The cultured dairy product sector is becoming increasingly dynamic.

Product developers are releasing selections in a wider range of flavors, textures, and formats to appeal to an increasingly diverse consumer sector. Yet, creating the highest-quality products requires processors to also manage a host of operational issues.

“The cultured dairy space has grown considerably in the last few decades with new types of cultured dairy and nondairy spinoffs being added constantly to the refrigerated dairy case,” says Nancy Thomas, senior beverage applications scientist at Flavorchem, a Downers Grove, Ill.-based flavor and fragrance provider. “This does not seem to be a trend that will stop any time soon.”

Cultured dairy selections consist of milk products that have undergone fermenting with lactic-acid bacteria. Such measures can change the texture and flavor of the milk, help enhance product shelf life, and improve digestion by inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria and keeping the gastrointestinal tract healthy and balanced.

Popular cultured dairy products include yogurt, sour cream, dips, cottage cheese, cream cheese, buttermilk, and kefir, with the use of cultures and ingredients varying depending on the product under development.

More cultured dairy products, including Icelandic skyr and French-style yogurt, are becoming mainstream, with popularity increasing for convenience-oriented selections, including drinkable yogurts, Thomas states. “There are many ways to also expand this category into lassi, doogh, and ayran,” she adds.

Health-oriented yogurt-based dips also are increasing in popularity, while flavor profiles of cultured dairy products are evolving with an orientation toward adults, says Vaidehi Shinde, Flavorchem beverage application scientist. Such flavors include lychee, white peach, mango, and melon. “We could also see botanical flavor profiles becoming popular like lemon rosemary,” she states.

“Processors can create value in cultured dairy with innovations that align with trends,” notes Lisa Jackson, director of marketing for FlavorSum LLC, a Kalamazoo, Mich.-based flavor provider. “Brands are pivoting to more indulgent profiles like mango-passion fruit or lemon crème, while mainstay fruit flavors like blueberry are showing up in fewer launches,” she states. 

Concentrate on quality

It is vital, however, that processors maintain a strong focus on product quality, analysts say, which includes leveraging the most effective ingredients and production techniques.

“Cultured products manufacturing is part of the ‘value-added’ part of the dairy business and requires setting and paying attention to processing procedures and caring about the product under production so that it turns out properly, and therefore with high quality,” says C. Douglas Vargo, technical account development manager for New York-based International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF)

Vargo notes that controlling the lactic acid and speed of production “is part of the secret of making high-quality products.” Cultured dairy products frequently will contain nonfat dry milk to build solids; a stabilizer to build body and texture; and a fluid mixture consisting of cream and milk, milk and skim, or cream and skim, he explains.

Fat levels, however, can vary and some products such as buttermilk, cottage cheese, and cream cheese, will have added salt, while others, like yogurt, quark or fromage frais, will have sugar added. “All will use a culture to lower the pH by making lactic acid,” he states. 

Developing the optimal cultures, however, can be tricky, says An Ho, director of food science and product innovation for IFPC, a Fenton, Mo.-based ingredient supplier. “If they grow too fast, the product will be too sour,” she notes. “If they grow too slow, the product will be bland, too mild, and not flavorful.”

Dairy processors also must be diligent about maintaining the proper operating controls, Ho says, noting that cultures and bacteria need the proper temperature and food sugars or lactose to multiply and create the necessary flavors and probiotics. “Using equipment to keep track of measurements, including pH, temperature, micro counts, and color, will ensure consistency and sellable end products,” she maintains.

Overcoming production challenges

A move to incorporate increasingly popular plant-based ingredients in cultured dairy products can also create production hurdles, Jackson says, noting that “mixing proteins will require testing with the associated cost and time implications to confirm nutritional content, functionality, sensory features, and safety.”

Kerry Kaylegian, associate research professor in the Department of Food Science at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, concurs that there’s mounting competition as consumers seek new options. “There is more competition from plant-based products and consumers are seeking new flavors, textures, and experiences that provide our industry with opportunities for innovation, which always brings challenges,” she states.

The creation of whey — the liquid that is leftover during production — can hinder the smooth development of cultured milk selections as well, says Daniel Wilbanks, project coordinator – dairy ingredients and processing for the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

He notes that while many producers are looking to reduce or eliminate whey prior to culturing through ultrafiltration to fortify milk, the operators can face filtration regulatory issues and experience the sensory defects that can manifest in cultured milk products because of excessive concentrating prior to fermenting.

