Novel Fermented Dairy Products

Abstract

Health benefits of milk and dairy products have been known for thousands of years in many diet cultures around the world. In response to the increasing consumer’s interest in functional foods which is part of the challenges nowadays, dairy industry has developed a variety of new functional dairy products, particularly fermented dairy products. The high nutritional value and the health benefits of dairy products are the result of biologically active components that are present in native milk and due to their suitable modification through the fermentation process. Application of novel technological processing is of great importance for preservation of existing and formation of the additional nutritional value of final products. This chapter offers a brief overview of the current knowledge of fermented dairy product development focusing on different factors determining the quality, functionality and acceptance of the products. Furthermore, some featured types of fermented dairy products which are presented on the market are pointed out.