Meiji Co., Ltd.

Nobuko Inoue

Hiroshi Horiuchi

Nao Takagi

Naoki Orii

Takefumi Ichimura

Kenichi Hojo

Akira Yano

Seiji Nagaoka

Takuya Takabayashi

Haruka Urayama

Horiuchi Hiroshi

Kumiko Sakaguchi

In a preparation step, raw material milk is prepared. In a lactose degradation step, at least part of lactose included in the prepared raw material milk is degraded using a lactose-degrading enzyme. The lactose concentration in the raw material milk in which lactose is degraded is not more than 2.5% by mass with respect to a total amount of the raw material milk. A lactic acid bacterium is added to the raw material milk in which at least part of lactose is degraded, and the raw material milk to which the lactic acid bacterium is added is fermented.

Fermented milk and method for manufacturing fermented milk

To provide a bilayer-type fermented milk product that is able to maintain a sharp interface between a fermented milk layer and a foodstuff layer without adding a gelling agent, such as low-methoxyl pectin and gelatin, to the fermented milk layer. This fermented milk product has a foodstuff layer formed as an upper layer of a fermented milk layer, wherein: the foodstuff layer has added thereto a low-methoxyl pectin having an esterification degree of less than 50; the fermented milk layer is configured to have a viscosity of 3500 cp or more; and a value obtained by subtracting the Brix value of the fermented milk layer from the Brix value of the foodstuff layer is adjusted to 21 or less.

Bilayer-type fermented milk product and production method therefor

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a fermented milk, in which fermentation is accelerated without using a fermentation accelerator or the like and a novel fermented milk obtained by the production method having a hard texture that does not collapse during the distribution stage while having thickness and mildness which are not exhibited by conventional products. As a result of study, it was found that the fermentation efficiency can be improved by reducing the oxygen dissolved in a raw material mix of the fermented milk at the start of fermentation through replacement thereof with an inert gas, and that fermentation in that condition at usual temperature leads to a method for producing a fermented milk by which the fermentation time is shortened thereby to improve the productivity, and fermentation at a temperature lower than usual leads to a method for producing a fermented milk by which a novel fermented milk that has a thick and mild taste superior to that of a fermented milk with a mild taste produced through conventional low-temperature and long-term fermentation and also has a hard texture that does not collapse during the distribution stage is obtained in usual fermentation time, and leads to such a fermented milk produced by the method. Thus the invention has been completed.

Process for producing fermented milk and fermented milk

Disclosed is a method for producing fermented milk by promoting fermentation without adding any fermentation-promoting substance and novel fermented milk with a thick and smooth mouth feel and a mild flavor. The method enhances fermentation efficiency by reducing the dissolved oxygen in a mix of raw materials for fermented milk at the start of fermentation through substitution with inert gases.

Method for producing fermented milk and fermented milk

Growing community of inventors

Odawara, Japan

Nobuko Inoue