Chr. Hansen Goes Greek

Chr. Hansen has added a two new starter cultures for Greek yogurt to its product line up to help formulators compete in the dynamic Greek yogurt category. With an original culture hailing directly from the island of Crete, the two new SoGreek cultures are formulated to authentically yield thick, creamy, high protein fortified and strained yogurt products that are mild-tasting and free of a chalky or overly acidic taste.  

YoFlex and nu-trish SoGreek starter cultures are now available to satisfy the formulating needs of fortified and strained yogurt products. Both products contain six culture blends – two of them with high cell counts of Chr. Hansen’s probiotic BB-12. The products feature a combination of Chr.Hansen’s modern yogurt cultures plus a Greek culture produced using a strain from the Agricultural University of Athens.

In explaining the significance of the Greek-origin culture, Morten Boesen, Chr. Hansen’s marketing manager, said that the Agricultural University of Athens is a treasure trove of knowledge on the cultures used in authentic Greek/ Mediterranean artisanal dairy products. “They visited small producers and families around the Aegean Sea to sample their homemade recipes from when food was made pure and simple,” he said. “This work has led to the discovery of the culture used in SoGreek, which was isolated from an artisanal Greek yogurt from the island of Crete 20 years ago.”

Chr. Hansen’s SoGreek cultures achieve their high protein levels using separation technology or milk powder fortification, and deliver high probiotic cell counts, high protein, and low fat. They also boast a short ingredient list that does not include additives like starch for thickening.