| abstract |
A method of producing a fermented milk characterized by comprising conducting the fermentation with the use of, as lactic acid bacteria, a bacterium belonging to the genus Bifidobacterium and a bacterium belonging to the genus Lactococcus which has the following mycological properties: (1) such a fermentability that, in the case where the bacterium is cultured in a 10% reduced skim milk medium at a temperature of from 25 to 37oC for 16 hours, the medium is solidified; (2) such an effect of promoting the growth of Bifidobacterium longum that, in the case where the bacterium is cultured together with Bifidobacterium longum in the above-described medium and the pH value attains 4.4 to 4.6, the bifidobacterial count amounts to 5x108 CFU/g or more; and (3) such an effect of promoting the storage survival of Bifidobacterium longum that, in the case where the bacterium is cultured together with Bifidobacterium longum in the above-described medium, quenched at the point when the pH value attains 4.4 to 4.6 and then stored at 10oC for 2 weeks, the survival rate of Bifidobacterium longum amounts 30% or more; and a fermented milk produced by this production method. |