Mars, Incorporated

John S Robertson

Peter A Cheney

The invention relates to the long term stabilization of proteinaceous food products both for human and for animal consumption, having a moisture content exceeding 50% and preserved against microbiological spoilage by a pH value of 4.5 or below. The long term stabilization of such products is enhanced by the presence of viable homofermentative acid producing organisms, notably lactic bacteria, together with available fermentable carbohydrate. In the preferred process the pH value of a proteinaceous product is reduced to a value in the range 5.0 to 4.0 and fermentation of the bacteria is then brought about, whereby the pH value of the product attains a final value not exceeding 4.5, if necessary with a lowering of pH value by the action of the bacteria. In preferred embodiments of the process a food grade acid is added to reduce the pH of the product to the range 4.5 to 4.0 and the final pH value of the product lies in the range 4.3 to 3.8.

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Stamford, United Kingdom

John S Robertson