Strained fermented milks – A review of existing legislative provisions, survey of nutritional labelling of commercial products in selected markets and terminology of products in some selected countries

Abstract

A survey of the information contained in the labels of 109 commercial concentrated fermented milks from the Eastern Mediterranean, Australasia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States of America and Canada plus Skyr (from Iceland), Ymer (from Denmark) and Chakka (from India) was carried out in late 2012 and early 2013. There were substantial differences in composition. The carbohydrate, fat and protein contents ranged between 1–12, 0–20 and 3.3–11 g/100 g, respectively. Considering the compositional data of the product and existing legislative provisions, a typical strained product should have a protein content of ≥8 g/100 and ~5 g/100 g of carbohydrates, and it would be appropriate to name such products as ‘strained yoghurt’, ‘Greek strained yoghurt’ and/or ‘Labneh’. A higher content of carbohydrate would suggest that the product was made using the product formulation method (i.e. without straining the fermentate), or the milk base had been fortified with skimmed milk before straining the fermentate to enhance the yield of the product, and such products should be known, for example, as ‘Greek‐style yoghurt’. It was also observed in some of the samples that the nomenclature of the starter cultures did not conform to recommendations of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS). Manufacturers could address such issues to minimise consumer confusion.