Cultures and enzymes are the “secret ingredients” behind many of consumers’ favorite dairy products. They can influence attributes ranging from taste and texture to mouthfeel and shelf life.
Cultures most commonly are microorganisms used to make fermented dairy products such as yogurt, cottage cheese, and buttermilk, but also are capable of performing other functions. For example, Shirley Irvine, director of food industry sales for Boucherville, Quebec-based Azelis Canada Inc., notes that her company offers the protective Holdbac cultures, which inhibit yeast and mold growth to help dairy processors reduce spoilage in fermented products.