Chr. Hansen releases new ‘sweet’ culture for dairy products

Chr. Hansen has released a new ‘sweet’ culture for dairy products which reduces the need to add sugar and artificial sweeteners to products.

According to the company, Sweety Y-1 is a culture solution produced using streptococcus thermophilus and lactobacillus bulgaricus cultures, and the ingredient can convert the existing sugars in milk – using more of the lactose to yield glucose – in order to naturally provide a sweet taste.

Consumers, health organisations and governments are becoming increasingly aware of the potential health impacts of excessive sugar consumption, with consumers in particular demanding healthier and more natural products.

Chr. Hansen claims that this new culture enables manufacturers to meet these modern market trends and consumer demands by reducing added sugar without compromising the taste of a product.

Jessica Bentley, commercial development manager, fresh dairy at Chr. Hansen said: “Dairy manufacturers often add sugar to their products to compensate for the taste of post acidification, finding the right balance between sweet and sour.

“With our new patented culture, post acidification is very low, which reduces the need for added sugar.

“Sweety Y-1 is a mild culture with superior pH stability. This enables dairy manufacturers to create products that maintain sweetness throughout shelf life.

“As the first and only company to launch such a solution, we expect a lot of interest and are excited to engage with our customers.