What are live cultures in yogurt. How do live cultures benefit health. How to identify yogurt with active cultures. Why are some yogurts heat-treated. What is the National Yogurt Association seal. How does yogurt help with lactose intolerance. What are versatile ways to use yogurt in your diet.

Understanding Live Cultures in Yogurt: The Key to Its Health Benefits

Yogurt has been revered as a healthful food for centuries, and modern research continues to uncover its potential benefits. But what exactly makes yogurt so beneficial? The answer lies in its live cultures.

Live cultures, specifically Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, are the beneficial bacteria that transform pasteurized milk into yogurt during fermentation. This process not only creates yogurt’s distinctive taste and texture but also imbues it with numerous health-promoting properties.

The Health-Boosting Potential of Live Cultures

Research is ongoing into the various ways yogurt with live cultures may benefit our health. Some areas of investigation include:

• Lowering cholesterol levels
• Combating yeast infections
• Preventing gastrointestinal infections
• Enhancing the body’s immune system
• Potentially reducing the risk of certain types of cancer

Given these potential benefits, it’s crucial to ensure that the yogurt you consume actually contains these beneficial live cultures.

Identifying Genuine Yogurt: The Live & Active Cultures Seal

With the growing popularity of yogurt, many products in the market capitalize on its healthful image without actually providing the benefits of live cultures. So how can consumers distinguish genuine yogurt from imposters?

The National Yogurt Association (NYA) has developed the Live & Active Cultures seal to help consumers identify yogurts containing significant levels of live and active cultures. This voluntary seal indicates that the product contains at least 100 million cultures per gram for refrigerated yogurt, or 10 million cultures per gram for frozen yogurt, at the time of manufacture.

Is the Seal Mandatory for All Yogurts with Live Cultures?

While the Live & Active Cultures seal is a reliable indicator, it’s important to note that its use is voluntary. Some yogurt products may contain live cultures but not carry the seal. Therefore, it’s always wise to read the product label carefully.

The Heat Treatment Dilemma: Why Some Yogurts Lack Live Cultures

Not all yogurts on the market contain significant amounts of live cultures. Some manufacturers heat-treat their yogurt after fermentation, a process that kills most of the beneficial active cultures.

Reasons for Heat Treatment

Why would manufacturers choose to heat-treat yogurt? There are primarily two reasons:

1. Extended shelf life: Heat treatment helps the product last longer on store shelves.
2. Reduced tartness: Some consumers prefer a less tart yogurt, and heat treatment decreases the natural tartness.

These decisions are often driven by financial considerations rather than health benefits. Some manufacturers also deliberately formulate yogurts with low levels of cultures to cut costs.

Yogurt and Lactose Intolerance: A Surprising Connection

For those who struggle with lactose intolerance, yogurt with live cultures may offer a ray of hope. Studies have shown that the live and active cultures in genuine yogurt allow many lactose-intolerant individuals to consume it without experiencing the usual discomfort associated with dairy products.

How Do Live Cultures Help with Lactose Intolerance?

The beneficial bacteria in yogurt help break down lactose, making it easier for the body to digest. This means that even those who typically avoid dairy products due to lactose intolerance may be able to enjoy yogurt as part of their diet.

The Versatility of Yogurt: Beyond a Simple Snack

Yogurt’s usefulness extends far beyond being a quick and healthy snack. Its versatility in the kitchen makes it a valuable ingredient in various dishes and a healthier alternative to less nutritious options.

Creative Ways to Incorporate Yogurt into Your Diet

• Use it as a substitute for mayonnaise or sour cream in recipes
• Top waffles or pancakes with fruited yogurt for a nutritious breakfast
• Choose frozen yogurt over ice cream for a healthier dessert option
• Add it to smoothies for a protein boost
• Use it as a base for dips and salad dressings

Yogurt’s portability also makes it an excellent choice for busy lifestyles. It’s easy to pack for lunches, take on hikes, or enjoy as a quick protein boost during a commute.

Making Informed Choices: Reading Labels and Understanding Yogurt Products

With the variety of yogurt products available in the market, it’s crucial to make informed choices to ensure you’re getting the health benefits you seek. Here are some tips to help you navigate the yogurt aisle:

What to Look for on Yogurt Labels

• The Live & Active Cultures seal from the National Yogurt Association
• Ingredient list: Look for Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus
• Sugar content: Be wary of flavored yogurts with high sugar content
• Fat content: Choose based on your dietary needs and preferences
• Added probiotics: Some yogurts contain additional probiotic strains

Remember, while price is a consideration, opting for a slightly more expensive brand that guarantees live cultures may provide better health benefits in the long run.

