Yogurt

Yogurt is defined as the food produced by culturing one or more of the specified optional dairy ingredients with a characterizing bacterial culture that contains the lactic acid-producing bacteria L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus. Other specified optional ingredients may also be added.

U.S. standards specify that, before the addition of bulky flavors, yogurt contain not less than 3.25% milkfat and not less than 8.25% milk-solids-not-fat.

It also must have a titratable acidity of not less than 0.9% expressed as lactic acid.

Current standards also that to extend the shelf life of yogurt it may be heat treated after culturing is completed. However, because heat treatment after culturing destroys viable microorganisms, this part of the standard is currently being revisited. The standards currently do require that the parenthetical phrase “heat-treated after culturing” follow the word yogurt on such product labels.

The name yogurt is to appear on the principal display panel of the label. This name shall be accompanied by a declaration indicating the presence of any characterizing flavoring. The word sweetened must also be stated if nutritive carbohydrate sweetener is added without the addition of characterizing flavor.

There currently is a standard for lowfat yogurt and one for nonfat yogurt. Basically the only difference from the yogurt standard is in the fat content. The lowfat standard specifies that before the addition of bulky flavors, lowfat yogurt contain not less than 0.5% or more than 2%. The nonfat yogurt lowers that figure to less than 0.5% milkfat.

Non-drinkable yogurt sold in cups is consumed with a spoon. Cups range in size and can be intended for consumption as a single serving or for multiple uses. There are four basic styles of cup yogurts: Aerated, blended, custard-style, and fruit-on-the-bottom.

Many of the aerated yogurts in the marketplace today are marketed under fanciful names that include terms such as whipped or mousse. This is because most aerated yogurts cannot legally be called yogurt because the standard of identity requires a minimum solids content. When air is added to the yogurt, the solids content decreases.