Abstract: The invention relates to preparation of fermented food products, including dairy or dairy analogue products, with Pichia kluyveri and lactic acid bacteria in the presence of carbohydrate(s) which is sucrose, fructose, glucose or mixtures thereof. Fermentation of such products can be made using a starter culture composition comprising Pichia kluyveri strain(s) and lactic acid bacteria strain(s). The composition optionally comprises carbohydrate(s) which is sucrose, fructose and/or glucose.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a fermented milk product comprising the steps of 1) adding a starter culture comprising at least one lactic acid bacteria strain to a milk base, 2) fermenting the milk for a period of time until a target pH is reached, 3) using a starter culture comprising at least one lactose-deficient strain, which is capable of metabolizing a non-lactose carbohydrate, and 4) adding a low pH stable lactase to the process either at the start, during or at the end of the fermentation step, wherein the low pH stable lactase retains its activity at a pH of 5.0 and a temperature of 37° C. at a level of at least 5% as compared to its activity at the optimum pH of the lactase.