The Future of Yogurt: Ongoing Research and Potential Benefits

As interest in probiotics and gut health continues to grow, research into the benefits of yogurt and its live cultures is ongoing. Scientists are exploring new areas where yogurt consumption may have positive impacts on health.

Emerging Areas of Yogurt Research

• Mental health: Potential links between gut health and mood disorders
• Weight management: How probiotics may influence metabolism and weight
• Skin health: Possible benefits of probiotics for skin conditions
• Antibiotic resistance: How probiotics might help combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria
• Personalized nutrition: Tailoring probiotic consumption to individual microbiomes

While these areas of research are promising, it’s important to remember that yogurt is not a cure-all. It should be part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

Beyond Yogurt: Other Sources of Probiotics

While yogurt is one of the most popular sources of probiotics, it’s not the only option. For those who can’t consume dairy or prefer variety in their probiotic intake, there are several other foods rich in beneficial bacteria.

Probiotic-Rich Foods Beyond Yogurt

• Kefir: A fermented milk drink with a wider variety of probiotic strains than yogurt
• Sauerkraut: Fermented cabbage rich in lactic acid bacteria
• Kimchi: A Korean fermented vegetable dish with various probiotic strains
• Kombucha: A fermented tea beverage containing probiotics and antioxidants
• Miso: A fermented soybean paste common in Japanese cuisine
• Tempeh: A fermented soybean product that’s a good source of probiotics for vegans

Incorporating a variety of these foods into your diet can help support a diverse and healthy gut microbiome.

Can Probiotic Supplements Replace Probiotic Foods?

While probiotic supplements are available, they may not provide the same benefits as probiotic-rich foods. Whole foods like yogurt offer additional nutritional benefits beyond probiotics, such as calcium, protein, and other essential nutrients. However, for individuals with specific health concerns or dietary restrictions, supplements may be a viable alternative under the guidance of a healthcare professional.

Yogurt in Different Cultures: A Global Perspective

Yogurt has been a staple in many cultures around the world for centuries, each with its unique traditions and preparation methods. Exploring these different approaches to yogurt can provide inspiration for new ways to incorporate this healthful food into your diet.

Traditional Yogurt Preparations Around the World

• Greek yogurt: Strained to remove whey, resulting in a thicker, protein-rich product
• Labneh: A Middle Eastern yogurt cheese, often served as a dip or spread
• Lassi: An Indian yogurt-based drink, often flavored with fruit or spices
• Skyr: An Icelandic yogurt-like product, technically a soft cheese, known for its high protein content
• Matsoni: A fermented milk product from Georgia, known for its unique texture and taste

These diverse yogurt traditions demonstrate the versatility and widespread appreciation of this fermented dairy product across different cultures.

Adapting Global Yogurt Traditions to Modern Diets

As interest in global cuisines grows, many of these traditional yogurt preparations are finding their way into mainstream markets. This provides consumers with more options and new ways to enjoy the benefits of probiotic-rich foods.

The Environmental Impact of Yogurt Production

As consumers become more environmentally conscious, it’s important to consider the sustainability aspects of yogurt production. The dairy industry, including yogurt production, has a significant environmental footprint, but there are ways to make more sustainable choices.

How to Know if Your Yogurt Is REALLY Yogurt!

For centuries, yogurt has been considered a healthful food. And today, research is going on internationally regarding the potential attributes of yogurt in such areas as

• lowering cholesterol,

• fighting yeast infections,

• preventing gastrointestinal infections,

• boosting the body’s immune system,

• preventing certain types of cancer.

But yogurt-lovers should take notice: there are products in the marketplace that take advantage of yogurt’s healthful image, but that do not contain the things that make yogurt, yogurt. Yogurt-covered candies, raisins, and pretzels, and yogurt-containing salad dressings are just a few examples.

So what makes yogurt – well, yogurt? According to the National Yogurt Association (NYA), three words: LIVE, ACTIVE CULTURES. The words “live and active cultures” refer to the living organisms, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, which convert pasteurized milk to yogurt during fermentation.

Note that the milk is pasteurized before culturing to remove any harmful bacteria. The process is very similar to that used when making beer, wine or cheese, in that beneficial organisms ferment and transform the basic food. This fermentation process is what creates yogurt, with its unique taste, texture and healthful attributes.

