JP7469037B2 - Fermented milk - Google Patents

Description

NPMD NITE BP-02621 NPMD NITE BP-1204

The present invention relates to fermented milk with improved smoothness of texture.

Fermented milk is not only a nutritious food rich in protein and calcium, but also a food that is expected to have various physiological effects because it contains lactic acid bacteria, Bifidobacterium bacteria (hereafter also referred to as bifidobacteria), and their metabolites.

The texture of fermented milk is formed by the aggregation of milk proteins by the acid generated by adding lactic acid bacteria to raw milk and fermenting it, and is an important factor in the deliciousness when consumed. Factors that affect the texture include the raw materials used, their concentrations, and the type of lactic acid bacteria. Regarding particle size, which is one of the characteristics of the texture, it is said that the smaller the average particle size, the smoother the texture (Non-Patent Document 1). However, in fermented milk, milk proteins aggregate under acidic conditions to form complexes with lipids, etc., so the particle size tends to become larger than before fermentation and the smoothness tends to be lost.
One method for making fermented milk smooth is to increase the fat content to reduce the particle size (Non-Patent Document 2). However, this method results in fermented milk with a high fat content, which limits the freedom of product design in terms of nutrition and flavor.
A method for producing smooth fermented milk by using lactic acid bacteria that produce specific viscous polysaccharides has also been proposed (Patent Document 1). However, the use of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria with different flavors and physiological functions is restricted by the restriction of the lactic acid bacteria that can be used.

Lactulose is a disaccharide consisting of galactose and fructose (Non-Patent Document 1). It is known that lactulose is indigestible, promotes the proliferation of beneficial intestinal bacteria such as bifidobacteria, and has various effects such as regulating the intestines and improving liver function (Patent Documents 2 to 8).

Inulin is a water-soluble dietary fiber found in plants that is not digested or absorbed in the human small intestine and reaches the large intestine where it is used as food for intestinal bacteria such as bifidobacteria. It is known that when inulin is consumed, so-called good bacteria such as bifidobacteria become dominant in the intestines, resulting in a healthy intestinal flora (Patent Document 9).

JP 2018-143221 A Japanese Patent No. 3908513 Japanese Patent No. 3920288 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-39318 JP 2009-167172 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-240837 European Patent Publication No. 04664362 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-194975 JP 2013-510865 A

Yogurt Encyclopedia (Asakura Publishing, 2016) Teruhiko Mizota et al., Milk Science Vol.50: (2) 39-47, 2001 M. Hori et al., Japanese Journal of Sensory Evaluation, 2010, vol. 14, No. 1, 40-45

The objective of the present invention is to provide a method for improving the smoothness of the texture of fermented milk.

As a result of intensive research conducted by the inventors to solve the above problems, they discovered that fermented milk containing specific oligosaccharides and inulin has an excellent smooth texture when consumed, which led to the completion of the present invention.

That is, one embodiment of the present invention is fermented milk containing oligosaccharides having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9 (excluding sucrose and lactose) and inulin (hereinafter also referred to as the fermented milk of the present invention).
In a preferred embodiment, the oligosaccharide is lactulose.
In another preferred embodiment, the content of the oligosaccharides is 0.1 to 5.0% by mass based on the total amount of the fermented milk.
In another preferred embodiment, the inulin content is 1 to 10% by mass based on the total amount of the fermented milk.
In another preferred embodiment, the lipid content is 0 to 5% by mass based on the total amount of the fermented milk.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for producing fermented milk of the present invention, comprising the steps of fermenting raw milk using a microorganism, adding an oligosaccharide having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9 (excluding sucrose and lactose) at the start of fermentation and/or during fermentation, and adding inulin at any time point.
In a preferred embodiment, the amount of the oligosaccharide added is 0.1 to 5.0% by mass based on the total amount of fermented milk.
In another preferred embodiment, the amount of inulin added is 1 to 10% by mass based on the total amount of fermented milk.

The present invention provides fermented milk that is smooth to the touch.

Next, the present invention will be described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be freely modified within the scope of the present invention.

