The high (at least 80%) fat content fat products spreadable on bread (butter and margarine) have recently been replaced by spreads, which have the characteris- tic of being well spreadable if cold (just taken out of the refrigerator), and most of them are rnixtures of different vegetable or animal fats. Considering their production technologies they may be prepared in either water-in-fat or fat-in-water emulsion forms, or a combination of these. All three types of spreads, and their production processes are known in the art. Information in this regard may be found in the pertinent literature. For their presentation we will group these spreads according to their main types in the following sections.

Fat-in-water emulsion structure spreads In the patent US 4 370 125, a cream with 40% fat content is to be mixed with sodium alginate, sodium tetrapyrophosphate, sodium citrate and potassium sorbate at 50 °C, then monoglycerides are added at 70 °C, and the emulsion is homogenized through a two speed homogenizer so that it contains 2-3, um fat globules, then it is heat treated at 95 °C for 30 seconds. The product, cooled down to 10 °C, is packed and left to settle for 36 hours at 2-4 °C.

According to patent US 4 515 825, the 3.5-5.5 pH, 30-50% fat content emul- sion is heat treated at 90 °C for 30 minutes.

According to patent US 4 772 483, cream is enriched by slim milk powder, then salt, locust bean gum, lecithin, mono-and diglycerides and sodium sorbate are added, the : pH of the mixture decreased with citric acid, then it is heat treated at 180-185°F for 15 minutes or at 185-190°F for 20-30 seconds, and then is homoge- nized and packaged warm.

According to the specification of CS 193 670, the homogenized, acidified cream is post-heat treated at 65-80 °C with added stabilizers, then is homogenized again and packaged warm.

Water-in-fat emulsion structure spreads According to the specification of EP 0 365 738, water-in-fat emulsion struc- tured, low fat-content spreads are produced by mixing a low pH water phase con- taining water, gelatine, salt, lactic acid and milk dry-products, and a milk-fat phase containing monoglycerides and colouring agents, then the mixture is driven by a volumetric displacement pump through a piped heat exchanger with scrapers, in which the fat is crystallized and the mixture becomes an emulsion.

According to international publication WO 91/07098, spreads are produced in the traditional Fritz-type butter-making machine by adding water phase contain- ing milk protein to the churned, 80-83% fat-content butter lumps at 15-25 °C before working, then working them together.

According to patent US 5 075 125,30-50% milk-fat, 50-65% water and dis- tilled monoglyceride, or mono-and diglyceride content spreads are produced through mechanical emulsification.

According to the specification of PE 0 368 805, spreads below 60% fat- content are produced by emulsification of two types of water phases in the butter with the help of a mixer capable of great shear force. The first water phase is a buffer containing lactic acid ; the second water phase is a milk protein suspension.

According to international publication WO 94/05160, 40-80% fat-content cream is mixed with water phase containing a fixed amount of stabilizers and salt at 50-80 °C, during which the cream becomes a water-in-fat emulsion. The product is cooled in multiple steps, and a stable water-in-fat emulsion structure is achieved by having a part of the product driven back to the beginning of the process after the first cooling step.

Water-in-fat/fat-in-water mixed emulsion structure spreads According to patent specification HU 187 066, cream is homogenized in two steps, then is fermented with lactic acid bacteria until reaching 4.2-4.7 pH. The sour coagulum is mixed with butter, then, with the addition of texture modifier hydro- colloids, is post-heat treated at 65-80 °C. The fat component of the butter-cream produced by this method is a fat-in-water emulsion containing 70-80% fat globules of an average diameter below 0.5 jjm.

According to patent US 4 769 255, a mixed emulsion spread may be pro- duced in which the ratio of fat-in-water to water-in-fat emulsions ranges between 7: 3 and 8: 2.

From the analysis of the prior art technologies it is evident that while water- in-fat emulsion structure spreads are almost exclusively prepared through cold proc- esses (crystallization-working), in the production of fat-in-water structure products post-heat treatment is applied in all cases, and in the case of mixed emulsions the technology depends on which type of emulsion is dominant.

Recent medical research has shown that the resorption of fat is better if it is consumed in the form of a higher dispersion level fat-in-water emulsion. Moreover, the role of live flora (living or viable culture) has recently gained an increasing amount of attention in nutrition, especially when the live flora has a probiotic effect.

These two factors together require the production of spreads which, in addi- tion to their high dispersion level fat components, contain live flora.

Live flora spreads of the invention are high dispersion level fat-in-water emulsion structure spreads. In the prior art, in the case of these spreads the spread- ability-as may be observed from the presentation of the technologies-is achieved by the special homogenization of basic materials, by adding hydrocolloids before post-heat treatment, then by post-heat treating. As an effect of this post-heat treat- ment, used for texture modification in each case besides pasteurization, the microorganisms are liquidated when fat-in-water emulsion structure butter-creams are produced; that is, the live flora is inactivated by the known production tech- nique, the problem of retaining it in the product being as yet unresolved.

