Emulsifier composition for shortening

1. A method of producing a water-in-oil product, said method comprising the step of: admixing a hydrophobic component with a water-in-oil emulsion to form said water-in-oil product, wherein said hydrophobic component comprises a probiotic in a hydrophobic medium, wherein the hydrophobic component is a continuous oil phase formed by heating and cooling the continuous oil phase to form a crystal network within the continuous oil phase, and then admixing the cooled continuous oil phase with the probiotic to obtain a suspension of the probiotic.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the probiotic is a viable micro-organism selected from the group consisting of: Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Pediococcus, Enterococcus, Leuconostoc, Carnobacterium, Propionibacterium, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein said micro-organism is a Bifidobacterium and/or Lactobacillus.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein said micro-organism is species Bifidobacterium sp. 420 and/or Lactobacillus acidophilus.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the probiotic is added to the hydrophobic medium in dry form.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein after admixing the hydrophobic component the water-in-oil product is not subjected to physical manipulations that are capable of causing cell damage.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the water-in-oil product further comprises a prebiotic.

8. A method of preparing a probiotic product comprising: admixing a dispersion with an inert hydrophobic component wherein said hydrophobic component comprises a probiotic in a hydrophobic medium, such that the probiotic is kept discrete from said dispersion in the admixed product, wherein the hydrophobic medium is a continuous oil phase which is formed by heating and cooling the continuous oil phase to form a crystal network within the continuous oil phase, and then admixing the cooled continuous oil phase with the probiotic to obtain a suspension of the probiotic.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the dispersion is an emulsion.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the emulsion is a water-in-oil emulsion.

11. A method according to claim 8 wherein the probiotic product is peanut butter.

12. A product produced by the method of claim 8 or claim 10 .

13. A product obtained by use of the product produced by the method of claim 1 or claim 8 .

14. A product according to claim 12 when packaged.

15. A product according to claim 13 when packaged.

16. A method according to claim 1 or claim 8 wherein the continuous oil phase comprises unsaturated liquid oil and a triglyceride composition wherein the triglyceride composition further comprises a fatty acid monoester.

17. A method according to claim 1 or claim 8 wherein the continuous oil phase comprises unsaturated liquid oil and a triglyceride composition wherein the triglyceride composition further comprises a glycerol monoester.

18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the unsaturated liquid oil and the triglyceride are heated to a temperature in the range of from about 70° C. to about 85° C.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein the unsaturated liquid oil and the triglyceride are heated to a temperature in the range of from about 75° C. to about 80° C.

20. A method according to claim 1 or claim 8 wherein the continuous oil phase is cooled to a temperature of about 20° C.

21. A method according to claim 20 wherein upon cooling, the continuous oil phase forms a gel.

22. A hydrophobic component comprising a continuous oil phase and a probiotic wherein the hydrophobic component is produced by heating and cooling the continuous oil phase to form a crystal network within the continuous oil phase, and then admixing the cooled continuous oil phase with the probiotic to obtain a suspension of the probiotic.