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

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordstofu), is a

yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial Fermentation (food), fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in t ...

-like product made with

soy milk Soy milk (simplified Chinese: 豆浆; traditional Chinese: 豆漿) also known as soya milk or soymilk, is a plant-based drink produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a sta ...

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. It is one of eight B vitamins. It is required by animals, which use it as a cofactor in DNA synthesis, in both fatty acid and amino acid metabolism. It ...

vitamin D Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, and many other biological effects. In humans, the most important compounds in this group are vitamin D3 (c ...

. Plant-based milks have different structures and components than

dairy milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulating ...

. 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 sugar synthesized by galactose and glucose subunits and has the molecular formula C12H22O11. Lactose makes up around 2–8% of milk (by mass). The name comes from ' (gen. '), the Latin word for milk, plus the suffix '' - ...

(the food of ''

Streptococcus thermophilus ''Streptococcus thermophilus'' also known as ''Streptococcus salivarius ''subsp.'' thermophilus'' is a gram-positive bacterium, and a fermentative facultative anaerobe, of the '' viridans'' group. It tests negative for cytochrome, oxidase, an ...

'' and ''

Lactobacillus bulgaricus ''Lactobacillus delbrueckii'' subsp. ''bulgaricus'' (until 2014 known as ''Lactobacillus bulgaricus'') is one of over 200 published species in the ''Lactobacillus'' genome complex (LGC) and is the main bacterium used for the production of yogurt. ...

''), 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-01''. This bacteria has been identified as facu ...

'', ''

Lactobacillus rhamnosus ''Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus'' (previously ''Lactobacillus rhamnosus'') is a bacterium that originally was considered to be a subspecies of '' L. casei'', but genetic research found it to be a separate species in the ''L. casei'' clade, which ...

'', and ''

Bifidobacterium bifidum ''Bifidobacterium bifidum'' is a bacterial species of the genus ''Bifidobacterium''. ''B. bifidum'' is one of the most common probiotic bacteria that can be found in the body of mammals, including humans. Structure and characteristics ''B. bifi ...

''. 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 Europe, 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 A regulation is a legal act of the European Union that becomes immediately enforceable as law in all member states simultaneously. Regulations can be distinguished from directives which, at least in principle, need to be transposed into nation ...

1308/2013 and a 2017 ruling in the

Court of Justice of the European Union The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) (french: Cour de justice de l'Union européenne or "''CJUE''"; Latin: Curia) is the Judiciary, judicial branch of the European Union (EU). Seated in the Kirchberg, Luxembourg, Kirchberg quart ...

. In the USA, 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 ...

Standard of Identity Standards of identity for food are mandatory requirements that are set by a governing body to determine what a food product must contain to be marketed under a certain name in allowable commerce. Mandatory standards, which differ from voluntary grad ...

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 proces ...

s. In 2018, the FDA issued a formal request for information 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 Yogurts Plant milk Vegan cuisine