It is evident from the above that the traditionally used combination of proce- dures in butter-cream production (that is heat treatment, homogenization, fermenta- tion, stabilizer addition, and post-heat treatment to assure the spreadability of prod- ucts with roughly 40% fat content) does not make possible the production of live flora butter-creams due to the bacterium killing effect of post-heat treatment.

The addition of stabilizers before heat treatment and homogenization, and fermentation as a final step following stabilization, heat treatment and homogeniza- tion, is applied only for yoghurts. However, in this way only a pudding-like, spoonable texture can be achieved.

According to the state of art there are no known methods for the production of fat-in-water emulsion structure butter based products, in which spreadability could be achieved without post-heat treatment.

Given the above, the object of the invention is to create butter-creams, and to provide processes to produce them, such that they should contain live flora with probiotic effects along with a high dispersion level fat content.

Unexpectedly the inventors realized that by a special combination of stabili- zation, homogenization and fermentation spreadable butter-cream can be produced without post-heat treatment, which is practically stable in the usual range of tem- perature (0-30 °C).

In particular, the inventors found that (instead of adding stabilizers in the fi- nal phase and achieving the required texture via post-heat treatment, as traditional), if the base material cream is stabilized with hydropexic hydrocolloids which are capable of keeping this property even after heat treatment and homogenization, and then the further processes like heat treatment, homogenization, flavouring and fer- mentation are carried out afterwards, the appropriate texture can be achieved with- out post-heat treatment and thus without destruction of the live flora.

With the above technique e. g.. a fat-in-water emulsion structured spread of the known quality, nevertheless comprising live flora, can be produced, said spread (butter-cream) having fat-globules with an average diameter of < 1.0 vum, preferably < 0.5,, um, containing, preferably probiotic, live flora. Preferably, the product has further significant properties (the amount of components based on lOOg of the final product): Milk fat content, g/lOOg : 28-42, preferably 38-42 Fat-free dry material content, g/lOOg : 5-12, preferably 9-11 Protein content, g/lOOg : 2-5, preferably 3-4 Energy content, kJ/100g : 900-1600, preferably 1200-1500 Type of emulsion: 100% fat-in-water Average diameter of fat globules, pm : < 1. 0 Lactic acid bacteria content, CFU*/g : > 106 *CFU = colony forming unit

The properties listed are for the plain, unflavoured products. For flavoured products the figures vary in accordance with the amount and characteristics of the flavouring materials.

The invention further relates to the use of a hydropexic hydrocolloid which is capable of keeping its hydropexic property after heat treatment and homogenization, for the preparation of a live flora spread, preferably a fat-in-water emulsion struc- ture spread.

According to the invention to the 29-44 mass%, preferably 38-42 mass% fat- content cream, calculated against the final mass of the product, 0.2-1.5 mass%, preferably 0.4-1.0 mass% hydropexic hydrocolloid (synergy blocking) materials, or their mixtures, preferably gelatine and/or modified starch, are dispersed, said hydro- colloid keeping its hydropexic property even after homogenization and heat- treatment. If desired, the spreadability features of the butter may be improved by increasing the amount of the fat-free dry milk material by a maximum of 5 mass%, preferably 1-5 mass%; that is, by adding a lactic additive enriched by milk proteins, preferably milk-powder and/or milk protein concentrated powder in an amount cor- responding to 1-5 mass% increase of dry-material, calculated against the mass of the final product. Given the nearly 100% dry-material content of these materials, their added amount calculated against the mass of the final product will be nearly 1-5 mass%. The cream then is heat treated, as traditional, at 75-110°C, preferably at 85- 95 °C, then homogenized so that the average diameter of fat globules in the emul- sion phase is 1.0 um.

Heat treatment and homogenization is usually carried out as follows: a.) the cream is homogenized in one step at the temperature of the heat treatment under 20-35 MPa, preferably 25-30 MPa pressure, or b.) the cream is heat treated, cooled to the temperature of inoculation, and then homogenized in one step at this temperature under 20-35 MPa, pref- erably 25-30 MPa pressure, or c.) the cream is homogenized under 2-10 MPa, preferably 4-6 MPa pres- sure at 60-110°C, preferably at 85-95°C as a first step, then is cooled to the temperature of inoculation, and finally at this temperature is homoge- nized under 25-35 MPa, preferably 22-28 MPa pressure as a second step.

In method b) and c) of the homogenization processes above, it is preferable to use traditional pasteur lines (for example plate pasteur), while in method a) preferably a scraped surface, piped heat exchanger is used for the cooling of the cream, with regard to the high viscosity of the cream.

