Chapter 12 - Chemistry and material studies in fermented dairy products

Abstract

The consumption of milk and dairy goods, specifically fermented dairy foods, all over the world has risen historically. Fermented dairy goods are the foods, which are produced by fermenting the milk with starter cultures or lactic acid bacteria such as Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Lactococcus. Some common fermented dairy foods are yogurt, kefir, dahi, buttermilk, acidophilus milk, and some types of cheese. The introduction to fermented dairy foods, their chemistry and material studies are discussed in this chapter. Moreover, the chemical composition (total solid, protein, fat, lactose, ash etc.), physico-chemical characteristics and role of microbiological characteristics, which are the major part of fermented dairy foods, are highlighted in this chapter. The aforementioned has been reported that, the fermented dairy foodstuffs are beneficial for human health, such as, preventing cardiovascular diseases by decreasing the blood cholesterol and improving immune systems. It also protects the liver and improves the heart-related problems. The consequences of fermented dairy foods are also covered.