Danisco introduced its new YO-MIX Vegetal range of culture blends developed for dairy free soy yogurts.
These cultures are certified kosher pareve which guarantees they do not contain any meat or dairy products and have not come in contact with either, thereby supporting dairy-free claims on final products.
In addition to being dairy-free, YO-MIX Vegetal cultures provide a clean and fresh taste that masks the characteristic beany flavour of soy, says Catherine Duong, fresh fermented business development manager for Danisco Cultures. They have also been carefully selected to enable processors to easily succeed in fermenting soy and in particular soy protein isolates.
The YO-MIX Vegetal range can also be used for other dairy alternatives based on oat, almond and rice and is suitable for use in vegetarian or vegan products.
According to Euromonitor, soy yogurts represented approximately 12% of the global market for soy-based dairy alternatives in 2005 with a 17% annual growth rate. Indeed, consumers increasingly consider dairy-free products in their everyday diet, following the trend for all-natural products and the growing awareness of people suffering from lactose maldigestion. Soy-based products also benefit from an improved health image due to the possibility to use cholesterol reduction claims that were approved by the FDA in the U.S. and the JHCI in the UK.