Homogenized cream cooled to the inoculation temperature is inoculated with a lactic acid bacteria culture (1-5 mass%) by the usual method. The applied lactic acid bacteria culture is a type of acidifier culture used in the dairy industry, prefera- bly butter-culture. Inoculation in cases b) and c) above may take place before or after homogenization. The inoculation and the following fermentation temperature depends on the growth temperature of the bacterial culture used, averaging between 20 and 45 °C. If the culture consists of one or more probiotic strains, then the pro- duced butter-cream will have a probiotic effect. The inoculated cream is placed into its package (preferably a plastic box), sealed airtight (preferably by C02 gas protec- tion), then fermented at the growth temperature of the bacteria until it reaches a pH of 4.2-4.7, preferably 4.5-4.6. The fermented, live flora butter-cream is cooled to 0- 10 °C and is stored at this temperature.

The butter-cream produced this way is well spreadable in the 0-30 °C tem- perature range, consists of < 1. 0 im fat globules, and contains lactic acid bacteria, preferably in an amount of at least 106/g, more preferably 106-109/g, even more preferably 1x103-3x108/g. The bacteria, depending on the culture employed, may have a probiotic effect.

Spiced or sweetened variations of the live flora butter-creams can be pro- duced if, following homogenization, the flavouring materials are added to the cream, then the flavoured product is packaged and fermented.

Spreads of the invention combines two nutrition advantages: on the one hand 100% of its fat content is in emulsion form of high dispersity level (d<l. 0 um), on the other hand the product contains a large amount of lactic acid bacteria, preferably more than one million per gram. Depending on the bacterial culture used, the prod- uct may also be of probiotic effect.

The process is presented via the following examples in more detail, without any intention of limitation.

Example 1 Plain, live flora butter-cream was produced. As basic material 42 mass% fat- content milk is used, in which 1.0 mass% gelatine is dispersed. The cream is heated to 90 °C, then is homogenized without cooling under 35 MPa pressure. The heat treated, homogenized cream is cooled to 24 °C with a piped heat exchanger with scrapers, then inoculated with 2 mass% butter culture (VK-57 brand culture, manu- facturer and distributor: Hungarian Dairy Research Institute, Mosonmagyarovar), packaged into plastic boxes, and fermented until reaching a pH of 4.5 (about 12 hours). Following this process the product is cooled to 5 °C, then stored at 0-5 °C.

The fat content of the butter-cream produced this way is 40.7 mass%, its fat- free dry-material content is 5.7 mass%, its protein content is 3 mass%, the average diameter of its fat globules is 0.6 um, and following production the butter-cream contains 108/g lactic acid bacteria.

Example 2 Plain live flora butter-cream was produced by a process similar to that of Ex- ample 1, but with the difference that the base material cream is enriched with a 2 mass% milk-powder, and a modified starch is used instead of gelatine, and the cream is heat treated on plate pasteur at 105 °C for 40 seconds, then cooled to 24 °C, and then, following inoculation, is homogenized at 24 °C under 35 MPa pres- sure.

The fat content of the butter-cream produced this way is 40.0 mass%, its fat- free dry-material content is 7.7 mass%, its protein content is 2.7 mass%, the average diameter of its fat globules is 0.5 um, and following production it contains 2x108/g lactic acid bacteria.

Example 3 Plain live flora butter-cream was produced with a process similar to that of Example 2, but with the difference that 35 mass% fat-content base material cream was used, which was enriched with a 3 mass% milk-powder, and stabilized with 1% 50-50% gelatine/modified starch mixture. During production it was taken out of the plate pasteur at 70 °C, homogenized under 5 MPa pressure, then returned and cooled to 24 °C, and then following inoculation was homogenized at 24 °C under 25 MPa pressure.

The fat content of the butter-cream produced in this way is 33 mass%, its fat- free dry-material content is 9. 4 mass%, its protein content is 4 mass%, the average diameter of its fat globules is 0.4 pm, and following production the butter-cream contains 4x108/g lactic acid bacteria.

Example 4 Spiced (Hungarian style) live flora butter-cream was produced with a process similar to that of Example 1, but with the difference that following heat treatment and homogenization 1 mass% salt, 1 mass% paprika, 0.8 mass% ground caraway and 0.2 mass% ground black pepper was added to the cream.

The fat content of the butter-cream produced in this way is 39.5 mass%, its fat-free dry-material content is 10.5 mass%, and its protein content is 2.9 mass%.

Example 5 Lemon flavoured live flora butter-cream was produced with a process similar to that of Example 3, but with the difference that following inoculation and cold homogenization 8 mass% sugar and 5 mass% lemon juice was added to the cream.

The fat content of the butter-cream produced in this way is 28.7 mass%, its fat-free dry-material content is 18.6 mass%, and its protein content is 3.5 mass%.

Example 6 Probiotic effect butter-cream was produced with a process similar to any of Examples 1-5, but with the difference that for inoculation a thermophile probiotic culture is used, namely Probiolact 3 brand probiotic culture (manufacturer and dis- tributor: Hungarian Dairy Research Institute, Mosonmagyarovar), and inoculation and fermentation was carried out at 37 °C.

The butter-cream produced this way will be of probiotic effect.