The fermented milk of the present invention contains oligosaccharides with a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9 and inulin. The combination of these ingredients works together to reduce the particle size of the fermented milk and improve its smoothness.

Examples of oligosaccharides having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9 include those formed from glucose residues, fructose residues, galactose residues, etc. as monomer units. Specific examples include disaccharides such as lactulose, trehalose, maltose, etc.; trisaccharides such as raffinose, panose, maltotriose, melezitose, gentianose, etc.; tetrasaccharides such as stachyose, etc.; and oligosaccharides such as various galactooligosaccharides, various fructooligosaccharides, isomaltooligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, human milk oligosaccharides, etc. The fermented milk of the present invention essentially contains one or any combination of two or more of these.
However, sucrose and lactose are excluded from the oligosaccharides that are essential to the fermented milk of the present invention. However, so long as the fermented milk contains an oligosaccharide having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9 other than sucrose and lactose, it is not prohibited to further contain sucrose and/or lactose.

Of the above oligosaccharides, lactulose is particularly preferred.
Lactulose is a disaccharide consisting of fructose and galactose. In the present invention, lactulose may be anhydrous or hydrated.

Lactulose can be produced by known methods.
For example, sodium hydroxide is added to a 10% aqueous solution of commercially available lactose, the mixture is heated at 70°C for 30 minutes, cooled, and the cooled solution is purified with an ion exchange resin, concentrated, cooled, crystallized, and unreacted lactose is removed to obtain an aqueous lactulose solution with a solid content of about 68% (containing about 79% lactulose in the solid content). This aqueous solution is passed through an ion exchange resin column, and a fraction containing lactulose is collected and concentrated to obtain a purified aqueous lactulose solution with a solid content of about 68% (containing about 86% lactulose in the solid content) (the method described in JP-A-3-169888).
Furthermore, the lactulose aqueous solution (syrup) obtained by the above method is concentrated to a solid content of about 72%, the concentrated liquid is cooled to 15°C, lactulose trihydrate crystals are added as seed crystals, and the liquid is gradually cooled to 5°C over a period of 7 days with stirring to produce crystals. After 10 days, the solid content of the supernatant liquid has decreased to about 61%, and the crystals are separated from the liquid containing the crystals using a filter cloth centrifuge, washed with cold water at 5°C, and dried to obtain lactulose crystals with a purity of 95% or more (the method described in JP-A-6-228179).

Lactulose can also be purchased commercially.

The content of oligosaccharides (excluding sucrose and lactose) having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9 in the fermented milk of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is, for example, preferably 0.1 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 4% by mass, and even more preferably 1 to 3% by mass, based on the total amount of the fermented milk. When the oligosaccharide is lactulose, the content is preferably 0.1 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 4% by mass, and even more preferably 1 to 3% by mass, based on the total amount of the fermented milk.
In addition, when the oligosaccharide is a hydrate, these values are converted to the anhydrous form. The same applies to the following descriptions.

The inulin contained in the fermented milk of the present invention is a polysaccharide in which fructose molecules are linearly linked to the fructose residues of sucrose via β(2-1) bonds. The inulin to be used in the present invention has a degree of polymerization of preferably 5 to 40, more preferably 7 to 20.
As inulin, commercially available products are preferred since they are easily available, and examples thereof include FujiFF (manufactured by Fuji Nippon Sugar Refining Co., Ltd.) and Inulia (manufactured by Teijin Limited).

The inulin content in the fermented milk of the present invention is preferably 1 to 10% by mass, more preferably 3 to 9% by mass, and even more preferably 4 to 8% by mass, based on the total amount of the fermented milk.

The fermented milk of the present invention generally contains a microorganism that ferments the raw material milk. The microorganism may be either live or dead after the completion of fermentation.
The type of microorganism is not particularly limited, and preferred examples include Bifidobacterium bacteria and lactic acid bacteria.

The Bifidobacterium genus bacteria is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, Bifidobacterium
Examples of the Bifidobacterium longum include Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, and Bifidobacterium infantis (which has been reclassified as Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis). Of these, Bifidobacterium longum is more preferred.

