With its "exceptional pH stability," Chr Hansen's patented YoFlex Acidifix culture can stand up to the stress of warm filling - a process that reduces the need for texturizers.
Texturizers, such as protein, can account for up to 25% of yogurt recipe costs, according to Chr Hansen. One way to reduce this expense is to preserve texture during fermentation.
This, Chr Hansen says, can be achieved by employing a "gentler" method that sees the yogurt stay warm until filled into the cup. Until now, use of this method by yogurt producers has been "impossible" as no culture pH stable enough exists.
With YoFlex Acidifix, producers can attain their desired texture with a protein content 0.3% to 0.6% lower.
This equates to more than 5% of the recipe cost - or around $1m for a 50,000 tonne per year line.
Speaking exclusively with DairyReporter, Karsten Tjener, marketing director, Chr Hansen, branded this method "the future of making yogurt."
"In a few years, I believe there will be a significant amount of the market that will produce yogurt this way," he said. "I believe it is the future of making yogurt.”
The method allows the production of "very mild yogurt bases" that match a "greater part of the flavour palette," including exotic flavours like watermelon and green tea.
“It opens up a broader flavour palette," Tjener said.
“If we want to grow consumption, we need to be more innovative with flavours," he said. "That could help grown the category."
"It will also work with the indulgent flavours - the brown flavours - as a typical defect with indulgent flavours is that they’re too acidic."
"Dairies can do more to boost consumption as they’ll have a broader portfolio of flavours to choose from.”