Powdered yoghurt produced by spray drying and freeze drying: a review

Abstract Yoghurt is one of the dairy products most consumed worldwide but dehydrated yoghurt is still uncommon. Considered a nutritious food, yoghurt powder could be used as an ingredient or supplement in juices, cookies, ice cream and dairy beverages. Spray drying and freeze drying are the methods most widely used to dehydrate dairy products, and the process conditions are directly associated with the production costs and value of the final product. Due to osmotic and thermal stress during dehydration, it is often necessary to incorporate agents such as carriers, thermal protectants, cryo-protectants and stabilizers in order to improve the process yield, preserve nutrients and even facilitate rehydration of the product. Thus the present review presents the technologies available to obtain yoghurt powder, including the processes, drying agents, drying rates, rehydration conditions and survival of the lactic acid bacteria.