Frozen yogurt (also known as frogurt or by the tradename Froyo; ) is a

frozen dessert Frozen dessert is a dessert made by freezing liquids, semi-solids, and sometimes solids. They may be based on flavored water ( shave ice, ice pops, sorbet, snow cones), on fruit purées (such as sorbet), on milk and cream (most ice creams, ...

made with

yogurt Yogurt (; , from , ; also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial Fermentation (food), fermentation of milk. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to ...

and sometimes other

dairy A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese, and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building, or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also des ...

and non-dairy products. Frozen yogurt is a frozen product containing the same basic ingredients as ice cream, but contains live bacterial cultures. Usually more tart than

ice cream Ice cream is a frozen dessert typically made from milk or cream that has been flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as Chocolate, cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit, such as strawberries or peaches. Food ...

(the tanginess in part due to the

lactic acid Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has the molecular formula C3H6O3. It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as wel ...

in the yogurt), as well as lower in fat (due to the use of milk instead of

cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this proces ...

), it is different from ice milk and conventional soft serve. Unlike yogurt, frozen yogurt is not regulated by the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

(FDA), but is regulated by some U.S. states, such as

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

History

Frozen yogurt was invented in

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, in the 1970s. The American frozen dessert chain

Pinkberry Pinkberry is a franchise of frozen dessert restaurants headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. There are currently over 260 stores in 20 countries. The first store was opened in January 2005 by Hye Kyung (Shelly) Hwang and Young Lee. The restaurant ...

is credited for allowing people to customize their frozen yogurt with toppings, while another chain, 16 Handles is credited for introducing multi-choice self-service machines.

Production

Frozen yogurt consists of milk solids, a sweetener,

milk fat Butterfat or milkfat is the fatty portion of milk. Milk and cream are often sold according to the amount of butterfat they contain. Composition Butterfat is mainly composed of triglycerides. Each triglyceride contains three fatty acids. Butt ...

, yogurt culture (commonly '' Lactobacillus bulgaricus'' and ''

Streptococcus thermophilus ''Streptococcus thermophilus'' formerly known as ''Streptococcus salivarius ''subsp.'' thermophilus'' is a gram-positive bacteria, gram-positive bacterium, and a lactic acid fermentation, fermentative facultative anaerobic organism, facultative ...

''), plus flavorings and sometimes coloring (natural or artificial). Milk fat comprises about 0.55–6% of the yogurt; added in quantities inversely proportional to the amount of milk solids, it lends richness to the yogurt. Milk solids account for 8–14% of the yogurt volume, providing

lactose Lactose is a disaccharide composed of galactose and glucose and has the molecular formula C12H22O11. Lactose makes up around 2–8% of milk (by mass). The name comes from (Genitive case, gen. ), the Latin word for milk, plus the suffix ''-o ...

for sweetness and proteins for smoothness and increased resistance to melting. Sugar (beet or cane) provides 15–17% of the yogurt ingredients; in addition to adding sweetness, it increases the volume of solid ingredients, improving body and texture.

Gelatin Gelatin or gelatine () is a translucent, colorless, flavorless food ingredient, commonly derived from collagen taken from animal body parts. It is brittle when dry and rubbery when moist. It may also be referred to as hydrolyzed collagen, coll ...

or vegetable additives (

guar gum Guar gum, also called guaran, is a galactomannan polysaccharide extracted from guar beans that has thickening and stabilizing properties useful in food, feed, and industrial applications. The guar seeds are mechanically dehusked, hydrated, mi ...

carrageenan Carrageenans or carrageenins ( ; ) are a family of natural linear sulfation, sulfated polysaccharides. They are extracted from red algae, red edible seaweeds. Carrageenans are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, an ...

) stabilize the yogurt, reducing crystallization and increasing the temperature at which it will melt. This stabilization ensures that the frozen yogurt maintains a smooth consistency regardless of handling or temperature change. Major companies often use assembly lines specifically dedicated to frozen yogurt production. Milk products and stabilizing agent(s) are combined and homogenized. At , the yogurt culture is added. The mix remains at this temperature until it sets and is ready for cooling. After that, the mix is cooled at a temperature of . Once it has reached the desired temperature and

viscosity Viscosity is a measure of a fluid's rate-dependent drag (physics), resistance to a change in shape or to movement of its neighboring portions relative to one another. For liquids, it corresponds to the informal concept of ''thickness''; for e ...

, the yogurt is allowed to sit in aging tanks for up to four hours. Sweeteners, flavorings, and colorings are then mixed in, and the yogurt mixture is cooled at a temperature of −6 to . To create extra volume and smooth consistency, the air is incorporated into the yogurt as the mixture is agitated. With a sufficient amount of air in it, the yogurt gets rapidly frozen to prevent the formation of large ice crystals and then stored in a cold place to be shipped. Frozen yogurt can be made in a soft serve freezer much the same way as soft ice cream. Frozen yogurt mix is sold in either powder form that needs to be mixed with water or liquid form ready to pour into a soft-serve machine. A mix with high or low-fat content can be chosen, and the amount of air introduced into the soft-serve frozen yogurt is variable. The higher the fat level, the more air the yogurt can absorb; and the more air goes into the mix as it freezes, the creamier the product will taste.

Uses

Frozen yogurt is served in a large variety of flavors and styles. It also has sugar-free and fat-free alternatives. Frozen yogurt shops usually offer a multitude of toppings, from fruit to nuts, popular cookie brands, and candies. Some companies offer a more tart version considered closer to the original recipe, whereas others focus on making their own taste more like ice cream.

References

{{Authority control Frozen desserts Ice cream Yogurts

History

Production

Uses

See also

References