To dispel consumer confusion, the NYA developed the Live & Active Cultures seal to help consumers readily identify those yogurts containing significant levels of live and active cultures. The seal is a voluntary identification available to all manufacturers of refrigerated yogurt whose products contain at least 100 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture, and whose frozen yogurt contains at least 10 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture. (However, here’s something to know: since the seal program is voluntary, some yogurt products may have some live cultures but not carry the seal.)

The NYA is a national non-profit trade organization whose purpose is to sponsor health and medical research for yogurt with live and active cultures. It serves as an information source to the trade and the general public. Their Live & Active Culture seal is an indicator of product quality and the manufacturer’s integrity.

And speaking of INTEGRITY: Back to the fact that not all yogurts are created equal. Some yogurt brands are heat-treated after fermentation. This process kills most of the beneficial active cultures found in the yogurt. Why would a manufacturer heat-treat yogurt? It’s a money-driven decision. Heat-treating prolongs shelf life and decreases yogurt’s natural tartness (some consumers dislike tart yogurt). And then there are yogurts that are deliberately formulated with a low level of cultures (again, a money-driven decision).

So the bottom line? Read your labels. While that marked-down house brand looks attractive (price-wise), if you’re wanting true yogurt with all its health benefits, then move on to a brand that carries the National Yogurt Association (NYA) Live & Active Cultures Yogurt seal on the package and be willing to pay a little more. You’ll be certain you’re getting yogurt with significant levels of live and active cultures.

And here’s another reason to look to real yogurt. Lactose intolerance. Studies show that the live and active cultures present in true yogurt permit it to be eaten by many of the more than one quarter of American adults who ordinarily experience lactose intolerance with other dairy products. If you relate, this may give you hope.

Finally, there’s yogurt’s versatility. It makes a superb substitute for mayonnaise and sour cream; top waffles or pancakes with fruited yogurt; and make desserts more healthful by opting for frozen yogurt over ice cream.

Perfect for today’s busy schedules, nothing is as convenient to carry with you on a hike or put in a lunch bag as yogurt. For the commuter, it’s the perfect portable protein boost. Just be sure you’re getting the real deal; always look for the trustworthy Live and Active Cultures seal!

Sources:

•   www.healthyeating.org
•   www.jacktuchten.com
•   www.moonshineink.com
•   www.smellslikefoodinhere.blogspot.com
•   www.heraldextra.com
•   www.kristinwillard.com

    Alice Osborne

    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006

    Email the author! [email protected]

Does All Yogurt Contain Probiotics and Active Cultures? • Cathe Friedrich

Yogurt has become a popular breakfast food and tasty snack, especially as interest in probiotics continues to grow. In case you’re not aware, probiotics are “friendly” bacteria, in contrast to pathogenic bacteria that cause illness. Your gut is teaming with probiotic bacteria, up to 100 trillion of them, and they help keep your gut peaceful and balanced. They do this by reigning in pathogenic bacteria so they don’t gain a foothold and by the positive impact they have on the immune system, 70% of which lies in your gut.

Preliminary studies suggest that these gut-friendly bacteria influence health and disease in ways we don’t yet fully understand. For example, these tiny intestinal citizens seem to help keep inflammation in check, an important job since most chronic health problems are partially fueled by inflammation. Plus, these bugs help to maintain gut health as well. With such an impressive resume, these are bacteria we want more of!

So, how do we get more of these bacteria – food or supplements? The probiotic supplement industry is thriving. According to Natural Products Inside, the global market for probiotics is valued at 36. 7 billion and shows no signs of slowing. But, we don’t have to depend on a probiotic supplement to supply our guts with friendly bacteria. Fermented foods are a natural source of these organisms. The most popular fermented foods in the American market are dairy foods, particularly yogurt. More recently, another probiotic-rich dairy alternative, kefir, has gained favor.

Chances are you’ve eaten yogurt many times in your life. This creamy snack comes in a dizzying array of flavors these days, although some are quite high in sugar. Recently, Greek yogurt has taken center stage due to its thicker texture and higher protein content. However, Greek yogurt is lower in calcium. In fact, regular yogurt has twice the calcium that Green yogurt has.

