Abstract: Mutants of lactic acid bacteria including Lactococcus lactis which are defective in pyruvate formate-lyase production and/or in their lactate dehydrogenase (Ldh) production and methods of isolating such mutants or variants are provided. The mutants are useful in the production of food products or in the manufacturing of compounds such as diacetyl, acetoin and acetaldehyde and as components of food starter cultures. In particular, Lactococcus lactis DN223 deposited under the accession No. DSM 11036.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a process of improving the total yield of curcuminoids from curcuminoid-containing material. More specifically, there is provided a process wherein a second residue, previously considered a waste resulting from a crystallisation step of a curcuminoid-containing phase, is made useful by improving the colouring properties of this second residue by extraction with hexane and/or methanol at ambient temperature. The pro??cess improves the total yield of curcuminoids by 30-40%.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a process of improving the total yield of curcuminoids from curcuminoid-containing material. More specifically, there is provided a process wherein a second residue, previously considered a waste resulting from a crystallization step of a curcuminoid-containing phase, is made useful by improving the coloring properties of this second residue by extraction with hexane and/or methanol at ambient temperature. The process improves the total yield of curcuminoids by 30-40%.

Abstract: A delivery system for introduction of a starter culture directly into a dairy process line, comprising a sealed enclosure having outlet means for connecting the enclosure to the process line, the sealed enclosure containing the starter culture and/or milk clotting enzyme. The system can be used to introduce a dairy starter culture directly into a closed dairy process line without risk of contamination.

Abstract: A composition comprising coloring substance bodies that are at least partially coated with beet pectin, chicory pectin and/or Jerusalem artichoke pectin or other pectin types having a high degree of acetylation. The composition which may be water dispersible is useful for preparation of health improving products and/or coloring products for use in the coloring of edible products including food products and nutraceuticals, and for coloring of pharmaceutical products.

Abstract: A method of recombinantly producing a non-bovine pre-prochymosin, prochymosin or chymosin derived from ruminant species including deer species, buffalo species, antelope species, giraffe species, ovine species and caprine species; Camelidae species such as Camelus dromedarius; porcine species; or Equidae species. The recombinant enzymes are used in milk coagulating compositions in cheese manufacturing based on cow's milk and milk from any animal species which are used in cheese manufacturing including camel's milk.

Abstract: A delivery system for introduction of a starter culture directly into a dairy process line, comprising a sealed enclosure having outlet means for connecting the enclosure to the process line, the sealed enclosure containing the starter culture and/or milk clotting enzyme. The system can be used to introduce a dairy starter culture directly into a closed dairy process line without risk of contamination.

Abstract: A delivery system for introduction of a starter culture directly into a dairy process line, comprising a sealed enclosure having outlet means for connecting the enclosure to the process line, the sealed enclosure containing the starter culture and/or milk clotting enzyme. The system can be used to introduce a dairy starter culture directly into a closed dairy process line without risk of contamination.

Abstract: A ready-to-use water dispersible pigment composition containing at least 5% by weight of water is provided. The composition comprises a stable dispersion of a water-insoluble and/or hydrophobic natural pigment such as a carotenoid, curcumin, a porphyrin pigment or vegetables carbon black in the form of bodies of an average size which is at the most 10 &mgr;m is provided. The pigment bodies are dispersed without the use of a surface active substance in an aqueous phase comprising a hydrocolloid. The natural pigment in compositions which are useful for coloring of food products and pharmaceuticals do not migrate in the products. The compositions are useful in coating compositions for tablets and dragees.

Abstract: A method of producing a milk clotting enzyme including the steps of (a) fermenting a strain of Rhizomucor miehei or Aspergillus oryzae to form a fermentation product having a glycoslated Rhizomucor miehei aspartic protease and other proteins, and (b) subjecting a quantity of the fermentation product to a deglycosylating treatment to form a coagulant preparation having an at least partly deglycoslated aspartic protease and the other proteins. The at least partly deglycosylated protease has a milk clotting activity that is at least 10% higher than a milk clotting activity of the glycosylated aspartic protease.

Abstract: A process of separating milk clotting enzymes in extracts of animal stomach tissue which comprises contacting a partially purified extract with an ion exchange resin under conditions where chymosin is bound to the resin and recovering the chymosin, the process optionally comprising the further step of recovering pepsin, from a pepsin-rich extract fraction using an ion exchange resin, and a liquid of powdered rennet composition containing at least 90% of its milk clotting activity as chymosin activity, the composition comprising a chymosin stabilizing agent which is typically selected from a protein, a peptide, an amino acid or ascorbic acid.

Abstract: Methods of isolating nonsense suppressor-encoding lactic acid bacteria, cultures and compositions of lactic acid bacteria and plasmids comprising a gene coding for a nonsense suppressor, and a method of confining extrachromosomal replicons capable of replicating in lactic acid bacteria to lactic acid bacteria.

Abstract: Useful mutants of lactic acid bacteria or plasmids capable of replicating in lactic acid bacteria, comprising nonsense mutation suppressor-encoding genes, the use of such suppressor genes for confining a replicon to a specific lactic acid bacterium or to a lactic acid bacterium growing in a particular environment and for controlling the number of lactic acid bacterial cells in a particular environment.

Abstract: A method of inducing malolactic fermentation in wine or fruit juice by the direct inoculation of a concentrate of a starter culture containing a selected malolactically active bacterial strain or strains having the accession no. DSM 7008, DSM 7009, DSM 7010, DSM 7011, DSM 7012, DSM 7013, DSM 7014 and DSM 7015. Further, the strains are characterized as having a survival rate of at least 80% when introduced into a wine having a pH of 3.2 or lower and containing at least 25 mg SO.sub.2 per L and at least 12 vol % ethanol. Also the strains are capable of starting malolactic fermentation when added directly to the wine or fruit juice at a concentration of less than 10.sup.7 colony forming units per mL.