The present invention provides a method of controlling growth of unwanted microorganisms by limiting their access to manganese. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of inhibiting or delaying growth of yeast and mold by reducing the manganese concentration in a product which is preferably a food product. The invention also provides manganese scavengers and uses thereof to inhibit or delay fungal growth.

The present invention provides novel Lactococcus lactis lactic acid bacterium strains having improved texturing properties and methods of using the strains for producing food products.

A fermentation of a milk source with Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis (CNCM No. I-1962) to form a fermented milk product. The fermented milk product has a flavor and aroma. The fermented milk product can be in the form of a powder or a concentrate. The fermented milk product has applications in the food industry.

The Lactobacillus curvatus strain deposited as DSM18775 is used as a biopreservative culture in a wide range of meat products due to its production of bacteriocin. The present invention relates to Lactobacillus curvatus strains having an extended lag phase of at least 24 hours at 30° C. relative to DSM18775. In a presently preferred embodiment, the strains are mutants of DSM18775, such as the Lactobacillus curvatus strain deposited as DSM32590 and the Lactobacillus curvatus strain deposited as DSM 32591. Further, the invention relates to a method for inhibiting Listeria in a food product comprising adding bacteria of a Lactobacillus curvatus strain according to the invention to a food product in a concentration of at least 10.sup.5 CFU/g.

A process for the manufacture of a fermented dairy product comprising (a) subjecting a milk base to fermentation with a starter comprising of a weakly post-acidifying bacterial culture, until a desired pH value in the range of 4.0 and 5.0 is reached (end of fermentation), (b) optionally cooling the fermented milk base obtained in step (a); and (c) packaging the fermented dairy product.

This invention provides an IFN inducer comprising, as an active ingredient, lactic acid bacteria and capable of inducing IFN production, an immunopotentiating agent or prophylactic agent against virus infection comprising such inducer, and a food or drink product comprising such IFN inducer and having IFN-inducing activity, immunopotentiating activity, or prophylactic activity against virus infection. The agent for inducing IFN production comprises, as active ingredients, lactic acid bacteria that can activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and promote IFN production, such as Lactococcus garvieae NBRC100934, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris JCM16167, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris NBRC100676, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM1180, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM11040, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC12007, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NRIC1150, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM20101, Leuconostoc lactis NBRC12455, Leuconostoc lactis NRIC1540, Pediococcus damnosus JCM5886, or Streptococcus thermophilus TA-45.

The present invention provides novel Lactococcus lactis lactic acid bacterium strains having improved texturing properties and methods of using the strains for producing food products.

This invention provides an IFN inducer comprising, as an active ingredient, lactic acid bacteria and capable of inducing IFN production, an immunopotentiating agent or prophylactic agent against virus infection comprising such inducer, and a food or drink product comprising such IFN inducer and having IFN-inducing activity, immunopotentiating activity, or prophylactic activity against virus infection. The agent for inducing IFN production comprises, as active ingredients, lactic acid bacteria that can activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and promote IFN production, such as Lactococcus garvieae NBRC100934, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris JCM16167, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris NBRC100676, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM1180, Lactococcus lactis subsp. hordniae JCM11040, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NBRC12007, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NRIC1150, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM5805, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis JCM20101, Leuconostoc lactis NBRC12455, Leuconostoc lactis NRIC1540, Pediococcus damnosus JCM5886, or Streptococcus thermophilus TA-45.

The disclosure discloses P. acidilactici CCFM6432 for alleviating depression, food fermented thereby and application thereof. The P. acidilactici CCFM6432 of the disclosure can be used to prepare food, health-care products and drugs with the functions of resisting depression, resisting inflammation, resisting inflammatory bowel disease, resisting obesity and resisting type I diabetes. The disclosure further provides fermented food. The fermented food is produced by fermentation using the P. acidilactici CCFM6432, and the fermented food includes solid food, liquid food, and semi-solid food. The P. acidilactici CCFM6432 has very broad application prospects.

The present invention relates to the field of microbiology, specifically the field of production of a dairy food product using fermentation and the field of gene transfer by conjugation.