Process for producing a mesophilic fermented milk product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021153517-A1
Application number	US-201816643401-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 30, 2018
Priority date	Aug 30, 2017
Publication date	May 27, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for producing a fermented milk product comprising the steps of: 1) adding a starter culture of lactic acid bacteria comprising at least one lactose-deficient Streptococcus thermophilus strain, which is capable of metabolizing a non-lactose carbohydrate, and at least one lactose-deficient Lactococcus lactis strain, which is capable of metabolizing the non-lactose carbohydrate, to a milk base, and 2) fermenting the milk for a period of time until a target pH is reached to obtain a fermented milk product.

First claim

1 . A process for producing a fermented milk product comprising the steps of
1) adding a starter culture of lactic acid bacteria comprising at least one lactose-deficient Streptococcus thermophilus strain, which is capable of metabolizing a non-lactose carbohydrate, and at least one lactose-deficient Lactococcus lactis strain, which is capable of metabolizing the non-lactose carbohydrate, to a milk base, and 2) fermenting the milk for a period of time until a target pH is reached to obtain a fermented milk product.

2 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the lactose-deficient strains are capable of metabolizing a non-lactose carbohydrate selected from the group consisting of sucrose, galactose and glucose.

3 . A process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein non-lactose carbohydrate is added to the milk base at the start of the fermentation step.

4 . A process according to claim 3 , wherein the non-lactose carbohydrate is added to the milk base in an amount measured so as to become depleted at the target pH and hence result in stopping the growth of the lactic acid bacteria and in stopping the fermentation.

5 . A process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the Streptococcus thermophilus lactose-deficient strain is selected from the group consisting of:
(a) (i) the strain deposited with DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH, Inhoffenstr. 7B, D-38124 Braunschweig, on 2014 Jun. 12 under the accession no. DSM 28952;
(ii) a strain derived from DSM 28952, wherein the derived strain is further characterized as having the ability to generate white colonies on a medium containing lactose and X-Gal;
(b) (i) the strain deposited with DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH, Inhoffenstr. 7B, D-38124 Braunschweig, on 2014 Jun. 12 under the accession no. DSM 28953;
(ii) a strain derived from DSM 28953, wherein the derived strain is further characterized as having the ability to generate white colonies on a medium containing lactose and X-Gal;
(c) (i) the strain deposited with DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH, Inhoffenstr. 7B, D-38124 Braunschweig, on 2017 Aug. 22 under the accession no. DSM 32599;
(ii) a strain derived from DSM 32599, wherein the derived strain is further characterized as having the ability to generate white colonies on a medium containing lactose and X-Gal; and
(d) (i) the strain deposited with DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH, Inhoffenstr. 7B, D-38124 Braunschweig, on 2017 Aug. 22 under the accession no. DSM 32600; and
(ii) a strain derived from DSM 32600, wherein the derived strain is further characterized as having the ability to generate white colonies on a medium containing lactose and X-Gal.

6 . A process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the Lactococcus lactis strain is selected from the group consisting of a Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris strain and a Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis strain.

7 . A process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the starter culture further contains one or more strains selected from the group consisting of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis, Leuconostoc spp. and Bifidobacterium spp.

8 . A process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the fermented milk product produced is selected from the group consisting of buttermilk, sour milk, cultured milk, Smetana, sour cream, thick cream, cultured cream, ymer, fermented whey, Kefir, Yakult and fresh cheese, such as Quark, tvarog and cream cheese.

9 . A process according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the lactose-deficient Lactococcus lactis strain is selected from the group consisting of
1) the strain deposited at DSMZ under the accession number DSM 32398, 2) the strain deposited at DSMZ under the accession number DSM 18882, 3) the strain deposited at DSMZ under the accession number DSM 32399, 4) the strain deposited at DSMZ under the accession number DSM 18893, 5) the strain deposited at DSMZ under the accession number DSM 32601, 6) the strain deposited at DSMZ under the accession number DSM 32602, 7) the strain deposited at DSMZ under the accession number DSM 32603, 8) the strain deposited at DSMZ under the accession number DSM 32604, 9) the strain deposited at DSMZ under the accession number DSM 32605, 10) the strain deposited at DSMZ under the accession number DSM 32829, 11) the strain deposited at DSMZ under the accession number DSM 32830, 12) the strain deposited at DSMZ under the accession number DSM 32832, and 13) a mutant of any of strains 1) to 12).

10 . A composition of lactic acid bacteria comprising at least one lactose-deficient Streptococcus thermophilus strain and at least one lactose-deficient Lactococcus lactis.

11 . A fermented milk product produced by the process of claims 1 - 9 .

12 . Use in a process for producing a fermented milk product comprising the steps of
1) adding a starter culture of lactic acid bacteria strain to a milk base, and 2) fermenting the milk for a period of time until a target pH is reached to obtain a fermented milk product,
of
3) a starter culture of lactic acid bacteria comprising at least one lactose-deficient Streptococcus thermophilus strain, which is capable of metabolizing a non-lactose carbohydrate, and at least one lactose-deficient Lactococcus lactis strain, which is capable of metabolizing the non-lactose carbohydrate.

13 . Use according to claim 12 to increase the texture of the fermented milk product as compared to using a starter culture comprising at least one lactose-positive Streptococcus thermophilus strain, which is capable of metabolizing lactose, and at least one lactose-positive Lactococcus lactis strain, which is capable of metabolizing lactose.

Assignees

• Chr Hansen As

Inventors

• Bloc Virginie
• Janzen Thomas
• Birkelund Mimi
• Jimenez Luciana
• Odinot Jean-Marie
• Pirois-Blin Sabrina
• Guldager Helle Skov

Classifications

• A23C9/1238 Primary

  using specific L. bulgaricus or S. thermophilus microorganisms; using entrapped or encapsulated yoghurt bacteria; Physical or chemical treatment of L. bulgaricus or S. thermophilus cultures; Fermentation only with L. bulgaricus or only with S. thermophilus · CPC title

• A23C9/127

  using microorganisms of the genus lactobacteriaceae and other microorganisms or enzymes, e.g. kefir, koumiss (A23C9/13 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A23C19/0323

  using only lactic acid bacteria, e.g. Pediococcus and Leuconostoc species; Bifidobacteria; Microbial starters in general (using moulds A23C19/0682) · CPC title

• A23C13/16

  containing, or treated with, microorganisms, enzymes, or antibiotics; Sour cream · CPC title

• C12R2001/46

  Streptococcus {; Enterococcus; Lactococcus} · CPC title