Liquid starter cultures having an improved storage stability and use thereof
AssigneeChr. Hansen A/S
InventorsBoerge Kringelum, Lene Kragelund
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Abstract
Liquid microbial starter culture that retains its initial metabolic activity during storage for extended periods of time. Such liquid starter cultures are useful in the manufacturing of food and feed products. Starter cultures of the invention include culture of lactic acid bacteria, e.g. Lactococcus species.
Claims41
A stable liquid starter culture comprising a starter culture organism and an amount of at least one compound that has a stabilizing effect on at least one metabolic activity of the liquid starter culture, so that, during storage of the liquid starter culture in liquid state at a temperature in the range of −20° C. to 10° C. for 1 week or more, at least 50% of at least one initial metabolic activity is retained, said metabolic activity comprising at least one of oxygen removal activity, acid producing activity and metabolite producing activity, said at least one compound being inosinate (IMP) wherein the amount of IMP is in the range of 0.015% to 9% by weight.
A method of preparing a stabilized liquid starter culture, the method comprising adding to a liquid starter culture a starter culture organism and an amount of at least one compound that has a stabilizing effect on at least one metabolic activity of the liquid starter culture, said at least one compound being inosinate (IMP) so that, during storage of the] liquid starter culture in liquid state at a temperature in the range of ±20° C. to 10° C. for 1 week or more, at least 50% of at least one initial metabolic activity of the liquid starter culture is retained, said at least one metabolic activity comprising at least one of oxygen removal activity, acid producing activity and metabolite producing activity wherein the amount of IMP is in the range of 0.015% to 9% by weight.
A method of preparing a stabilized liquid starter culture, the method comprising (i) adding to a liquid starter culture a starter culture organism and an amount of at least one compound that has a stabilizing effect on at least one metabolic activity of the liquid starter culture, said at least one compound being inosinate (IMP) and (ii) storing said IMP containing liquid starter culture in liquid state at a temperature in the range of ±20° C. to 10° C. for 1 week or more, wherein during said storage at least 50% of at least one initial metabolic activity of the liquid starter culture is retained, said at least one metabolic activity comprising at least one of oxygen removal activity, acid producing activity and metabolite producing activity wherein the amount of IMP is in the range of 0.015% to 9% by weight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.