An improved dried egg white has a pH of 9.5 or more and a carbon dioxide concentration is 1% or less in a sealed 250 ml vial, when 25 g of the product is stored in the vial at 75.degree. C. for 24 hours.

A process for producing a potato product includes hermetically enclosing potatoes in a container having an average oxygen permeability of 5 cc/m.sup.2dayatm or less, and heating the potatoes at 60 to 95.degree. C., the potatoes being heated under conditions where dissolved oxygen content in the container becomes 5% O.sub.2 or less at least when heating is completed.

The composition for forming an ink-receiver layer according to the invention comprises (A) a monomer component containing a monofunctional monomer; (B) a powder containing an egg white component; and (C) eggshell powder. The component (A) may further contain a polyfunctional monomer with two or more functions.

The present invention provides an oil-in-water emulsified food product containing plant sterol, which has the effect of reducing the level of cholesterol in the blood, and having a smooth texture and excellent emulsification stability. Means for Solving the Problems: An oil-in-water emulsified food product containing a complex of plant sterol with egg yolk lipoprotein is provided. This oil-in-water emulsified food product can be obtained by a production method having a step wherein a liquid dispersion of a complex is prepared by adding a water-based medium as needed to egg yolk lipoprotein and plant sterol followed by stirring and mixing; a step wherein water-phase ingredient(s) are added as needed, stirred and mixed; and a step wherein oil-phase ingredient(s) are added and an emulsification treatment is performed.

There are provided an oral skin improving agent that exhibits good skin improving effects when orally ingested, suppresses problems of discoloration and generation of unpleasant odor during storage, and has excellent storage stability; a food composition for improving skin containing this skin improving agent; and a skin improving method. The oral skin improving agent contains as a principal component refined hyaluronic acid having a purity of at least 90%, preferably at least 95%, and an average molecular weight in a range of 750,000 to 1,200,000, preferably 800,000 to 1,000,000. A person's skin can be improved by having the person ingest the oral skin improving agent such that the ingestion amount thereof is at least 5 mg per day.