More specifically, Bifidobacterium longum NITE BP-02621 (also known as BB536 or Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum ATCC BAA-999) can be used as Bifidobacterium longum. Bifidobacterium longum BB536 (NITE BP-02621) is a member of the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NPM), a National Patent Microorganisms Depositary.
D) (Address: Room 122, 2-5-8 Kazusa Kamatari, Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan 292-0818) on January 26, 2018 under the accession number NITE BP-02621 under the Budapest Treaty. The same bacterium, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum ATCC BAA-999 (number: ATCC BAA-999), is available from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) as ATCC BAA-999 (
For example, see JP 2012-223134 A.
The Bifidobacterium bacteria may be a single strain or multiple strains.

Examples of lactic acid bacteria include Lactococcus lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii. These lactic acid bacteria may be a single strain or multiple strains. Among these, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii are more preferred.

Lactococcus lactis is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis NITE BP-1204 and Lactococcus lactis subsp.
lactis subsp. lactis NITE BP-1205 is preferred.
These strains were each internationally deposited on January 17, 2012 at the Patent Microorganisms Depositary of the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (2-5-8 Kazusa Kamatari, Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture, 292-0818) under the Budapest Treaty.
The Lactococcus lactis may be a single strain or multiple strains.

The fermented milk of the present invention has excellent smoothness.
The term "smoothness" as used here generally refers to the smooth feel on the tongue when eaten, but may also include the flowing feel when scooped up with a spoon or the like, or the smooth appearance.
Generally, large particles of fermented milk cause roughness and impair smoothness, whereas small particles result in a smooth and favorable texture. The fermented milk of the present invention has a smaller particle size than that of the fermented milk not containing inulin and oligosaccharides having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9, and although it varies depending on the raw milk, other ingredients, and fermentation conditions, the median size is preferably 40 μm or less, more preferably 35 μm or less, and even more preferably 30 μm or less.
The median particle size here may be a value measured using a laser diffraction/scattering type particle size distribution measuring device LA-950V2 (manufactured by Horiba, Ltd.).

Therefore, the present invention provides a new use of a combination of an oligosaccharide having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9 (excluding sucrose and lactose) and inulin, particularly preferably a combination of lactulose and inulin. That is, from another viewpoint, the present invention can be said to be a composition for improving the mouthfeel of fermented milk, which contains an oligosaccharide having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9 (excluding sucrose and lactose) and inulin.
Another aspect is the use of oligosaccharides with a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9 (excluding sucrose and lactose) and inulin in the manufacture of a composition used to improve the mouthfeel of fermented milk.
Another aspect is the use of oligosaccharides having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9 (excluding sucrose and lactose) and inulin in improving the mouthfeel of fermented milk.
Another embodiment is oligosaccharides with a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9 (excluding sucrose and lactose) and inulin, which are used to improve the texture of fermented milk.

In general, the lipid content is increased to improve the smoothness of fermented milk. The fermented milk of the present invention has improved smoothness due to the synergistic effect of a combination of an oligosaccharide having a polymerization degree of 2 to 9, such as lactulose, and inulin, which reduces the particle size. Therefore, the lipid content does not necessarily have to be increased, and may be increased, providing a high degree of freedom in product design. Specifically, the lipid content in the fermented milk of the present invention may be 0 to 5% by mass, or may be 0.5 to 3% by mass, based on the total amount of the fermented milk.
The amount of lipids can be adjusted by adding cream, etc.

The fermented milk of the present invention may contain, as necessary, sweeteners such as sucrose, pectin, fruit juice, fruit preserves (fruit or fruit pulp boiled in sugar), agar, gelatin, oils and fats, flavorings, colorings, stabilizers, reducing agents, etc.
The fermented milk may also be packed into suitable containers.

The fermented milk of the present invention can be produced by fermenting milk raw material with a microorganism.
The dairy raw material is not particularly limited as long as it is a raw material derived from milk and can be fermented using a microorganism to produce fermented milk, and examples of the dairy raw material include milk or its fractions or processed products, such as cow's milk, skim milk, fresh cream, butter, whole milk powder, and skim milk powder, or mixtures, dissolution, or suspension of these in water.
Prior to fermentation, the raw milk material may be sterilized, homogenized, cooled, etc., according to conventional methods.