To add to the mix, a number of non-dairy yogurts have entered the market. First, non-dairy yogurt was primarily made from soy milk, but now you can buy yogurt made with other non-dairy milk forms such as coconut and almond milk. Choices! Choices! Choices! But, if you’re buying yogurt for its probiotic content, you might wonder whether ALL yogurt contains probiotics.

Active Cultures or Not?

Theoretically, all yogurt SHOULD have probiotics as its made by adding bacterial colonies to milk to ferment the lactose and form lactic acid. The milk is pasteurized BEFORE adding the bacterial colonies, as the heat of pasteurization would destroy them. Once formed, the lactic acid thickens the milk and gives yogurt its thick, creamy consistency.  Lactic acid also gives the yogurt its characteristic tangy taste. Yogurt is arguably one of the oldest fermented foods in existence.

So, why wouldn’t all yogurt contain active probiotic cultures? If yogurt is heat processed after fermentation, it destroys some the healthy bacteria, along with the health benefits. Some manufacturers add probiotic organisms into yogurt after its heat treated to make up for the loss. Some even add some extra probiotic bacteria to compensate for the loss of viable bacteria due to storage.

Still, if yogurt is heat processed after fermentation, the yogurt may still have few active cultures – and how would you know? The National Yogurt Association helps to solve this problem by designing a seal called the Live and Active Cultures seal. Manufacturers can place this seal on yogurt if the yogurt contains at least 100 million cultures at the time it was manufactured. Frozen yogurt must contain at least 10 million cultures to bear the seal.

Seeing this seal on a yogurt container gives you some reassurance that you’re getting active cultures, as long as you don’t leave it sitting in the refrigerator for weeks. Since manufacturers can choose whether to use this seal, there may be yogurt brands that do have enough viable cultures but choose not to use the seal. But, if you’re consuming yogurt for its probiotic benefits, the seal gives you some assurance that you’re getting active cultures.

Does Non-Dairy Yogurt Contain Active Cultures Too?

If you’re lactose intolerant or eat a vegan diet, you can still get gut-friendly bacteria by eating non-dairy yogurt. Manufacturers make non-dairy yogurt in much the same way as dairy yogurt only non-dairy milk is the medium. They commonly use Lactobacillus bulgaricus as a starter culture to ferment the non-dairy milk. If the final product isn’t treated with heat again after fermentation, it should have viable cultures.

Be picky when you choose a yogurt, dairy or non-dairy. Look for one with as little added sugar as possible. Unflavored is usually the best option as the flavorings are often a source of added sugar. You can always flavor it yourself with fresh fruit, herbs, spices, and add other healthy additions like nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, ground flaxseed, and even matcha powder for green tea yogurt.

Look Beyond Yogurt

Although there are plenty of commercial yogurt brands that contain active cultures, you can also get active probiotic organisms by eating fermented vegetables. The most popular of these is fresh sauerkraut. You can buy sauerkraut as well as other fermented vegetables in the refrigerated case of many natural food markets. Canned sauerkraut won’t cut it as it’s pasteurized before canning to kill the bacteria. The advantage that fermented vegetables have over yogurt is they’re a rich source of fiber, some of which is prebiotic. The prebiotics in fermented vegetables are food for probiotic bacteria and help them survive and flourish.

Other options are kefir, kombucha, tempeh, and miso, all of which may have active cultures. However, heating these foods, as is characteristic with tempeh and miso, destroys some of the active organisms.

The Bottom Line

All yogurt contains active cultures, although some commercial brands may heat process their yogurt and destroy some of the organisms. Look for the Live and Active Culture seals on yogurt for reassurance. But, look beyond yogurt as well and get your probiotics from other sources, including nutrient-dense fermented vegetables. These foods have other health benefits as well.

 

References:

Natural Products Inside. “Probiotic Product Trends”
AboutYogurt.com. “Live and Active Culture Yogurt”

 

Related Articles by Cathe:

The Problem with Probiotic Supplements: Are They What They Seem to Be?

Does Your Favorite Yogurt Have Enough Probiotic Bacteria?

Fermented Foods vs. Probiotic Supplements: Is One Better Than the Other?

How Your Gut Microbiome Changes with Age and How It Impacts Your Health

Are Probiotic Supplements Overhyped?

 

Microbiological indicators of yoghurt

Real yogurt, in which natural milk and sourdough are combined, must contain pure, “live” cultures in a certain number and proportions. In Russia, its microbiological parameters are strictly specified by the Law of the Russian Federation No. 88-FZ and GOST 31981-2013. If the content of cultures deviates from the norm, the product cannot be called yogurt. It will not bring the benefits for which the lactic acid drink is valued all over the world.