In response, processors can take a “middle-ground approach,” Wilbanks states. “Companies producing an 11% protein skyr, for instance, could use ultrafiltered milk to get halfway to the 6% target and then culture and concentrate the milk the rest of the way by straining, filtering, and separating after fermenting,” he says. “This would avoid the sensory issues, such as chalkiness, that can arise from concentrating too much before culturing and reduce whey by 50% versus concentrating after culturing.”

While such cultured products as kefir and skyr are becoming more popular, there also is strong interest in “old world” cultured milk selections such as Greek yogurt, Wilbanks suggests. “This trend of rediscovery is not going away, so the challenge for processors is figuring out how to efficiently recreate the products using modern manufacturing,” he notes. “It’s especially difficult because of the whey that concentrated milk products generate.”

Indeed, keeping pace with evolving consumer preferences is a key challenge for processors that are seeking to develop the most relevant high-quality Grade A cultured products, says Reggie Way, technical sales manager for Nelson-Jameson Inc., a Marshfield, Wis.-based ingredient supplier. Operators, he notes, must manage changing processing specifications and the associated costs when making numerous adjustments.

In addition, creating texture and maintaining quality throughout a product’s shelf life can be arduous, says Sheila McWilliam, technical sales manager for Fiberstar Inc., a River Falls, Wis.-based ingredient supplier.

“Dairy products have a wide range of textures ranging from a flowable kefir to a thick spoon-able yogurt,” she notes. “Consumer texture expectations must be met regardless of the final cultured dairy product.” Adhering to such requirements might necessitate the use of food gums and/or starches to improve texture and stability, McWilliam states.

Seek the right suppliers

Producing exemplary cultured dairy products typically will require processors to follow suppliers’ production recommendations for incorporating the vendors’ ingredients in selections, Vargo says. Such guidance can cover pasteurization temperatures and homogenization pressures, he notes.

In addition, the top products will use cultures that are damage-free, Vargo states, noting that impairments can result from thawing cultures too soon or at too high of a temperature. Not rotating cultures properly in the culture freezer, meanwhile, can cause cell wall lysis and death because of too many freeze-thaw cycles, he adds.

The ideal methods for developing cultured dairy products, however, will vary by processor and product type, CDR’s Wilbanks states. “Often what is optimum is not what is desirable for a consumer,” he notes. “While time and money can be saved by culturing at higher temperatures, for instance, there is a trade-off for fast fermentation that leaves the body weak.”

Though processors may mask the weak product body with stabilizers, “consumers may not want this,” he says. “In the end, processors have to know the consumer.”

The use of cultured ingredients can vary by region as well, according to Nelson-Jameson’s Way. For instance, that Midwest cottage cheese typically features well-defined curds and an “excellent” curd-to-dressing ratio, yet Michigan cottage cheese tends to be drier and “more ground-up mush.”

A comprehensive understanding of the target outcome is crucial for determining the appropriate production methods to employ, he adds. “It is essential to maintain detailed records, follow written procedures, and avoid implementing too many changes simultaneously,” Way notes.

Successful product development also will result from the use of top-tier ingredients; rigorous adherence to procedures and policies; and exploration of advancements in technology and automation, he says, adding that processors will further benefit by collaborating with industry consultants, leaders, organizations, and suppliers.

“Developing cultured dairy products that connect with North Americans requires staying connected with evolving behaviors and expectations about ingredients, formats, and flavors,” FlavorSum’s Jackson states. Additionally, market research firms can be helpful resources for monitoring competitive launches, dairy buyer motivations, and “buzzy” topics that can influence innovation. “Ingredient suppliers can also provide ideas about trending flavors or components,” she adds.

Hiring personnel who understand the dynamics of cultured products and the manufacturing process should be another focus, says Steve Funk, Nelson-Jameson’s technical sales manager. Because of labor shortages, he suggests that processors collaborate with suppliers that can provide the necessary employee training.

“Training and keeping the best and most dedicated employees, handling the cultures properly, and using the highest quality dry and fluid ingredients are keys” for meeting production challenges, Vargo concludes.