Soy yogurt, also referred to as soya yogurt, soygurt or yofu (a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

of yogurt and tofu), is a

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 ...

-like product made with

soy milk Soy milk (or soymilk), also known as soya milk, is a plant-based milk produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a stable emulsion of oil, water, and protein. Its original ...

Composition

Soy yogurt may have a slight beany soy taste when made directly from freshly prepared soy milk, but this is less pronounced in shop-bought soy yogurt and in soy yogurt made from commercial soy milk. Soy yogurt is similar in protein content to dairy yogurt, lower in sugar, and higher in fat. If not fortified, soy yogurt does not contain

vitamin B12 Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin involved in metabolism. One of eight B vitamins, it serves as a vital cofactor (biochemistry), cofactor in DNA synthesis and both fatty acid metabolism, fatty acid and amino a ...

vitamin D Vitamin D is a group of structurally related, fat-soluble compounds responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, along with numerous other biological functions. In humans, the most important compo ...

. Plant-based milks have different structures and components than dairy milk. Though they can be used to make many products similar to those made from dairy, there are differences in taste and texture. For example, "soy, almond, ndcoconut yogurts do not have the same delicate and smooth structure that conventional yogurts have." Since plant-based milks do not contain

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 ...

(the food of ''

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 ...

'' and '' Lactobacillus bulgaricus''), plant-based yogurts usually contain different bacterial strains than a dairy yogurt, such as ''

Lactobacillus casei ''Lacticaseibacillus casei'' is an organism that belongs to the largest genus in the family ''Lactobacillaceae'', a lactic acid bacteria (LAB), that was previously classified as ''Lactobacillus casei''. This bacteria has been identified as fac ...

'', '' Lactobacillus rhamnosus'', and '' Bifidobacterium bifidum''. Plant-based yogurts also vary considerably in their nutrition and ingredients, and may contain gums, stabilizers, high-intensity sweeteners, and artificial colors.

Regulation of word "yogurt"

In the European Union, companies may not market their plant-based products using the word "yogurt" since that term is reserved for products of animal origin only — per European Union regulation 1308/2013 and a 2017 ruling in the

Court of Justice of the European Union The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ( or "''CJUE''"; Latin: Curia) is the Judiciary, judicial branch of the European Union (EU). Seated in the Kirchberg, Luxembourg, Kirchberg quarter of Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, this EU ins ...

. In the US, according to the

FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

's Standard of Identity regulations, the word "yogurt" has been reserved for a product made from

lactation Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. The process naturally occurs with all sexually mature female mammals, although it may predate mammals. The process ...

s. In 2018, the FDA issued a formal

request for information A request for information (RFI) is a common business process whose purpose is to collect written information about the capabilities of various suppliers. Normally it follows a format that can be used for comparative purposes. An RFI is primarily ...

on the subject. In 2021, the FDA issued a final rule that amends yogurt's standard of identity (which remains a product of "milk-derived ingredients"), and is expecting to issue industry guidance on "Labeling of Plant-based Milk Alternatives" in 2022.

References

External links

Plantfoods.org: Step-by-step guide to making Soy Yogurt
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soy Yogurt Fermented soy-based foods Non-dairy yogurts Plant milk Vegan cuisine