What is yogurt and how is it made?
Under US federal rules, yogurt is the food produced by culturing one or more basic dairy ingredients: cream, milk, partially skimmed milk, skim milk, or reconstituted versions of these. FDA's standard (21 CFR 131.200) also allows optional ingredients such as sweeteners and flavorings.
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In this article
What are the ingredients in yogurt?
The required ingredients are basic dairy ingredients: cream, milk, partially skimmed milk, skim milk, or the reconstituted versions of these. They are cultured with bacteria to make yogurt.
What optional ingredients can yogurt contain?
The regulation lists these safe and suitable optional ingredients:
- additional cultures
- sweeteners
- flavoring ingredients
- color additives
- stabilizers
- emulsifiers
- preservatives
- vitamins A and D (optional addition)
Check the ingredient list on the pack to see which are in a given product.
How is yogurt made?
The regulation describes yogurt as produced by culturing the dairy ingredients. It requires a minimum level of live and active cultures of 10 to the 7th colony forming units per gram at manufacture. The finished product must have a pH of 4.6 or lower, measured within 24 hours after filling. The page we read does not describe the factory steps in more detail, so we do not describe them here.
How much fat does yogurt have?
The regulation says yogurt contains not less than 3.25 percent milkfat and not less than 8.25 percent milk solids not fat. Lower-fat products are covered by the general standard in 21 CFR 130.10, which we did not open, so we give no figures for them.
People also ask
What are the ingredients in yogurt?
Cultured cream, milk, partially skimmed milk or skim milk (or reconstituted versions), plus optional ingredients such as sweeteners and flavorings.
Does yogurt have live cultures?
The regulation sets a minimum of 10 to the 7th colony forming units per gram live and active cultures at manufacture.
Can yogurt contain added vitamins?
Yes, vitamin A and vitamin D may optionally be added, per 21 CFR 131.200.
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