culture, fermenting until a pH of 4.6 is reached, shaking the fermented product and cooling. The invention further relates to compositions comprising the bacteria, methods for producing fermented milk products using the bacteria and the products thus obtained.