Stabilized dry cultures of lactic acid-producing bacteria

Claim 1

STABILIZED DRIED CULTURE MEDIUM SOLIDS PROVIDING A CONCENTRATE OF VIABLE HARMLESS LACTIC ACID-PRODUCING BACTERIA CELLS, SAID SOLIDS HAVING BEEN PREPARED BY DRYING A FERMENTED CULTURE CONTAINING SAID CELLA TOGETHER WITH OTHER SLOIDS PRESENT ON COMPLETION OF THE INCUBATION OF A CULTURE OF SAID CELLS IN AN AQUEOUS NUTRIENT-CONTAINING MEDIUM SAID MEDIUM HAVING BEEN DRIED TO A MOISTURE CONTENT OF BELOW 5% BY WEIGHT AFTER THE PH THEREOF HAS BEEN ADJUSTED TO A PH FAVORABLE TO THE STABILITY OF SAID CELLS ON DRYING, WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT IS CHARACTERIZED BY HAVING PRESENT IN SAID SOLIDS A COMBINATION OF STABILIZATION POTENTIATORS COMPRISING (A) AN ASCORBATE COMPOUND SELECTED FROM L-ASCORBIC ACID AND THE EDIBLE WATER-SOLUBLE SALTS THEREOF, AND (B) A SECOND POTENTIATOR SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF GLUTAMIC ACID, ASPARTIC ACID, AND THE EDIBLE WATER-SOLUBLE SALTS THEREOF, SAID POTENTIATORS HAVING BEEN DISSOLVED IN SAID FERMENTED CULTURE FOR EFFECTIVE CONTACT WITH SAID CELLS BEFORE SAID DRYING, AND IN AMOUNTS FOR SAID ASCORBATE COMPOUND EQUIVALENT ON A MOLAR BASIS TO 4 TO 20 PARTS BY WEIGHT L-ASCORDIC ACID AND FOR SAID SECOND POTENTIATOR TO 1.5 TO 20 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE PER EACH 100 PARTS OF THE MOISTURE-FREE COMBINED WEIGHT OF SAID CELLS AND SAID OTHER FERMENTATION SOLIDS.