Abstract: Functional food ingredients for delivery to the gastrointestinal tract are delivered. Food products, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals comprising the functional food ingredients, as well as methods for making the functional food ingredients, are also provided. The functional food ingredients may positively influence glucose metabolism and weight management. Generally, the ingredients include metabolites physically entrapped in a fermentation precursor, which is then encapsulated in an enteric coating for release in the large intestine of a human subject. In one approach, the ingredients include a polysaccharide matrix, short chain fatty acids physically entrapped in the polysaccharide matrix, and an enteric coating that encapsulates the combination of short chain fatty acids and polysaccharide matrix.

Abstract: Isolated nucleic acids and methods for detecting nucleic acid of Listeria in a test sample are provided. The isolated nucleic acids may be incorporated into polymerase chain reactions to provide for the rapid detection of Listeria in samples.

Abstract: An improved cottage cheese product have increased shelf life is provided. A relatively small amount of calcium carbonate is added to the dressing. The calcium carbonate-containing dressing is then blended with cottage cheese curd to form the improved cottage cheese product which is then packed into individual containers. At the pH of the cottage cheese product, the calcium carbonate is converted to carbonic acid which is then converted to carbon dioxide, normally over about a two week period at refrigeration temperatures within the package. Conventional cold pack cottage cheese has an average shelf life of about 20 to about 30 days at refrigeration temperatures. The improved cottage cheese described herein has an average shelf life of about 30 to 40 days or longer at refrigeration temperatures. The increased stability is obtained without loss of organoleptic properties and without extensive process modifications.

Abstract: A method for manufacture of pasta filata cheese from skim milk or fat reduced milk having less than about 2% fat. A culture is added to skim milk and the skim milk is fermented to provide a cultured skim milk. The cultured skim milk is dried to provide a dried cultured skim milk. The dried cultured skim milk is rehydrated by mixing the dried cultured skim milk with water. The rehydrated cultured skim milk is added to non-cultured milk having less than about 2% milk fat in a cheese vat to provide a pasta filata cheese substrate. The pasta filata cheese substrate is then used to make pasta filata cheese by any of the conventionally known methods.

Abstract: An enzymatic transesterification method for preparing a margarine oil having both low trans- acid and low intermediate chain fatty acid content is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a transesterification reaction mixture containing a stearic acid source material and an edible liquid vegetable oil, transesterifying the stearic acid source material and the vegetable oil using a 1-, 3-positionally specific lipase, and then finally hydrogenating the fatty acid mixture to provide a recycle stearic acid source material for a recyclic reaction with the vegetable oil. Also described is a counter-current method for preparing a transesterified oil.