Abstract: Dairy spreads, especially fresh cheese, are sensitive for heat treatments. The heat treated products are often grainy, mealy and chalky. The invention relates to a method of producing a dairy spread wherein a cheese milk or cream or a combination thereof is acid coagulated in the presence of a suitable culture, wherein the culture comprises an exopolysaccharide producing lactic acid bacterium capable of reducing the graininess of the heat treated dairy spread.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Unsaturated fatty acid derivatives which, besides fatty acids with two double bonds, contain fatty acids with more than two double bonds, are hydrogenated in the presence of a palladium, platinum or rhodium catalyst which has been treated with ethylenediamine or a homologue and/or a derivative thereof and at a temperature of -20.degree. to 100.degree. C. The hydrogenation progresses very selectively while very little isomerization to trans-fatty acids occurs.For example, in the hydrogenation of soya bean oil to a linolenic acid content of 2%, the linoleic acid content only decreases to 45-52%. Under identical conditions an untreated catalyst leads to a linoleic acid content of about 35%.

Abstract: Triglyceride oils, which contain besides fatty acids having two double bonds, fatty acids having more than two double bonds, are hydrogenated using palladium, platinum, rhodium and/or iridium as a catalyst, the catalyst being treated with dry ammonia. The hydrogenation is carried out at a temperature of at least 100.degree. C. The hydrogenation progresses in a particularly selective manner. On using, for instance, soyabean oil, which contains about 55% of linoleic acid and 7% of linolenic acid, the amount of linolenic acid can be reduced to 2%, whereby more than 45% of linoleic acid is retained in the hydrogenated product. In case the catalyst is not treated, said amount is only about 35%.

Abstract: The selectivity of the hydrogenation of compounds containing more than one double carbon-carbon bond in the presence of a metallic catalyst of group VIII of the periodic system is improved and trans isomer formation is reduced by treating the catalyst with a basic compound before addition of the catalyst to the substrate or in situ.The basic compound is a quaternary ammonium hydroxide, an alkali or alkaline earth hydroxide or ammonium hydroxide, a salt with a weak acid of such a hydroxide or an alcoholate of the cations of these hydroxides.