Unilever Patent Holdings B.v.

Van Den Bergh Foods Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.

Walter M Verhue

Cornelis T Verrips

Janos Bodor

John D Marugg

Jan Kuiper

Albert W Schoenmakers

Pieter M Klapwijk

Maria Y Toonen

The invention relates to a process for the production of .alpha.-acetolactate and/or diacetyl, wherein a recombinant micro-organism containing an .alpha.-acetolactate synthase-encoding sequence is incubated in a medium containing an .alpha.-acetolactate precursor. The invention also provides a recombinant vector comprising a nucleotide sequence coding for an enzyme, which vector upon transfer into a host micro-organism enables expression of the nucleotide sequence in the host micro-organism, wherein the enzyme has .alpha.-acetolactate synthase activity.

Process for the preparation of .alpha.-acetolactic acid

Spreads having a good microbiological stability and a fresh dairy taste are produced from demineralized, deacidified milk of pH 2.5 to 6.0. The demineralized, deacidified milk is preferably obtained by electrodialysis of fermented milk.

Spreads having a good microbiological stability and a fresh dairy taste

The present invention relates to an aroma composition with a low water content comprising alpha-acetolactic acid at a relatively high concentration level, and of which the rest consists mainly of edible carrier material.

Aroma composition containing alpha-acetolactic acid

Growing community of inventors

Oostvoorne, Netherlands

Walter M Verhue