Patent ID: 7323204

Claim:
A stabilized food product comprising fresh mozzarella cheese, pack water, and an effective amount of a clarified nisin-containing whey, wherein the pack water and the clarified nisin-containing whey provide a liquid medium for the fresh mozzarella cheese, and wherein the clarified nisin-containing whey is prepared by a process comprising: (a) preparing an aqueous composition comprising acid whey, whey protein concentrate, and a protein hydrolysate; (b) fermenting the aqueous composition with a nisin-producing culture until the pH attains about 5.2 to about 5.8; (c) maintaining the pH of the fermenting composition at about 5.2 to about 5.8 for about 8 to about 12 hours; (d) allowing the pH of the fermenting composition to drop to about 4.8 to about 5.2 to form a fermented composition having a nisin-equivalent activity; (e) adding an acid to the fermented composition to drop the pH to about 3.5 to about 5.0 to form an acidified composition; (f) filtering the acidified composition to form a filtered composition; (g) adding a base to the filtered composition to raise the pH to about 5.5 to about 6.0 to form the clarified nisin-containing whey; wherein the clarified nisin containing whey has the nisin-equivalent activity of at least about 800 IU/ml.