Published Technical Disclosure Archive

Advanced Fermented Milk Production Method Patent

Publication ID: 24-11856967_0001_PTD
Published: October 26, 2025
Category:Direct Improvements & Enhancements

Legal Citation

pr1or.art Inc., “Advanced Fermented Milk Production Method Patent,” Published Technical Disclosure No. 24-11856967_0001_PTD, Published October 26, 2025, available at https://archive.pr1or.art/24-11856967_0001_PTD
This technical disclosure describes improvements that would be readily apparent to a Person Having Ordinary Skill In The Art (PHOSITA) when considered in combination with the foundational architecture disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 11,856,967.

Background and Problem Solved

The original patent disclosed a method for making liquid or semi-liquid fermented milk products, but it had limitations in terms of production time, product consistency, and bacterial load. The new invention addresses these limitations by introducing a continuous flow process, controlled pulsatile bacterial strain addition, and real-time monitoring and adjustment.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The new invention introduces a continuous flow process, controlled pulsatile bacterial strain addition, and real-time monitoring and adjustment, which are not present in the original patent. These features provide a significant improvement in efficiency, consistency, and quality, making the new invention novel and non-obvious.

Alternative Embodiments and Variations

Alternative embodiments include using different types of heating elements, stirring mechanisms, and monitoring systems. Variations of the invention could include applying the continuous flow process to other types of milk-based products or integrating the system with existing production lines.

Potential Commercial Applications and Market

The enhanced method and system have significant commercial potential in the dairy industry, particularly in the production of yogurt, cheese, and other fermented milk products. The invention's ability to improve efficiency, consistency, and quality makes it an attractive solution for manufacturers seeking to optimize their production processes and meet growing consumer demand for high-quality dairy products.

CPC Classifications

SectionClassGroup
A A23 A23G9/363
A A23 A23C9/123
A A23 A23C9/1223
A A23 A23C9/1307
A A23 A23G9/08
A A23 A23G9/40

Field of Art

Food Processing and Dairy Technology, specifically fermented milk product manufacturing, involving thermal processing, bacterial fermentation, and product formulation techniques

Person of Ordinary Skill (PHOSITA) Profile

A food science engineer or dairy technologist with expertise in fermentation processes, thermal treatment methods, bacterial strain manipulation, and industrial-scale dairy product manufacturing, typically holding a BS/MS in food science or related engineering discipline

Obviousness Rationale

A PHOSITA would recognize that the PTD's continuous flow process, controlled bacterial strain addition, and real-time monitoring represent incremental improvements to standard fermentation techniques already disclosed in the source patent. These variations apply known process optimization strategies to the existing milk product manufacturing method, utilizing standard engineering principles of process control and efficiency enhancement.

Obvious Combinations & Variations

Source Patent Element
Heating milk-based mixture with specific sugar concentration and bacterial strain addition
PTD Variation
Implementing continuous flow heating instead of batch processing
Obviousness Reasoning
Continuous processing is a standard industrial technique for improving production efficiency, representing a predictable variation that would be obvious to optimize manufacturing throughput
Source Patent Element
Static fermentation method with intermittent thermal treatment
PTD Variation
Real-time monitoring and dynamic adjustment of thermal treatment parameters
Obviousness Reasoning
Process control and monitoring are well-established techniques in food manufacturing, representing a known method to improve product consistency and quality
Source Patent Element
Lactic bacterial strain addition at concentration greater than 10^9 CFU/ml
PTD Variation
Controlled, pulsatile bacterial strain introduction
Obviousness Reasoning
Precise bacterial strain management is a standard technique in fermentation science, representing a predictable optimization of microbial introduction methods
Source Patent Element
Milk-based mixture with 20-30% sugar concentration
PTD Variation
Pre-treatment step to reduce bacterial load
Obviousness Reasoning
Preliminary processing steps to improve product quality are common engineering design choices in food manufacturing
Source Patent Element
Basic fermented milk product manufacturing method
PTD Variation
Integrated heating and stirring mechanism controlled by single control unit
Obviousness Reasoning
Equipment integration and centralized control represent standard process engineering approaches to improve manufacturing efficiency
35 U.S.C. § 103 Summary: Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 103, the variations disclosed in this Published Technical Disclosure would be considered obvious to a Person Having Ordinary Skill In The Art in view of US Patent 11856967, as the claimed innovations represent predictable variations employing known techniques in dairy product manufacturing that would be apparent to a skilled practitioner without requiring inventive insight.

Original Patent Information

Patent NumberUS 11,856,967
TitleMethod for making liquid or semi-liquid fermented milk products
Assignee(s)ALI GROUP S.R.L.—CARPIGIANI