Abstract: Bifidobacterium breve CNCM I-1226, Bifidobacterium infantis CNCM I-227 and Bifidobacterium longum CNCM I-1228 adhere to and competitively exclude pathogenic bacteria from Caco-2 cells. The strains may be incorporated into yogurts, acidified milks and other food compositions.

Abstract: A tank apparatus has at least one set of three rollers suitable for being positioned therein, one roller of each set having a density less than a density of water so that the roller is floatable in water, and the two other rollers being movable rollers capable of reciprocating vertically from a position above to a position below the floatable roller.

Abstract: A dehydrated edible composition is provided by a food-acceptable ammonium salt encapsulated in a food-acceptable carrier agent in admixture with at least one of dehydrated meat, vegetable or dairy substance. The encapsulated salt potentiates and enhances the taste of sodium chloride and enables preparation of foods having a reduced sodium chloride content.

Abstract: A multilayered food product, which has an upper component which has a density which is at least 0.2 kg/dm.sup.3 greater than a density of a lower component, is prepared by introducing a first food component into a container and within 30 seconds after introduction of the first food component applying a CO.sub.2 snow to a top surface of the first food component in the container for frosting the surface and removing residual CO.sub.2 snow from the surface and introducing a second food component into the container onto the frosted surface of the first food component.

Abstract: Antioxidant principles are concentrated in a fat by mixing the fat with a vegetable material containing phenolic antioxidants at an elevated temperature to obtain a mixture. The mixture is pressed under a pressure of at least 40 bar to obtain a fat concentrated with antioxidant principles, which may be added to a fat-containing food to protect the food from oxidation.

Abstract: A promoterless foreign gene is intergrated into the lac operon of Streptococcus thermophilus by transforming a host strain of Streptococcus thermophilus with a donor plasmid which does not replicate in the host strain. The donor plasmid includes a vector backbone and a sequence containing a foreign gene operably intergrated into at least a part of the lac operon of the host strain, in front of at least a part of the lacZ gene of the lac operon, and the sequence conserves the frame of the genomic lac operon of the host strain. Cointegrate transformants are identified in which the complete donor plasmid is integrated into the geonomic lac operon of the host strain, and an integrant transformant is then selected, the genome of which does not include the vector backbone of the donor plasmid but does include the foreign gene, which is operably integrated in front of the lacZ gene of the conserved genomic lac operon and which is stably maintained and expressed upon selective pressure on expression of the lacZ gene.

Abstract: Pale, soft and exudative pork (PSE pork) is particulated, an aqueous suspension of the particulated pork is prepared, and the suspension is impregnated into a cut of normal pork.

Abstract: A beverage base of crystallized sugar grains having a mean diameter of 250 .mu.m to 500 .mu.m and a cocoa powder coating has a poured apparent voluminal mass (d1) of from 630 g/1 to 750 g/l, a free apparent voluminal mass (d2) of from 750 g/1 to 860 g/l and a degree of compressibility (d2-d1)/d2 below 20%.

Abstract: Cannelloni is prepared by, initially, forming and blanching a longitudinally extending pasta strand and then cutting the strand into a plurality of longitudinally-extending strips positioned side-by-side. Each strip is passed in a direction of its longitudinal extent to and by a roller having a configuration of a curved surface so that it is contacted by the roller surface to curve the strip so that the curved strip has an upper concave curved surface and a lower convex curved surface, the curved strip is transported on a conveyor belt so that the convex surface is carried by the belt, a filling is deposited onto the concave surface and the curved strip is formed, in particular, by passing the curved strip and filling through a ring positioned above the belt, into a tube for enclosing the filling and so that the strip overlaps, and then, the tube is cut into tubular pieces.

Abstract: Fluid substances, particularly substances having differing viscosities, are combined and mixed by first segmenting a flow of a first fluid material to form a flowing segmented substance matrix containing a network of voids, such as by passing the flow through a plate having a plurality of passages therethrough and a second fluid substance is discharged into the segmented flow at a position which is substantially centrally disposed with respect to a cross-section of the segmented flow to combine the substance and additive, and then, the combined flow is mixed. The combined flow may be compressed and then mixed or may be compressed and then expanded prior to mixing. Additionally, a flow of a substance from a source such as an extruder may be partitioned into a plurality of streams and then, at least one of the streams is treated as specified above.

