A method for treating autoimmune and/or inflammatory disease includes a step of identifying a subject exhibiting symptoms of autoimmune and/or inflammatory disease administering a fasting mimicking diet. A probiotic composition for gastrointestinal autoimmune and/or inflammatory disease Bacteroides acidifaciens, Bifidobacterium choerinum, and combinations thereof is also provided.

Aspects described herein relate to food and beverage compositions infused with lipophilic active agents and methods of use for the treatment of a variety of disorders. More particularly, aspects described herein relate to food and beverage compositions infused with lipophilic active agents such as cannabinoids, nicotine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), and vitamins, that provide enhanced bioavailability of the lipophilic active agents in a subject, and that mask unpleasant tastes of lipophilic active agents.

A device for controlling the temperature of products to be frozen during a freeze drying process includes a plurality of Peltier elements and at least one magazine including different areas for accommodating products to be frozen. The Peltier elements are separably controllable such that the different areas of the magazine are maintainable at different temperatures during a freeze drying process.

Provided is a kelp chip manufacturing method which does not require frying with no transformation of the shape of kelp but has high preference. The kelp chip manufacturing method includes: a kelp braising process of braising kelp using one of starch syrup, soy source, olive oil or mixture of starch syrup, soy source and olive oil; a kelp heating process of heating the braised kelp in a retort-pouched state; and a kelp freeze-drying process of freeze-drying the heated kelp. The kelp chip manufacturing method can manufacture kelp chips with high preference in texture, taste and so on through the kelp braising process and the kelp heating process.

The invention relates to a three-dimensional food printing system and method for fabricating porous hydrogel particles having small sizes and high porosity. The inventive method first forms a highly consistent biopolymer solution with desired rheological properties. The biopolymer solution is extruded using a 3D food printing system and then freeze-dried into the desired porous hydrogel particles, having a desired particle size, morphological, structural, thermal and textural properties, and crystallinity. The hydrogel particles can then be utilized for targeted delivery systems for bioactive compounds, nutraceuticals, micronutrients, probiotics, and the like, and can also be used in connection with personalized nutrition and medicine plans and programs.

The invention relates to a three-dimensional food printing system and method for fabricating porous hydrogel particles having small sizes and high porosity. The inventive method first forms a highly consistent biopolymer solution with desired rheological properties. The biopolymer solution is extruded using a 3D food printing system and then freeze-dried into the desired porous hydrogel particles, having a desired particle size, morphological, structural, thermal and textural properties, and crystallinity. The hydrogel particles can then be utilized for targeted delivery systems for bioactive compounds, nutraceuticals, micronutrients, probiotics, and the like, and can also be used in connection with personalized nutrition and medicine plans and programs.

Provided are methods of preserving and/or storing Synsepalum dulcificum berry, which may involve separating a pulp of the berry into two or more parts; and freeze drying the berry with the separated pulp.

A method for treating autoimmune and/or inflammatory disease includes a step of identifying a subject exhibiting symptoms of autoimmune and/or inflammatory disease administering a fasting mimicking diet. The fasting mimicking diet provides the subject with at most 50% to 75% of the subject's normal caloric intake. A probiotic composition for gastrointestinal autoimmune and/or inflammatory disease Bacteroides acidifaciens, Bifidobacterium choerinum, and combinations thereof is also provided.

Compositions wherein foodstuffs act as carriers of freeze-dried probiotics provide new means for administration of probiotics. The products that are easily shipped may be eaten as purchased or mixed with other ingredients to provide variety in the diet while administering beneficial probiotic organisms to the gastrointestinal tract.

Flavor encapsulation is generally performed by mixing flavor with a prolamin solution and drying the mixture into powdered forms of encapsulated flavor. In one embodiment, flavor and zein are separately dispersed in an alcohol-water mixture of appropriate ratio prior to mixing. In another embodiment, an aqueous food comprising bioactive components is mixed with the prolamin solution, thereby initiating precipitation of the prolamin and concentration of the bioactive components in said aqueous food. Resulting powdered forms of encapsulated flavor comprise the bioactive components from the aqueous food. In another embodiment, a two-phase drying process may be employed comprising removal of alcohol for evaporation-induced-self-assembly of zein microstructures, followed by removal of remaining water to produce said powdered form.