Yogurt on sourdough, in which all microbiological and other parameters are observed:

• helps to strengthen the immune and hematopoietic systems, helps the body fight seasonal infections;
• enriches the body with vitamins B and A, which are necessary for regulating cholesterol levels, the proper functioning of the nervous system, and maintaining the beauty of the skin;
• improves digestion, regulates acidity, helps fight pathogenic microflora of the gastrointestinal tract, putrefactive microorganisms in the intestines;
• prevents osteoporosis, reduces the risk of high blood pressure, and so on.

For the first time, the microflora of a dairy product was studied at the beginning of the 20th century at the University of Geneva. Then it was described as a combination of lactic acid microorganisms – these were rod-shaped and spherical bacteria. Today we know them under the names Lactobacilli bulgaricus (the birthplace of the drink, Bulgaria) and Streptococcus thermophilus, respectively. The bulgarian stick and thermophilic streptococcus (as cultures are called in the Russian-speaking scientific community) are still used today as the main bacteria that convert milk into a useful product.

Microbiotic parameters of different types of yoghurt

Russian GOST 31981-2013 stipulates that yogurt must be produced using the above mentioned starter microorganisms. Their concentration in the finished product cannot be less than 10 ⁷ CFU per gram (at the end of the expiration date). The protosymbiotic mixture used for fermentation should consist of pure cultures.

In addition to yoghurt itself, not enriched in any way, made from sourdough based on bulgarian sticks and thermophilic streptococcus, the state standard introduced the concept of bioyoghurt. This is a product where, in addition to the main cultures in the correct concentration, there are probiotics, prebiotics, lactic acidophilus bacillus. For them, concentration norms are also strictly stipulated at the time of the expiration date of bioyogurt, regardless of the presence of additional components:

• for bifidobacteria (Bifidobacterium) – the amount should not be less than 10 ¹⁰ CFU per one gram of bioyoghurt;
• for lactic acid bacillus (Lactobacillus acidophilus) – the concentration of bacteria should not be less than 10 ⁶ CFU per gram.

---

Natural sources of Lactobacillus acidophilus:

• Yogurt: Contains Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophiles. In addition, some yogurts contain Lactobacillus acidophilus
• Kefir: In the production of kefir, starter preparations are used, consisting of acidophilic rods (Lactobacillus acidophilus), thermophilic and mesophilic lactic streptococci and bifidobacteria (Bifidobacterium bifidum)
• Miso: Miso is a traditional Japanese dish. It is made with the addition of specially fermented soybeans or cereals. Miso contains a koji-kin mold called Aspergillus oryzae. In addition to it, it can also contain many bacteria, including Lactobacillus acidophilus.

---

Also, GOST introduced the concept of enriched yogurt – with food, biologically active substances. The concentration of the main microorganisms in them must comply with the standard. Otherwise, the product distributed on the territory of the Russian Federation cannot be called “yogurt”.

What do yoghurt microbiota values ​​say and how they are determined

Milk under the influence of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacilli bulgaricus turns into a product with high nutritional value. To benefit from it, you need to monitor compliance with the norm of microbiotic indicators. They indicate that the fermentation process was carried out correctly, the yogurt is really “alive”, the result from it will correspond to the declared action, it will be absorbed better than milk. To find out if a product is of high quality, it is tested for microbiotic indicators.

Experts from laboratories conduct an organoleptic analysis of yogurt according to the main parameters and compare the result with the regulatory documents in force in the country. So, for the correct performance of a microbiotic study of yogurt, it is necessary to assess the presence and quantity of:

• lactic acid organisms – in accordance with GOST 10444.11-89;
• bifidobacteria – according to industry regulations in force at the time of the audit;
• microorganisms that should not be in yogurt (E. coli, mold, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and so on) – according to GOST 30347, GOST 10444.12 and other standards.

Guided by legally established standards, experts determine whether the drink can be used and whether it contains enough useful cultures. Each country has its own standards for the content of the necessary components in yogurt, and their concentration in finished “canned” products is not always sufficient. Therefore, the best way to ensure the correct microbiotic indicators is to make your own yogurt, from natural milk and quality starter cultures that contain the necessary cultures.

