Chr. Hansen now introduces YoFlex®Express, YoFlex®Advance and YoFlex®Harmony, the next generation of the company’s popular range of cultures for yoghurt and fermented milks.

“In Chr. Hansen we are constantly working on providing the market with new cultures that meet the requirements for high quality, uniformity, safety and flexibility in modern yoghurt production. Listening to and understanding regional market needs and conditions has been the main driver in developing the 3rd generation of our YoFlex® cultures,” says Morten Boesen, Marketing Manager, Fermented Milk Cultures, Chr. Hansen.

‘A culture for every culture’
The global yoghurt market, estimated at 20 million tonnes, is growing in volume by 4 to 6 per cent every year according to the business intelligence service Euromonitor International.

“With the new YoFlex® range for yoghurt and fermented milks we are introducing premium culture solutions for all needs. The cultures are designed to individually cover different needs in the global market and jointly cover as widely as possible,” explains Morten Boesen.

Based on the well-known DVS® (direct vat set) concept ensuring quality, consistency and control of the production process the new range is divided into three parts: YoFlex®Express, YoFlex®Advance and YoFlex®Harmony.  

Mildness and creaminess in focus
YoFlex®Express cost-efficiently increases the speed of fermentation, without compromising on the mildness, quality and stability of acidity in the yoghurt throughout shelf life.

YoFlex®Advance improves both the viscosity and creaminess of the finished product. This also allows for an improvement in the quality of low and full-fat yoghurt, and a further advantage is the opportunity for cost effective and clean label solutions since the need for stabilizer and/or milk protein can be significantly reduced.

YoFlex® Harmony addresses the challenges posed by sub-optimal storage conditions so that changes to the yoghurt during storage, primarily pH changes (souring), are avoided. This increases the production process efficiency as well as consumer satisfaction.

Developed together with the industry
Chr. Hansen’s strong international development organization in combination with its competence level within selection and characterization of lactic acid bacteria and composing of unique cultures has been the backbone in the development of the new range.

“We have developed the new cultures partly in our research centers in Denmark and France, and partly in collaboration with certain customers, who have so far responded very positively.

A key element in the global roll-out of YoFlex®Express, YoFlex®Advance and YoFlex®Harmony will in fact be the emphasis on matching customer requirements from development through process to end-product. This will to a large extent take place at our local application centers in all regions,” explains Boesen.

Key attraction at the upcoming FIE event
The official launch date of the new YoFlex® cultures is October 1, 2009.

At the upcoming Food Ingredients Europe 2009 event on November 17-19 in Frankfurt, Germany, Chr. Hansen will be showcasing the new range as well as a number of other new inventions — stand 8H5 in hall 8. www.chr-hansen.com/fie