Patent ID: 8722119

Claim:
A process for producing pre-fermentation type fermented milk having fine texture and mild flavor, which comprises: (a) adding to a mixture for making pre-fermentation type fermented milk a starter in a total amount of from 0.2 to 0.5% by weight with respect to the total amount of the mixture, wherein the starter comprises at least one of L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, L. lactis, L. gasseri and Bifidobacterium ; (b) reducing the dissolved oxygen concentration in the resulting mixture obtained in (a) to 5 ppm or less; and (c) subjecting the mixture obtained in (b) to fermentation to obtain a pre-fermentation type fermented milk, wherein the fermentation is conducted at a temperature of from 40° C. to 45° C. and for 3 to 5 hours, followed by (d) disrupting and cooling the obtained pre-fermentation type fermented milk to terminate the fermentation, thereby producing the pre-fermentation type fermented milk.