The microorganisms used for fermentation are as described above.
When Bifidobacterium bacteria are used, the amount to be inoculated into the raw milk material is not particularly limited, but is preferably 10 ⁵ to 10 ⁹ cfu, more preferably 10 ⁷ to 10 ⁸ cfu per mL of the raw milk material. Note that the bacteria are usually live at the time of inoculation.
When lactic acid bacteria are used, the amount to be inoculated into the milk raw material is not particularly limited, but is preferably 10 ⁴ to 10 ⁸ cfu, more preferably 10 ⁶ to 10 ⁷ cfu per mL of the milk raw material. Note that the bacteria are usually live at the time of inoculation.
In this specification, cfu refers to colony forming unit. For example, it may be a value when cultured at 38° C. in a solid medium containing 10% by mass of reconstituted skim milk powder.

A medium containing 10% by mass of reconstituted skim milk powder can be produced by dissolving the reconstituted skim milk powder in water so that the reconstituted skim milk powder is 10% by mass, and then sterilizing the mixture. Sterilization can be carried out, for example, by heat treatment at 65 to 122°C for 30 minutes to 2 seconds, or preferably at 85 to 95°C for 20 to 5 minutes.

The microorganisms to be inoculated into the milk raw material are preferably seed cultured or pre-cultured in another medium prior to inoculation into the milk raw material. The medium is not particularly limited as long as it is suitable for culturing these microorganisms, and examples thereof include a medium containing reduced skim milk powder. The concentration of reduced skim milk powder is preferably 3% by mass or more, more preferably 8% by mass or more. Growth promoters such as yeast extract and reducing agents such as L-cysteine may also be added to the medium used for seed culture or pre-culture. In particular, since Bifidobacterium bacteria have low growth in a medium containing reduced skim milk powder, it is preferable to use a medium containing a growth promoter, for example, 0.1 to 1% by mass of yeast extract. The sterilization conditions for the medium are the same as those described above.

When inoculating dairy raw materials with microorganisms, commercially available fermentation starters may be used.

When multiple types of microorganisms are used for fermentation, the order in which these microorganisms are inoculated into the dairy raw material does not matter, and all of them may be administered at the same time. In addition, any of these microorganisms may be inoculated multiple times.

When producing the fermented milk of the present invention, the oligosaccharide having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9 (excluding sucrose and lactose) may be added at the start of fermentation, during fermentation, or after fermentation.
In the method for producing fermented milk of the present invention, the total amount of the oligosaccharides added is preferably 0.1 to 5 mass %, more preferably 0.5 to 4 mass %, and even more preferably 1 to 3 mass %, based on the total amount of fermented milk.
In addition, when producing the fermented milk of the present invention, sucrose and/or lactose may be added to the raw milk material in addition to the oligosaccharides having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9 other than sucrose and lactose. Usually, sucrose and/or lactose are added to the raw milk material at the start of fermentation or during fermentation. Since these are preferentially assimilated by microorganisms compared to oligosaccharides such as lactulose, the amount of oligosaccharides having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 9 contained in the produced fermented milk can be contained without being significantly reduced from the amount added.

When producing the fermented milk of the present invention, the timing of adding inulin is not particularly limited as long as it is contained in the fermented milk at the latest after fermentation is completed. It may be added to the raw materials from the start of fermentation, may be added during fermentation, or may be added after fermentation is completed.
In the method for producing fermented milk of the present invention, the amount of inulin added is preferably 1 to 10% by mass, more preferably 2 to 9% by mass, and even more preferably 4 to 8% by mass, based on the total amount of fermented milk.

In the production of the fermented milk of the present invention, fermentation is usually carried out at a pH of about 5.
The pH at the end of the fermentation is usually 4.0 to 5.5, preferably 4.2 to 5.0, and more preferably 4.4 to 4.8.
The pH after fermentation (including storage) is not particularly limited, but may be preferably 4.2 to 5.0, more preferably 4.4 to 4.8.

