The present invention relates to a bacterium of the species Lactobacillus fermentum wherein the bacterium has the ability to reduce the concentration of acetaldehyde produced by a starter culture during fermentation in a fermented milk product by at least 50%. The invention further relates to compositions comprising the bacterium, methods for producing fermented milk products using the bacterium and the products thus obtained.

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.

A method for producing a lactic acid bacteria fermented milk product comprising fermenting milk with both inoculated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and inoculated Bacillus bacteria.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for producing fermented plant-based compositions, e.g., fermented dairy alternative food products, having cream flavor. The compositions and methods provided herein include bacteria, e.g., Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, useful for producing a ratio of acetaldehyde content to diacetyl content that produces a cream flavor in fermented plant-based compositions. In some embodiments, the bacteria, e.g., Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, decreases acetaldehyde content and/or increases diacetyl content in the fermented plant-based composition. Fermented plant-based compositions, including stored fermented plant-based compositions, produced according to the methods described herein are provided. Also provided are methods for identifying bacteria useful for producing fermented plant-based compositions having cream flavor.

A process for the preparation of a fermented milk product comprising the steps of: providing a milk base comprising glucose and fructose; and fermenting the milk base in the presence of a lactic acid bacterial strain and a glucose-fructose oxidoreductase enzyme.

Disclosed is a method for producing a food-safe dried sprouted seed product, which is especially useful for producing dried sprouted grain and oil seed products. The method results in the reduction or elimination of pathogenic microorganisms in the sprouted seed product and/or powdered seed products produced therefrom.

The disclosure relates in one aspect to a fast acidifying lactic acid bacterium that generates a viscosity in fermented milk greater than about 62 Pa.Math.s after 14 days of storage at 6 C. Further, the disclosure includes method for preparing and products of food, food additive, feed, nutritional supplement, or probiotic supplement, thereof.

The probiotic dairy products with date syrup additives include probiotic yogurts made from both fresh and dried milk, as well as probiotic soft cream cheese. With the addition of date syrup, the probiotic dairy products have increased storage lifetimes, improved textures and tastes, and greater concentrations of probiotic bacterial cultures. The date syrup has a concentration of 5-20 vol %. Optimal results are found for a date syrup concentration of 15 vol %.

[Object] The purpose is to produce fermented milk containing lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria while increasing and maintaining the number of live bifidobacteria by a simple method.

[Solving Means] A method for producing fermented milk in which a first step for mixing raw material milk, lactic acid bacteria, and bifidobacteria and a second step for fermenting the raw material milk are carried out in order, wherein a step for adding lactase to the raw material milk (lactase addition step) is carried out before the completion of the second step and the lactase addition step is carried out at one or more time point selected from before the first step, almost simultaneously with the first step, or after the first step.

The present invention provides methods and compositions related to modulating the resistance of a cell against a target nucleic acid or a transcription product thereof. In some preferred embodiments, the present invention provides compositions and methods for the use of one or more cas genes or proteins for modulating the resistance of a cell against a target nucleic acid or a transcription product thereof. In some embodiments, the present invention provides methods and compositions that find use in the development and use of strain combinations and starter culture rotations. In additional embodiments, the present invention provides methods for labelling and/or identifying bacteria. In some preferred embodiments, the present invention provides methods for the use of CRISPR loci to determine the potential virulence of a phage against a cell and the use of CRISPR-cas to modulate the genetic sequence of a phage for increased virulence level. In still further embodiments, the present invention provides means and compositions for the development and use of phages as biocontrol agents.