SUBTOPIC: Composition
– Soy yogurt has a slight beany soy taste when made from freshly prepared soy milk
– Shop-bought soy yogurt and soy yogurt made from commercial soy milk have less pronounced beany taste
– Soy yogurt is similar in protein content to dairy yogurt
– Soy yogurt is lower in sugar compared to dairy yogurt
– Soy yogurt is higher in fat content
SUBTOPIC: Regulation of word yogurt
– In Europe, plant-based products cannot be marketed as yogurt
– European Union regulation 1308/2013 reserves the term yogurt for animal-origin products
– In the US, the word yogurt is reserved for products made from lactations
– In 2018, the FDA requested information on the use of the term yogurt for plant-based products
– In 2021, the FDA amended the standard of identity for yogurt, which remains a product of milk-derived ingredients
SUBTOPIC: References
– Lightowler and Davies (1998) discuss vegan dairy in Nutrition & Food Science
– McClements et al. (2019) review the science behind plant-based milks in food production
– Cornall (2017) reports on the European Court of Justice ruling on dairy names for plant-based products
– Gottlieb (2018) comments on modernizing standards of identity for dairy names in plant-based substitutes
– National Milk Producers Federation discusses the impact of the yogurt rule on consumer choices
SUBTOPIC: Differences in Plant-based Milks
– Plant-based milks have different structures and components than dairy milk
– Products made from plant-based milks may have differences in taste and texture compared to dairy products
– Plant-based yogurts like soy, almond, and coconut do not have the same structure as conventional yogurts
– Plant-based yogurts contain different bacterial strains than dairy yogurt
– Plant-based yogurts may contain gums, stabilizers, sweeteners, and artificial colors
SUBTOPIC: Impact of Fortification
– If not fortified, soy yogurt lacks vitamin B12 and vitamin D
– Fortified soy yogurt can provide essential vitamins and nutrients
– Fortification plays a crucial role in enhancing the nutritional value of plant-based yogurts
– Consumers should check labels to ensure fortified plant-based yogurts meet their dietary needs
– Fortification levels vary among different brands and types of plant-based yogurts