Yogurt is a dairy product made by blending fermented milk with various permitted food ingredients that provide flavor and color. The resulting yogurt must contain at least 8.25% solids as well as characteristic bacterial cultures such as Streptococcus thermophiles and Lactobacillus bulgaricus to produce lactic acid, decrease the pH levels, and cause milk protein to coagulate. A full-fat yogurt must contain no less than 3.25% milk fat, nonfat yogurt less than 0.5% milk, and low-fat yogurt not more than 2% milk fat.
There are two types of yogurt found commonly in grocery stores. One is set-type yogurt and the other is swiss yogurt. The set-type is when the yogurt is packed with the yogurt on top and fruit on the bottom of the cup. Swiss yogurt is when the fruit is blended into the yogurt before packing.
Ingredients Used in Yogurt
1. Milk:
The main ingredient of any kind of yogurt is milk, and the type of milk used is based on the type of yogurt. For example, low-fat milk is used for low-fat yogurt, whole milk is used for full-fat yogurt, and skim milk is used for non-fat yogurt.
2. Cream:
The cream is used to adjust the fat content in the yogurt and the non-fat dairy milk is used to adjust the solid content. The yogurt must have solid content often adjusted above the 8.25% for a minimum to provide better texture and body to the finished yogurt. The CFR contains a list of the permissible dairy ingredients for making yogurt.
3. Stabilizers:
Stabilizers are also used in yogurt to improve the texture and body by increasing firmness, preventing whey separation, and keeping the fruit uniformly mixed in the yogurt.
The stabilizers used in yogurt are gelatins, alginates, gums, starch, and pectins.
4. Sweeteners & Flavors:
Sweeteners, fruit preparations, and flavors are used in yogurt to give various tastes. CFR provides the list of sweeteners and flavors approved for use in yogurt.
For set-style yogurt, the fruit is added to the bottom of the cup and then the inoculated yogurt is poured on the top and then the yogurt is fermented in the cup. For swiss yogurt, the fruit is blended with the fermented, cooled yogurt before packaging.
Conclusion:
These are some of the food ingredients used in manufacturing yogurt. If you are running a food processing company and are looking for high-quality food ingredient suppliers, visit Excesa today. Excesa is a leading food ingredient supplier directory where you can find various kinds of food ingredients in one place.