Method for making yogurt or another fermented milk-based product comprising the steps of: adding to the milk an enzyme preparation based on transglutaminase at a concentration of 0.5-3 units per gram of protein contained in the milk, the transglutaminase being supported on vegetable fibres; homogenising the milk by forcing it through a gap afforded between a lower annular chamber (9) and an upper annular chamber (10) of a homogenising valve (1).

A method and system for processing a fermented dairy product, including feeding, in a product feed conduit, fermented dairy product to a separator, separating the fermented dairy product into a heavy phase and a light phase, returning a part of the light phase to the product feed conduit, such that the returned part of the light phase is mixed with fermented dairy product that is fed into the separator, while another part of the light phase is removed from the fermented dairy product, such that the heavy phase forms a concentrated, fermented dairy product.

An apparatus, comprising a magnetically conductive conduit having a fluid entry port, a fluid impervious boundary wall and a fluid discharge port defining a fluid impervious flow path through the magnetically conductive conduit, at least one end of the conduit having a taper forming a planar surface extending from an outer to an inner surface; an electrical conductor comprising a length of an electrical conducting material having a first and second conductor lead, the electrical conductor coiled with at least one turn to form an uninterrupted coil of electrical conductor encircling a section of the outer surface of the magnetically conductive conduit; and an electrical power supply operably connected to at least one of the first and second conductor leads, wherein the at least one coiled electrical conductor is thereby energized to provide a magnetic field having lines of flux directed along a longitudinal axis of the magnetically conductive conduit.

The present invention comprises a rigid device capable of separating whey from yogurt when inserted into yogurt. The bottom of the device and a portion of the lower sides are walled to a height great enough to create a whey collecting reservoir. An accompanying ladle which fits within the device and is at a sufficient height to allow the collection of liquid into the ladle when inserted in the device may be included as part of a sales package.

A method and system for formulating a required composition in order to produce a determined product from the supply of at least one ingredient that has a time-varying composition; the method has the steps of: (a) pre-establishing a final profile of components of the required composition; (b) providing a first ingredient and a second ingredient, where at least one of them has a time-varying composition; (c) determining an initial profile of components of the first ingredient and the second ingredient; (d) estimating an amount of the first ingredient and the second ingredient to be supplied; (e) supplying, simultaneously or sequentially, the estimated amount of the first ingredient and the second ingredient, and simultaneously, in-line and/or in real-time, generating a real-time profile of components of the amount of the first ingredient and the second ingredient as they are being supplied; (f) determining in-line or in real-time whether the amount of the first ingredient and/or the amount of the second ingredient has changed its composition when comparing the profiles; (g) adjusting the estimate of the amount of the first ingredient and/or of the second ingredient being supplied, if any of them has changed its composition; and repeating steps (e) to (g) until the required composition is achieved.

A process for producing a fermented liquid food product includes the following steps. A liquid is pasteurized. The liquid is completely or partially cooled. The liquid arrives in a tank. Ferments are added to the liquid in the tank. Before the liquid arrives in the tank, the tank is inerted through flushing a headspace of the tank with an inert gas.

The present invention comprises a rigid device capable of separating whey from yogurt when inserted into yogurt. The bottom of the device and a portion of the lower sides are walled to a height great enough to create a whey collecting reservoir. An accompanying ladle which fits within the device and is at a sufficient height to allow the collection of liquid into the ladle when inserted in the device may be included as part of a sales package.

A milking system includes a milking device for milking a milking from a dairy animal. The system is provided with a control unit for the milking system, milking cups, a first milk jar for receiving the milking, a first pumping device for pumping the milking from the first milk jar to a first milk pipe, a second milk jar in flow communication with the first milk pipe for receiving the milking from the first milk jar, and a second pumping device for pumping the milking from the second milk jar into a second milk pipe. The first pumping device is configured to pump the milking at a first flow rate and the second pumping device is configured to pump the milking at a second flow rate, which is lower than the first flow rate. The milking system also includes a heat-exchanging system in flow communication with the second milk pipe.

A method and system for processing a fermented dairy product, including feeding, in a product feed conduit, fermented dairy product to a separator, separating the fermented dairy product into a heavy phase and a light phase, returning a part of the light phase to the product feed conduit, such that the returned part of the light phase is mixed with fermented dairy product that is fed into the separator, while another part of the light phase is removed from the fermented dairy product, such that the heavy phase forms a concentrated, fermented dairy product.

The invention describes a system of industrial production of strained yogurt which enables the natural straining by means of separation means, with the optimal use of the raw material, with the least possible stressing of the raw material and with the minimum possible loss of useful ingredients in the whey which is removed after straining and with the optimal stability of the characteristics of the final product, in each production batch. The invention describes the critical conditions of processes upstream of (namely before) the straining process, such as the physiochemical features of the raw milk, conditions of pasteurization and homogenization, conditions of incubation etc and the stacks of suitably selected and positioned membranes that are used for the straining, so that the final strained yogurt has the desired physiochemical features (proteins, fat, total solids) upon its exit from the straining rig. During the straining process, the yogurt is consecutively strained at least twice and the process is complemented by the stages downstream of (namely after) the straining, such as the conditions of cooling, storage before packaging, packaging conditions etc., which also are critical factors in order to realize the final outcome.