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Farm house yoghurt | AG0830 |
Farm Diversification Information Service, Bendigo
February, 1999 |  |
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This Agriculture Note provides information on producing farmhouse yoghurt.
Product
Yoghurt and other types of fermented milks have been made for hundreds of years in and around the Mediterranean region. It has only become a universally popular food in Australia and other western countries since the 1970s. There are two main types of yoghurt although both are manufactured in a similar way.
- Natural set yoghurt is firm and it has a slightly acidic light aromatic flavour.
- Stirred yoghurt is more like thick cream. It is often flavoured with fruit, as it lends itself well to the addition of flavours and sugar.
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Physical requirements
The dairy and dairy factory involved in yoghurt production must comply with the regulations and local health bylaws.
Individual requirements will be dictated by the scale of the operation, but consideration should be given to future need for expansion. Lactating animals of any species require high quality pasture and supplementary feeding. The dairy parlour and factory will use large volumes of water so an adequate supply of good quality water is essential.
The steps in gaining approval to produce yoghurt from your milking animals are as follows:
- Prepare and implement a hazard and critical control path program (HACCP). This has to be in place at the start of operations and relates to every aspects of manafacture, from construction of a suitable building to the processes and procedures to be used in manafacture. It is required to ensure highest quality health and product standards.
- Meet the local building, planning and health requirements.
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In Victoria the farm and factory requirements for sheep and goat production and processing have now come into line with that of cow's milk, so all factories must meet the same requirements.
Production
Most yoghurt is made from cows milk. The milk may be full cream (more than 3.5% milk fat) or skimmed (0.5-1.0% milk fat). Milk from other animals such as buffalo, camels and sheep has been used in Australia. Cows milk yoghurt is made in vast quantities by the large dairy processors, and therefore a lot of Australian farmhouse yoghurt is made from ewes milk, in an attempt to gain a marketing advantage.
The most important feature of milk composition for yoghurt production is the level of solids-not-fat (SNF). These solids are lactose, protein and mineral salts. If the SNF levels in the milk is not enough to produce a satisfactory yoghurt hey need to be raised. In small factories this may be achieved by the addition of skimmed milk powder, and in larger more capital intensive operations it may be done by increasing the concentration with ultra filtration or vacuum evaporation. Sucrose may be added along with stabilisers such as gelatin, modified starch or pectin.
The milk may be homogenised , and then heat treated to reduce the load of bacteria in the milk to give the starter culture less competition. When the heat treatment is complete the mix is cooled to 42 o C and then inoculated with a culture made up of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillis bulgarius. Both species need to be used whatever the method. Lactobacillus bulgaricus must be used if the end product is going to be called “yoghurt”. The inoculated milk is then incubated, until it sets at a desired pH of around 4.2-4.3, and then cooled to 20 o C to prevent over acidification. Natural set yoghurt can be moved to chillers at this stage and stirred yoghurt can have fruit incorporated.
The heat treatment received by the milk and the low pH mean that yogurt is extremely safe from a public health point of view as no recognised pathogens can grow below pH 4.3. However, spoilage can occur from acid tolerant yeasts so hygiene and adequate refrigeration are essential.
Marketing
There are many claims about the health benefits of yoghurt, which may have helped its elevation to a favoured “healthy food”. All of the big Australian dairy companies manufacture a large variety of yoghurt. An increasing number of small farm based dairies have also entered the market. Very few farm yoghurts find their way into supermarket chains, but they are found in speciality gourmet and health food shops. While the market is dominated by corporate production, there is the opportunity to develop niche markets. This is illustrated by the range of farmhouse brands which have evolved including organic yoghurt, ewes milk yoghurt, buffalo milk yoghurt, camel milk yoghurt and biodynamic yoghurt
Yoghurt is now a staple food item available everywhere in dozens of varieties. For farmhouse dairies to be successful, the product needs to be of extremely high quality, and every detail down to labelling and shelf life must be considered.
A marketing case study
A typical case was a sheep dairy couple, now very successful, who started marketing by driving hundreds of kilometres, hawking a few jars of yoghurt here and there to small supermarkets and health food/gourmet food shops. They progressed to a large distributer who failed to move much product at all (they thought because of a lack of interest or commitment). They then found a small distributer, who took on their product as a “major” portion of the distribution business and this proved to be much more successful for them and the new distributer.
Financial aspects
Set up costs for farmhouse dairies can run into many thousands of dollars, although innovation can be used to keep these as low as possible. In the case of specialist dairies such as sheep milking, the setup cost of milking plant and a milking parlour also need to be included. Some successful farmhouse dairy operations in Victoria started out producing yoghurt, and continue to do so even though they now also produce cheese. The most limiting factor with sheep dairies has been production from the available milking breeds. This has now largely been alleviated by the importation of dairy specific breeds.
Further information
Any one contemplating farmhouse production of yoghurt in Victoria is strongly advised to attend a courses at Gilbert Chandler College, Werribee. A regular one week course on yoghurt production is conducted in addition to a variety of full and part time food technology courses. The workshops cover topics such as preparation of milk, homogenisation, starters, types of cultured milks, hygiene, packaging and trouble shooting. The workshops combine practical sessions with theory.
Short course information
Contact - Mrs Shirley Stewart
Short Course Coordinator
The University of Melbourne
Gilbert Chandler College
Institute of Land and Food Resources
Sneydes Road
Werribee Vic 3030
Telephone 03 9741 8033
Facsimilie 03 9741 9396
Reference
(1993) Encyclopaedia of Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition, Academic Press
Acknowledgments
Hubert Roginski
The University of Melbourne
Gilbert Chandler College
Institute of Land and Food Resources.
The advice provided in this publication is intended as a source of information only. Always read the label before using any of the products mentioned. The State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.
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