“Live” and “non-living” yogurts – Petropavlovsk News

Real yogurt can be stored for no more than seven days

Everyone knows the benefits of fermented milk products – kefir, fermented baked milk, curdled milk. When buying, we do not doubt their usefulness, but when we pick up a package with yogurt – a representative of the same family of fermented milk products, we think – which yogurt is better and whether the choice was made correctly …

Yoghurt is a fermented milk product with a high content of skim milk produced by fermentation with a mixture of pure cultures of Bulgarian bacillus and thermophilic streptococcus (hereinafter we will call them sourdough). The fat-free substances of milk are protein and carbohydrates. In the production of yoghurts, the fat content of the product varies from fat-free to fatty, and the amount of protein is taken into account and replenished in terms of dry weight.
Yoghurts are characterized by high nutritional value, they are excellent sources of protein with high biological value, calcium and vitamin B2.
Today, in stores, eyes run wide from the abundance of multi-colored cups and jars. It seems that manufacturers, in pursuit of profit, have forgotten about consumers and are only competing to come up with more ridiculous therapeutic properties for the next drinking yogurt. “We increase immunity”, “strengthen antiviral protection”, “we populate the intestines with the right bacteria”.
It turns out that not all yogurts are called yogurts. The contents of attractive jars are not yogurt at all, but a yogurt product – a synthetic analogue of a fermented milk drink that does not contain biocultures. This is nothing more than a dessert – a mixture of milk and sweet fillers, during the production of which living cultures are subjected to heat treatment and die. That is why pseudo-yogurt is stored much longer. In many European countries, for some time now only “live” yogurt, that is, with live biocultures, has the right to be called yogurt, while its synthetic counterparts have lost this privilege.
How many natural ingredients are in yogurt, and how many are synthetic, what do manufacturers hide? When buying yogurt, carefully read what is written on the package, especially carefully study the information on the composition of the product. Opt for yogurt that has only two ingredients; skimmed or pasteurized milk and live cultures of lactic acid bacteria. With very few health benefits and high calories in fruit yogurts, which contain sweeteners, sugar, emulsifiers, and the content of soy isolate is completely veiled, fruit yogurt is not a natural product. Choose the yogurt in which the calcium content indicated on the package is about 300 ml, gr., And the calorie content is 200 – 250 kcal. Look for the sign “Live and active cultures”, but do not confuse it with the inscription “produced on the basis of live lactobacilli”, because most often the manufacturer deceives, this inscription is placed as an advertisement to attract buyers, and to find out what is in the middle, read the composition, if you want have quality guarantees, look for this particular sign. Don’t buy yogurt that says “cooked after fermentation” on the label. Pay attention to the shelf life – this is an important factor in the quality of the product, especially when it comes to such a delicate product as yogurt. The shelf life, respectively, should not exceed 7 days. If this is not the case, then this product does not contain live lactic acid bacteria, no matter what the manufacturer says on the package. According to international quality standards, yogurt is a lactic acid drink that does not undergo heat treatment after fermentation. And accordingly, it should contain lactic acid bacteria, and the shelf life should be no more than 5-7 days, or 14 days at a temperature not exceeding 0 + 10 ° C. If the manufacturer does not comply with these standards, then they cannot call their product yogurt, so they change the name yogurt to “yogurtovich” … and other similar consonant names. The most important composition of yogurt is milk, and the main production process is fermentation, and the main condition for fermentation is the direct participation of living microorganisms of the lactobacillus family; Lactobacillus bulgaricus is always present in the composition, but the culture of Lactobacillus acidophilus is not always present, it is this culture that is very useful for the intestines. It can still be found in the list of yogurt ingredients from different manufacturers, look on the label for Lactobacillus acidophilus. The content of lactobacilli does not depend on the density of the drink; they feel equally good both in drinking yogurt and in ordinary thick yogurt. Often other dairy products are added to yogurt; whey, casein. To give the product more nutritional properties, improve taste, texture, reduce fat content. Once again I want to remind you, if yogurt can be stored more than 5 – 7, and it says “yogurtovich” on the package, then this is not yogurt, look for yogurts that are marked with the Nutrition Institute mark or those that contain only a few ingredients – this is a natural product .
Information on the concentration of biocultures must be present on packages of yoghurts with prefixes “bio-“. If the packaging says “bio-yogurt”, it should indicate in numbers what concentration of live cultures is in it.
The packaging must contain information on the concentration of microorganisms at the end of the expiration date, they must be at least 107 CFU per 1 g of the product.