The present invention relates to a method of sintering at least two powdered compounds with different water activities and glass transition temperatures keeping the total water content constant. The method allows sintering of two materials in a closed environment wherein the structure of one material is kept intact.

The invention features a food product containing a probiotic and β-glucan isolated from a natural source, methods of treating a disease or disorder by administering the food product, and a package containing separated components of the food product.

The invention features a food product containing a probiotic and β-glucan isolated from a natural source, methods of treating a disease or disorder by administering the food product, and a package containing separated components of the food product.

[Object] To provide a food product that exhibits excellent solubility, such as solid milk. [Means] The above purpose is achieved by a food product having a top surface (4) including a flat area (2); a bottom surface (8) including a flat area (6) parallel to the flat area (2) on the top surface; and a recess (10) formed on the top surface (4) and a recess (12) formed on the bottom surface (8), wherein when the food product has both the recess (10) formed on the top surface (4) and the recess (12) formed on the bottom surface (8), the total of the largest depth d_u (14) of the recess (10) on the top surface and the largest depth d_d (16) of the recess (12) on the bottom surface is 30 % or larger of the thickness w (18) of the food product.

Die Erfindung betrifft ein Instantprodukt mit mindestens einem löslichen, vorzugsweise pulvrigen Lebensmittelprodukt mit mindestens einem zuckerartigen, mit dem Lebensmittelprodukt vermischten und verbindbaren Trägerstoff, der eine definierte Form des Instantprodukts erlaubt.

The present invention concerns a dry milk product comprising milk particles, which is densified, containing between 0 and 50 % fat, having a loose density comprised between 0.40 and 0.80 g/ml, a porosity comprised between 0.35 and 0.65 and being densified at a densification degree comprised between 40 and 70 %.

Die Erfindung betrifft trockene chipsartige Nahrungs-oder Genussmittelscheiben und Verfahren zu ihrer Herstellung. Lebensmittelrohstoffe, die Gerüststoffe und wasserlösliche Bestandteile enthalten, werden in einen im wesentlichen homogenen Brei überführt und in eine in geschmacklicher Hinsicht verzehrbereite Zusammensetzung gebracht. Dieser Brei wird in fliessfähiger bis pastöser Konsistenz zu Scheiben mit einer Dicke von 1 bis 10 mm geformt und im wesentlichen unter Aufrechterhaltung der Gerüststruktur und Schichtdicke schonend getrocknet. Die erhaltenen Scheiben sind als Nahrungs- und Genussmittel zum unmittelbaren Verzehr ohne vorheriges Vermengen mit Flüssigkeit geeignet und werden im Munde durch den Speichel, dessen Produktion angeregt wird, wieder in Breiform überführt.

[Problem] The object of invention is to provide solid milk with favorable solubility and enough strength and the method of manufacturing the solid milk. [Means] A solid milk which comprises a hard layer at the surface (12) of the solid milk, and a central area (11) of the solid milk, the central area (11) being inside the hard layer, characterized in that the hard layer comprises 10wt% to 50wt% of crystalline lactose and has a thickness of 0.5 mm or more, wherein the amount of crystalline lactose at the hard layer is larger than that of crystalline lactose at the central area (11). The solid milk of the invention has X-ray diffraction pattern of its surface area that has a main peak of 2theta= 10 - 15 degrees at 2theta = 10 - 11 degrees or at 2theta = 12 - 13 degrees. A method for the manufacture of solid milk comprises compressing powdered milk to obtain compressed powdered milk; humidifying the compressed powdered milk to obtain humidified compressed powdered milk; and drying the humidified compressed powdered milk to obtain the solid milk. A part of amorphous lactose at the surface of the solid milk 12 is crystallized at the steps of humidifying step and drying.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing solid milk having better water solubility and keeping suitable hardness even when the powdered milk, which is hard to mold, with low free fat is used. Solid milk has been manufactured by using powdered milk having small particle diameter which was passed through a sieve in order to obtain homogeneous solid milk. The present invention is based on the knowledge that solid milk having suitable hardness and water solubility can be obtained by using powdered milk having large particle diameter which have not been used for manufacturing the solid milk because it has been sieved.