In the production of the fermented milk of the present invention, the fermentation conditions such as the culture temperature and culture time can be the same as those in the production of ordinary fermented milk. For example, the culture temperature is preferably 30° C. to 45° C., more preferably 36° C. to 42° C. The culture time can be appropriately set, but is usually preferably 3 to 18 hours.
Usually, fermentation is terminated by rapid cooling to below 10° C. Rapid cooling from the culture temperature to 10° C. is preferably carried out within 1 hour, more preferably within 30 minutes, and particularly preferably within 10 minutes.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

<Test Example 1> Study on the effect of adding lactulose to low-fat fermented milk (1) Preparation of fermented milk Samples (Examples and Comparative Examples) and standard fermented milk were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 1. Specifically, skim concentrated milk, cream, inulin, lactulose and room temperature water were mixed using a mixer and heated to 70°C to dissolve. Then, the mixture was homogenized at a pressure of 15 MPa using a homogenizer, heat sterilized at 90°C for 10 minutes, and cooled to 40°C. Commercially available lactic acid bacteria starters, Bifidobacterium longum and Lactococcus lactis were added thereto, and 100 g was filled into a paper cup. After fermentation at 38°C to form curd, the mixture was rapidly cooled to 10°C or less to obtain stationary fermented milk.

The amount of lipid in the resulting fermented milk was calculated from the lipid content of each raw material.
The particle size distribution of the obtained fermented milk was measured using a laser diffraction/scattering type particle size distribution measuring device LA-950V2 (manufactured by Horiba, Ltd.).

(2) Sensory Evaluation Seven trained panelists (A to G) evaluated the "smoothness" of the texture when eating the fermented milk samples on a nine-point scale (1 point: not smooth to 9 points: smooth). The fermented milk samples of Reference Examples 1 to 3 were used as an index of "smoothness", with Reference Example 1 being 2 points, Reference Example 2 being 5 points, and Reference Example 3 being 8 points. In addition, 7 points or more were evaluated as ◎ (very smooth), 5 points or more but less than 7 points were evaluated as ◯ (smooth), 3 points or more but less than 5 points were evaluated as △ (not smooth), and less than 3 points was evaluated as × (not smooth at all). The panelists confirmed the standard of "smoothness" in advance using the fermented milk of the reference example, and then evaluated the fermented milk samples of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2. The average evaluation results of each panelist are shown in Table 2, and the detailed evaluation results of each panelist are shown in Table 3.

In the sensory evaluation of smoothness, all seven panelists rated the fermented milk with added lactulose (Example 1) as good or better, while all seven panelists rated the fermented milk without added lactulose (Comparative Examples 1 and 2) as fair or worse. Example 1 was therefore rated as being smoother than Comparative Examples 1 and 2.
Moreover, the particle size in Example 1 was smaller than those in Comparative Examples 1 and 2, which is presumably what contributed to the high evaluation of smoothness.

Test Example 2: Confirmation of the effective amount of lactulose (1) Preparation of fermented milk Samples (Examples and Comparative Examples) and reference fermented milk were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 4. Specifically, skim concentrated milk, cream, inulin, lactulose and room temperature water were mixed using a mixer and dissolved by heating to 70°C. Then, the mixture was homogenized at a pressure of 15 MPa using a homogenizer, heat sterilized at 90°C for 10 minutes, and cooled to 40°C. A commercially available lactic acid bacteria starter was added to the mixture, and 100 g was filled into a paper cup. The mixture was fermented at 40°C to form curd, and then rapidly cooled to 10°C or less to obtain a static fermented milk.
The lipid amount and particle size of the obtained fermented milk were measured in the same manner as in Test Example 1.

(2) Sensory Evaluation Six trained panelists (a to f) evaluated the "smoothness" of the texture on the tongue when consuming the fermented milk samples using Reference Examples 4 to 6 as indices in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The average evaluation results of each panelist are shown in Table 5, and the detailed evaluation results of each panelist are shown in Table 6.

In the sensory evaluation regarding smoothness, all six panelists rated the fermented milk containing 0.5% by mass of lactulose added (Example 2) as good or better, all six panelists rated the fermented milk containing 1.0 or 2.0% by mass of lactulose added (Examples 3 and 4) as excellent, and all six panelists rated the fermented milk without lactulose added (Comparative Example 3) as fair or worse. Thus, Examples 2 to 4 were rated as smoother than Comparative Example 3.
Moreover, the particle size in Examples 2 to 4 was smaller than that in Comparative Example 3, which is presumably what contributed to the high evaluation of smoothness.

