Milwaukee, WI – A new texturing culture for sour cream and creamy buttermilk, developed by Chr. Hansen, creates new opportunities in the dairy industry, where high quality alternatives to currently used texturing cultures are paramount.

Chr. Hansen's recently launched culture, called XT-313, is a new phage-unrelated, texturing mesophilic culture. With this new strain, Chr. Hansen can now offer its customers an effective alternative in the event of phage attacks. Moreover, the need for strains with a high texturing ability is growing more than ever before, especially with regard to sour cream, where the demand for low-fat products is on the rise. The less fat the sour cream contains, the greater the texturing that can be handled by the culture.

XT-313 has optimal texturing abilities. However, getting there was a challenge, according to David Burrington, Director of Marketing for Dairy at Chr. Hansen.

“Because of the complexity of these cultures, developing XT-313 was not simple,” he explains. “We had to develop a method to select strains providing high texture, and then find a strain that had the desirable properties. After repeated trials, and almost two years of hard work in the lab, we were able to scale up the strain. The final blend was then tested at several customer sites, with very positive feedback."

Burrington continues, "Texturing strains are difficult to work with and have a different behavior compared to other strains. Increased understanding of these strains, as well as sufficient back-ups, are key to our success. We have identified back-up candidates that will be tested soon."

For more information on the XT-313 culture and Chr. Hansen's other dairy ingredients that include cultures, probiotics, enzymes, colors, flavors and test kits, call Kristian Elsborg, Vice President of Sales or David Burrington at 800-558-0802, or email Kristian.Elsborg@chr-hansen-us.com or DBurrington@chr-hansen-us.com.
Operating from facilities in thirty countries worldwide, Chr. Hansen is a global biotechnology company that provides ingredients to the food, dairy, human health and nutrition, and animal health industries. Based on intensive research, Chr. Hansen works to improve the quality of food and health for people all over the world. The company is a primary supplier of cultures, probiotics, enzymes, colors, flavors, seasonings, sweeteners, and tablet coatings and excipients, which are applied in foods and beverages, pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements and agricultural products. For more information, visit www.chr-hansen.com.

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Contact:  
Linda Sweek
Communications & PR Manager 
414-607-5818
Linda.Sweek@chr-hansen-us.com