Advice on Developing Shelf-Stable Yogurt Base with Extended Shelf Life
Hello everyone,
I’m working on a food innovation project and am seeking advice from those with experience in shelf-stable dairy applications.
Specifically, I’m looking to understand how products like GoGo squeeZ YogurtZ and Zee Zees shelf-stable yogurt are able to achieve a 12-month shelf life without refrigeration, while still maintaining product integrity and safety.
I'm particularly interested in:
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Processing techniques (e.g., aseptic processing, retort treatment, post-fermentation heat treatment)
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Packaging technologies that support shelf stability
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Ingredient considerations (preservatives, stabilizers, pH adjustments)
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Regulatory hurdles for U.S. and/or international markets
Any insight, guidance, or references would be greatly appreciated. I'm not looking to replicate any specific product, just hoping to better understand the formulation and safety standards behind shelf-stable yogurt systems.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Best regards,
Mario
Gogo sqeeze is most likely retorted. Article is old, but... https://www.oregonli...-xMDAp7MUAns0LA
Other dairy products (mostly "fluid") are processed using UHT. These are your shelf stable milks, etc.
The formula / ingredient considerations are dependent on what exactly you are making. FYI - the fda chan
ged the standard of identity of yogurt to <4.6 ph. gogo squeeze does not use preservatives. They do seem to add pectins and natural starches.
If you are considering this, I would strongly recommend that you contact a process authority. They will be better suited to answer many of the regulatory type issues as well as help develop the processsing parameters to ensure safety.
Hi Mario,
:welcome:
Welcome to the IFSQN forums.
Some people question if these long-life products are really yogurt as they have no live cultures?
Anyway, quite a simple and easy way to produce shelf-stable products is to add a stabiliser to the initial yogurt base, pasteurise, ferment as normal, then re-pasteurise the yogurt and hot-fill into the container and seal. The packaging will not be standard and will need to fit the application and prevent moisture loss over the life of the product.
Hi kingstudruler1 - that link didn’t work for me?
Kind regards,
Tony