Abstract: | Yoghurt fortification with caseinates, co‐precipitate and blended dairy powders in a low‐fat yoghurt model system was studied. These dairy products were characterised for pH, moisture, lactose, mineral and protein fractions. Milk proteins were characterised by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) and isoelectric focusing (IEF). Minerals such as Na, Ca, K and Mg were analysed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Yoghurts were formulated using a skimmed milk concentrate as a milk base enriched with different dry dairy products up to 43 g kg?1 protein content. The percentage of skimmed milk concentrate replaced with dry dairy products in the mix was between 1.37 and 6.35%. Yoghurts enriched with caseinates had higher viscosity and syneresis index (56.81 Pa s and 548.8 g kg?1 respectively) than yoghurts based on concentrated skimmed milk fortified with co‐precipitate (39.00 Pa s and 392.9 g kg?1) or blended dairy products (33.25 Pa s and 431.8 g kg?1). One blended dairy product was tested to manufacture low‐fat yoghurt on an industrial scale, yielding good rheological properties (high viscosity‐consistence, 37.77 Pa s, and low syneresis index, 450 g kg?1) and lower cost than traditional enrichment with skimmed milk powder. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry |