Patent ID: 8481027

Claim:
A stable pellet-frozen lactic acid bacterial culture in the form of individual pellets comprising: (a) a lactic acid bacterial culture; and (b) at least one additive compound, which increases the Tm′ value of the frozen lactic acid bacteria culture from a range between about −70° C. and −46° C. to a range between about −45° C. and about −15° C., wherein the additive compound is selected from the group consisting of cyclodextrin, maltitol, trehalose, fish gelatin, maltodextrin, spray gum, inosine-5′-monophosphate, and inosine and wherein: (i) the pellet-frozen culture has a weight of at least 50 g frozen material and a content of viable bacteria of at least 10 9 colony forming units per g frozen material, and (ii) the additive compound in the culture is in an amount of from 0.5% to 13% of frozen material.