IDM ¦ Ingredients
Unlocking shelf-stable
yoghurt’s potential
Palsgaard
Palsgaard has developed a cleanlabel
stabiliser blend to help
manufacturers create thermised
yoghurts with a clean mouthfeel,
a creamy consistency and
excellent stability. Theng Theng Sim, Regional
Application Manager at Palsgaard
Asia-Pacific, explains.
The thermised yoghurt market is still
in its early stages and there are plenty of
reasons to expect significant growth in
the years ahead. As it can be stored at
ambient temperatures, chilled transportation
is not required to maintain its quality
and texture. It also offers a longer shelflife
than chilled yoghurts but, unlike UHT
products, it is heated only at standard pasteurisation
temperatures.
“Thermised yoghurt is now well established
in China but it’s yet to really take off
elsewhere,” Theng Theng Sim, Regional
Application Manager at Palsgaard Asia-
Pacific, says. “We see a lot of potential,
especially in countries with cold-chain distribution
challenges. Maybe some manufacturers
have thought about shelf-stable
yoghurt but haven’t been able to develop
the right product.”
Contending with challenges
Achieving the right mouthfeel and texture
is an important part of the challenge of developing
a thermised yoghurt product that
will appeal to consumers.
“Preferences vary from country to country
when it comes to texture, but most want
something smooth and glossy with a clean
mouthfeel,” she adds. “The main quality
issue, though, is always syneresis.”
Syneresis, or serum separation, refers to a
shrinkage of the gel as a result of the instability
of the gel network, with the structure
of the yoghurt becoming so tight that the
water is squeezed out.
“It’s very tricky,” she says. “If you use the
wrong type of stabiliser or the dosage is too
high, the water squeezes out because the
structure becomes too tight. If you don’t use
a stabiliser, you can’t bind the water so it
will squeeze out from the curd.”
Thermised yoghurt also needs to undergo
heat treatment and, as a result of the low
pH levels, that process can denature the
milk protein and cause the product to become
curdled or grainy.
Another issue for manufacturers has been
developing shelf-stable yoghurts with clean
labels, with the commonly used stabilisers
requiring E numbers.
A new solution
Palsgaard may be best known for its emulsifiers,
but the company also has extensive
knowledge of stabilisers. Having identified
the potential in the thermised yoghurt market,
the company set about developing a solution
that would address all these challenges.
The result is Palsgaard® AcidMilk 310, a
plant-based, Halal-certified stabiliser made
from just two ingredients.
“Our Palsgaard AcidMilk series includes
some gelatine-based options and some
that are starch-based,” Theng Theng says.
“For Palsgaard AcidMilk 310, we are using
a combination of vegetable fibre and
starch. In general, the function of starch is
to thicken, gel and hold water in the yoghurt.
With the wrong choice of starch or
the wrong dosage, the yoghurt will become
A Brookfield viscometer mounted on
Helipath drive motor is being used to
measure the yoghurt viscosity. The viscosity
measurement will allow us to
know if the yoghurt is runny or thick
and enable us to adjust accordingly to
the targeted texture.
20 · May/June 2021 ¦ international-dairy.com
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