Test Example 3: Study on the effect of adding lactulose to high fat fermented milk (1) Preparation of fermented milk Fermented milk samples (Examples and Comparative Examples) were prepared in the same manner as in Test Example 1 with the compositions shown in Table 7.
The lipid amount and particle size of the obtained fermented milk were measured in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 8.

The particle size of the fermented milk of Example 5, to which 3.0% by mass of lactulose was added, was smaller than that of Comparative Example 4, to which no lactulose was added. Normally, the particle size becomes smaller as the amount of lipids in fermented milk increases, but it was found that the particle size became even smaller by adding lactulose. From these results, it can be inferred that the smoothness can be improved by adding lactulose, even in fermented milk with a high fat content.

<Test Example 4> Effect of inulin amount (1) Preparation of fermented milk The fermented milk samples (Examples and Comparative Examples) were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 9. Specifically, skim milk powder, inulin, lactulose and room temperature water were mixed using a mixer and dissolved by heating to 70°C. Then, the mixture was homogenized at a pressure of 15 MPa using a homogenizer, heat sterilized at 90°C for 10 minutes, and cooled to 40°C. A commercially available lactic acid bacteria starter was added to the mixture, and 100 g was filled into a paper cup. The mixture was fermented at 40°C to form curd, and then cooled to 10°C or less to obtain stationary fermented milk.
The lipid amount and particle size of the obtained fermented milk were measured in the same manner as in Test Example 1.

(2) Sensory Evaluation Six trained panelists (1 to 6) evaluated the "smoothness" of the texture on the tongue when consuming the fermented milk samples using Reference Examples 4 to 6 as indices in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The average evaluation results of each panelist are shown in Table 10, and the detailed evaluation results of each panelist are shown in Table 11.

In the sensory evaluation with a low inulin content (1.0%), all six panelists rated Example 6 as smoother than Comparative Example 5, and in the sensory evaluation with a high inulin content (10.0%), all six panelists rated Example 7 as smoother than Comparative Example 6. It was confirmed that the addition of lactulose made the product smoother, regardless of the inulin concentration.

<Test Example 5> Effect of sugars other than lactulose (1) Preparation of fermented milk The fermented milk samples (Examples and Comparative Examples) were prepared with the compositions shown in Table 12. Specifically, skim concentrated milk, inulin, various oligosaccharides shown in Table 13, and room temperature water were mixed using a mixer and heated to 70°C to dissolve. Then, the mixture was homogenized at a pressure of 15 MPa using a homogenizer, heat sterilized at 90°C for 10 minutes, and cooled to 40°C. A commercially available lactic acid bacteria starter was added to this, and 100 g was filled into a paper cup. After fermentation at 40°C to form curd, the mixture was cooled to 10°C or less to obtain a static fermented milk.

(2) Sensory Evaluation Six trained panelists (I to VI) evaluated the "smoothness" of the texture on the tongue when consuming the fermented milk samples using Reference Examples 4 to 6 as indices in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The average evaluation results of each panelist are shown in Table 14, and the detailed evaluation results of each panelist are shown in Table 15.

Oligosaccharides other than lactulose (raffinose, galactooligosaccharides) were also evaluated as being smoother than Comparative Example 7, which did not contain any oligosaccharides.

Claims (5)

Fermented milk containing lactulose and inulin , the lactulose content being 0.1 to 5.0% by mass based on the total amount of the fermented milk . The fermented milk according to claim 1 , wherein the inulin content is 1 to 10% by mass of the fermented milk. The fermented milk according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the lipid content is 0 to 5% by mass based on the total amount of the fermented milk. 4. A method for producing fermented milk according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of fermenting raw milk using a microorganism, adding lactulose at the start of fermentation and/or during fermentation, and adding inulin at any time point. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the amount of inulin added is 1 to 10% by mass based on the total amount of fermented milk.