Abstract: Strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are substantially inactive at refrigeration temperatures of 3.degree. C. to 9-10.degree. C. and recover their activity at temperatures of 13.degree.-14.degree. C.

Abstract: To avoid browning of a food product containing amino acids and a carbohydrate having at least one free carbonyl group, including such as soy sauce, a compound which contains or is capable of developing a thiol group is incorporated into the food product in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.1 parts by weight and then the food product and compound are heat treated at a temperature of 95.degree. C. to 110.degree. C. for from 1 hour to 5 hours.

Abstract: A flavorant composition is prepared by inoculating and fermenting a protein-rich material, particularly pulse seeds and in particular, cooked pulse seeds, and then, the fermented material is mixed with a reducing sugar and water, the mixture is heated to obtain a reaction product, and the reaction product is dried.

Abstract: Cosmetic compositions in the form of oil-in-water emulsions, water-in-oil emulsions and anhydrous formulations have fatty phases which contain fatty acid diesters of 2,3-butanediol.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the continuous countercurrent treatment of roast and ground coffee particles in which a bed of the coffee particles is suspended in an aqueous liquid and the suspended bed is agitated in a manner which facilitates removal of evolved coffee gases from the bed to thereby effect complete, uniform wetting and/or extraction of the coffee grounds. The apparatus comprises a tank in which water flows upward from the bottom and is removed from the top of the tank, with fresh coffee grounds being fed onto the liquid at the top of the tank. Two pairs of interleaved blade assemblies are mounted in the tank for relatively counter rotation to submerge coffee particles into the aqueous liquid and form a bed of suspended coffee particles. A submerging auger, mounted on a central shaft in the tank, facilitates submerging the coffee grounds in the liquid.

Abstract: A product filling assembly includes a rotary member which has two discs mounted for rotation on a common central shaft and a plurality of additional shafts and rollers positioned between the discs so that a circumferential portion of each roller extends beyond the circumference of the discs. The assembly also includes a wall member which is positioned adjacent the rotary member and has an interior wall surface which extends from a peripheral flanged wall edge and which is positioned and configured so that a channel is provided between the interior surface and the rotary member at a position between the discs for passage of the rollers and so that the flanged wall edge extends, with respect to a circumference of the rotary member, as an arc for a distance at least as great as a distance between two adjacent additional shafts.

Abstract: A loaf of offal having a temperature no higher than -10.degree. C. is sliced to obtain slices having a thickness of between 6 cm and 15 cm and the slices then are passed through a microwave tunnel oven to heat-temper the slices to a temperature of from -5.degree. C. to -9.degree. C. The tempered slices then are size-reduced to chips and ten to cubes. Alternatively, the loaf is size-reduced to chips which are tempered as above and then, the heat-tempered chips are size-reduced to cubes. The units for slicing and size-reduction and the microwave tunnel oven are connected by conveyors.

Abstract: Egg proteins, more specifically egg yolk proteins, or emulsions containing egg yolk proteins which are intended to subsequent thermal treatment, e.g. heat sterilization, are stabilized by addition thereto of an acidic amylaceous fermented composition resulting from a process whereina) a slurry of cereal flour and at least one additional non-cereal starch material is first subjected to gelatinization and further homogenized;b) inoculated with an acidifying strain or a mixture of acidifying strains selected from Lactobacillus species and Streptococcus thermophilus;c) then subjected to a fermentation over a period and at a temperature such as to afford a pH of about 4.0 to 4.2 of the fermented material; andd) finally stabilized.Stabilizing composition useful therefor and foodstuffs containing same.

Abstract: A gripping device reciprocates vertically towards and away from a table surface having at least one groove to grip and remove articles from the surface. The gripping device has two jaw members connected to a cylinder so that a first jaw member is in a fixed position relative to the cylinder and so that a second jaw member is movable towards and away from the first jaw member.

Abstract: The expression of Class II antigen expression by intestinal epithelial cells is modulated by administering to a mammal in need thereof an effective amount of TGF-.beta.2.