11 mar 2010 --- Danisco has risen to one of the biggest challenges in fermented milk drink manufacture with the introduction of a new culture for a creamy, baked milk product native to Russia and surrounding countries.

YO-MIX TA 460 LYO has been specially developed to deliver consistent creaminess, flavour mildness, smoothness and viscosity to the ethnic milk drink ryazhenka – the third most-sold dairy product in Russia.

Such outstanding sensory properties are equally sought-after by international yogurt manufacturers, who will find the culture particularly easy to apply in drinking and stirred yogurt.

“The culture is for direct vat inoculation and freeze dried, making it easy to transport over long distances,” says Jana Pärn, technical sales manager for Danisco in Moscow.

Dairy customers who have tested the culture are unanimous in their feedback, she reports. YO-MIX TA 460 LYO gives the highest level of creaminess in ryazhenka and the overall mouthfeel Russian consumers prefer.

Use of the St. thermophilus strain lives up to the local food authorities’ legal definition of ryazhenka, which is made by heating whole milk to 95°C, followed by storage in doublejacketed tanks for up to five hours. During this high heat treatment, the milk caramelizes slightly, acquiring a toffee-like flavour and light brown colour. The culture is then added.

“Heat-treated milk does not have the same properties as fresh milk. This is the big challenge in obtaining a final product that is very creamy, smooth and mild and has a high but still drinkable viscosity,” Jana Pärn explains.

“Our culture guarantees ryazhenka production with a stable quality.” A traditional product, ryazhenka has been consumed for generations by families in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan, who appreciate the mild, sweet taste, high creaminess and natural goodness of milk.