Natural drinking yoghurt kicks the E-number habit

Arla Foods Ingredients introduces clean-label alternative to traditional stabilisers

Drinking yoghurts with a natural claim reached new heights of popularity in 2013, with the market research experts at Mintel reporting 35% growth in product launches.
This year Arla Foods Ingredients expects many new drinking yoghurt formulations to include a functional milk protein that helps manufacturers respond to the natural trend.  Nutrilac® YQ-5215 serves as a unique, clean-label alternative to traditional stabilisers such as pectin.
Adaptable to local tastes
“We experience a growing demand from manufacturers who wish to remove the pectin from their recipes. Using our protein, it is possible to produce yoghurt with a natural profile and perfectly adapted to the preferences of individual markets,” says Torben Jensen, application group manager.
Stabiliser addition is widely accepted as a means of countering whey separation and sedimentation in drinking yoghurt. This maintains an appealing appearance and homogeneous texture throughout shelf life.
Stable and refreshing
Arla Foods Ingredients has tested Nutrilac® YQ-5215 against pectin in low-fat formulations with 1%, 2% and 3% total protein content. In all cases, the functional milk protein performed on a par with pectin, providing the necessary stability to prevent separation and ensure a refreshing, clean mouthfeel.
“Drinking yoghurt is still a growing market worldwide. Our solution gives manufacturers an opportunity to differentiate their products by removing an E-number from the ingredient list. Products with a natural label are widely perceived by consumers as being healthier and of premium quality,” Jensen states.
According to Mintel, naturalness claims are the biggest growth driver in yoghurts after low fat.
For more information, contact ingredients@arlafoods.com