Basic facts on yogurt

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How yogurt is made

This is how yogurt is made

Yogurt can be roughly classified into two different types by how it is made. The first type is plain yogurt, which is fermented after packaging (post-fermentation), and the second type is yogurt drinks and soft yogurt that are fermented before packaging (pre-fermentation).

【Post-fermentation】How plain yogurt is made

Plain yogurt is made by fermenting raw milk and other dairy products (ingredients) only using lactic acid bacteria, without mixing in any additives such as sugar and flavoring agent. After all ingredients are mixed and sterilized, a starter culture (of lactic acid bacteria) is added, after which they are promptly put into containers where the fermentation takes place.

【Pre-fermentation】How yogurt drinks and soft yogurt are made

These types of yogurt contain sweeteners and fruit juice (fruit pulp). While the initial steps involving the mixing of ingredients, sterilization, and adding of the starter culture (of lactic acid bacteria) are the same as for plain yogurt, the difference is that they are pre-fermented inside a tank before being packaged into containers.

Ingredients

Fresh raw milk and dairy products

Mixing of ingredients and homogenization

The ingredients are mixed together. The fat droplets that exist in the raw milk are crushed into minute pieces under high pressure so that the fat does not become isolated or float around.

Sterilization and refrigeration

The ingredients are heat-sterilized to make sure that the yogurt can be eaten safely. After the ingredients are heated, the temperature is brought back down to the fermentation temperature range (40 to 45℃).

Inoculation and mixing

A starter culture of lactic acid bacteria is added to the mixture of ingredients and mixed thoroughly.

・Starter: a culture of lactic acid bacteria (L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, etc.) that cause fermentation to make yogurt

Depending on the type of yogurt and product being made, the timing of adding any sweetener, fruit juice (fruit pulp), etc. during the production process is different.

【Post-fermentation】Packaging

The mixture of starters and ingredients is packaged into containers and covered with a lid to keep out unwanted bacteria.

【Post-fermentation】Product inspection

Metal detection inspection and weight measurement are conducted for each package to make sure that it is free of foreign objects and contains the correct amount of yogurt. The packages that successfully pass the inspection are printed with a good-through date. The packages are then inspected again to make sure the printed good-through date on each package is correct.

【Post-fermentation】Fermentation

In order for the lactic acid bacteria to perform properly and produce delicious yogurt, they must be kept at the right temperature for a certain period. Therefore, the temperature of the fermentation tank is kept at the proper range (40 to 45℃) where the activity level of lactic acid bacteria is optimal.

【Post-fermentation】Refrigeration

The yogurt is refrigerated again, to switch from the temperature range optimal for fermentation to that suitable for storing the yogurt and keeping its delicious flavor.

【Pre-fermentation】Fermentation

In order for the lactic acid bacteria to perform properly and produce delicious yogurt, they must be kept at the right temperature for a certain period. Therefore, the temperature of the fermentation tank is kept at the proper range (40 to 45℃) where the activity level of lactic acid bacteria is optimal.

【Pre-fermentation】Refrigeration

The yogurt is refrigerated again, to switch from the temperature range optimal for fermentation to that suitable for storing the yogurt and keeping its delicious flavor.

【Pre-fermentation】Packaging

The mixture of the yogurt, sweetener, and fruit juice (fruit pulp) that has been fermented inside the tank is packaged into containers and covered with a lid to keep out unwanted bacteria.

【Pre-fermentation】Product inspection

Metal detection inspection and weight measurement are conducted for each package to make sure that it is free of foreign objects and contains the correct amount of yogurt. The packages that successfully pass the inspection are printed with a good-through date. The packages are then inspected again to make sure the printed good-through date on each package is correct.

Inspection and shipment

The packages are inspected one last time before shipment, then loaded onto refrigerator trucks and transported to retailers.