Lactic Acid Bacteria Beverage Composition for Acidity and Viability Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food products containing viable lactic acid bacteria face challenges in maintaining the number of viable bacteria and preventing acidity increase during storage, particularly in low-nutrient environments like lactic acid bacteria beverages and fermented milk-based beverages.
Innovation Solution
A food product comprising a milk ingredient with low nonfat milk solid and protein content, combined with an emulsifier and a water activity reducing agent, such as sucrose fatty acid ester and glucose, to maintain bacterial viability and suppress acidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If lactic acid bacteria are cultured in low-fat medium to produce low-fat fermented food products, then the fat content is reduced to 2.5 mass% or less, but the number of viable bacteria decreases during storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adding saturated fatty acids (changing the fatty acid composition parameter) to the low-fat fermented medium. This supplementation of specific fatty acid types compensates for the reduced fat content, creating an environment that maintains bacterial viability while keeping overall fat content low (2.5 mass% or less).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses saturated fatty acids as an intermediary substance that mediates between the low-fat requirement and the need for viable bacteria. The fatty acids act as a bridge, providing necessary nutritional support to lactic acid bacteria in a low-fat environment without significantly increasing the overall fat content.
2Ease of operation
If nonfat milk solid content is reduced to provide a refreshing flavor in lactic acid bacteria beverages, then the fluidity is improved, but the number of viable bacteria decreases during storage due to nutrient deficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the nutritional parameter by adding saturated fatty acids to compensate for the reduced nonfat milk solid content. This maintains the diluted, fluid beverage composition while providing alternative nutrition that supports bacterial survival during storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent effectively creates a substitute nutrition system by introducing saturated fatty acids that copy or replace the nutritional support normally provided by higher levels of nonfat milk solids, allowing the beverage to maintain both low nutrient content and high bacterial viability.
3Reliability
If sugar content in auxiliary material is reduced to suppress stress on lactic acid bacteria, then the Brix is kept at 28% or less, but the acidity increases during storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the compositional parameter by introducing saturated fatty acids as an additional nutritional component. This allows the system to maintain lower sugar content (suppressing excessive bacterial stress) while the fatty acids provide alternative energy sources, thereby controlling acidity increase during storage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively maintains the number of viable bacteria and suppresses acidity increase in low-nutrient food products, ensuring better flavor and stability during storage.
Implementation Method 1
a water activity reducing agent, such as sucrose fatty acid ester and glucose
Implementation Method 2
combined with an emulsifier and a water activity reducing agent, such as sucrose fatty acid ester and glucose
Data Source
AI summary
As a technique for suppressing increase in acidity and decrease in the number of viable bacteria during storage of a food product containing a viable lactic acid bacterium, and containing a small amount of a nonfat milk solid content or protein serving as nutrients for lactic acid bacteria, such as a lactic acid bacteria beverage and a fermented milk-based lactic acid bacteria beverage, the present invention provides a food product comprising a milk ingredient and a viable lactic acid bacterium, having a nonfat milk solid content of less than 8.0 wt%, a protein content of less than 2.7 wt%, and a pH of 4.6 or less, the food product comprising an emulsifier and a water activity reducing agent.