Soy milk yogurt is an alternative to traditional yogurt for those with milk allergies or who are vegan. It contains soybeans, water, and sugars, and can support the growth of beneficial probiotic bacteria. It can also be a source of calcium and added vitamins. Homemade soy milk yogurt requires a starting culture.
A traditional yogurt is produced by the action of specific bacteria on cow’s milk. Soy milk yogurt has soy milk as an ingredient instead of cow’s milk. Soy milk is not a product of animal origin but is obtained from the beans of the soy plant. Therefore, soy milk yogurt is an alternative to traditional yogurt for those people who have milk allergies or are vegan.
Soy milk is a product that contains soybeans and other ingredients such as water and sugars. Soymilk yogurt contains some of this milk, along with bacteria that convert the liquid into a thick yogurt consistency. Cow’s milk contains sources of energy such as lactose which bacteria can use to grow.
Since soy milk is not an animal product, it has a different nutrient profile for bacteria. The most common bacteria present in cow’s milk yogurt are lactobacilli and Streptococcus thermophilus species. The same types of bacteria can grow in soy milk to form yogurt.
Probiotic yogurts contain bacteria that are beneficial to intestinal health. Soy milk yogurts, as well as cow’s milk yogurts, may also support the growth of beneficial probiotic bacteria to some extent. Soy products may be an option for people with lactose intolerance as the lactose sugar found in cow’s milk does not exist in soybeans. As well as being suitable for people who are lactose intolerant, soy yoghurts can also suit the vegan lifestyle as none of the ingredients are animal products. Much of the soybeans produced globally are genetically modified, but some manufacturers limit their ingredients to non-genetically modified beans.
Cow’s milk yogurt is a rich source of calcium. Soymilk yogurt makers can add a source, such as tricalcium phosphate, to their finished soy products to give consumers the extra calcium traditionally associated with dairy products. In addition to calcium, soy milk yogurts may also contain added vitamins, such as vitamin D or vitamin B12.
Homemade soymilk yogurt requires only soymilk as a base and a commercial soymilk yogurt as a starting culture. Mixing the live bacteria with soy milk begins the fermentation process needed to create yogurt. The starter yogurt must be alive to begin the process. Some soy milk yogurts may have been pasteurized in the manufacturing process, which kills almost any bacteria present.
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