date:Jun 12, 2015
Oregon State University (OSU) microbiologists have created a new dairy and food thickener using a natural bacterium that can add probiotic values to food products.
The researchers had started work on the bacterium since the early 1990s, when an OSU microbiologist discovered Ropy 352, a novel polymer that could rapidly thicken milk.
Ropy 352 is produced by a non-disease-causing bacterium, and lends a smooth, thick, creamy property to fermented foods. The polymer could be used in producing sou