Frozen yogurt



Frozen yogurt (also known as frogurt or by the tradename Froyo ) is a frozen dessert made with yogurt and sometimes other dairy and non-dairy products. Usually more tart than ice cream, as well as lower in fat (due to the use of milk instead of cream), it is different from ice milk (more recently termed low-fat or light ice cream) and conventional soft serve. Unlike yogurt, frozen yogurt is not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but is regulated by some U.S. states. Frozen yogurt may contain live and active bacteria cultures.

History
People have been eating plain yogurt for over four millennia, particularly in the Middle East and India. Yogurt was brought to the U.S. in the early 1900s and steadily increased in popularity as a health food item over the next several decades. In the 1930s Dannon began selling prepackaged yogurt for the first time in the U.S. By the 1970s, with the popularity of ice cream surging, freezing and production technology was transferred to the production of frozen yogurt. Many consumers, however, complained about the yogurt taste. Capitalizing on consumer demand for a sweet product that tasted like ice cream but was healthier, TCBY opened its first store in 1981. Unlike previous pre-packaged versions introduced earlier, TCBY's yogurt was soft-serve dispensed at the point of sale through a machine. TCBY became the largest frozen yogurt franchise in the world at that time. As others saw the success of TCBY, frozen yogurt took off in the 1980s, reaching sales of $25 million in 1986. Brands such as Colombo, Nanci’s, and Miss Karen’s came to prominence around that time in the US and frozen yogurt was 10% of the frozen dessert market accounting for over $300 million in sales by the mid-90s. Demand for frozen yogurt slowed considerably in the late 90s as Americans turned their attention to high-protein, high-fat diets. Low-fat foods such as frozen yogurt fell out of favor as food trends favored higher fat and lower cost ice cream at the turn of the millennium.

Trends changed back to frozen yogurt in the mid 2000s with the advent of live probiotic powder-based mixes invented by John Wudel, pioneer of alternative sweeteners in the frozen dessert industry. Dry base mix made frozen yogurt accessible in many countries outside the US for the first time. Consumer demand for tart frozen yogurt reached unprecedented levels by 2013 all over the US and many other countries marking a stark contrast to tart frozen yogurt’s initial reception in the 1970s.

Production
Frozen yogurt consists of milk solids, some kind of sweetener, milk fat, yogurt culture (commonly Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus), plus flavorings and sometimes coloring (natural or artificial).

Milk fat comprises about 0.55–6% of the yogurt; added in quantities inversely proportional to the amount of milk solids, it lends richness to the yogurt. Milk solids account for 8–14% of the yogurt’s volume, providing lactose for sweetness and proteins for smoothness and increased resistance to melting. Sugar (beet or cane) provides 15–17% of the yogurt’s ingredients; in addition to adding sweetness, it increases the volume of solid ingredients, improving body and texture. Gelatin and/or vegetable additives (guar gum, carrageenan etc.) stabilize the yogurt, reducing crystallization and increasing the temperature at which it will melt. This stabilization ensures that the frozen yogurt maintains a smooth consistency regardless of handling or temperature change.

Major companies often use assembly lines specifically dedicated to frozen yogurt production. Milk products and stabilizing agent(s) are combined and homogenized. At 32°C, the yogurt culture is added. The mix remains at this temperature until it sets and is ready for cooling. After that, the mix is cooled at a temperature of 0 to 4°C. Once it has reached the desired temperature and viscosity, the yogurt is allowed to sit in aging tanks for up to four hours. Sweeteners, flavorings and colorings are then mixed in, and the yogurt mixture is cooled at a temperature of −6 to −2°C. To create extra volume and smooth consistency, air is incorporated into the yogurt as the mixture is agitated. With sufficient amount of air in it, the yogurt gets rapidly frozen to prevent formation of large ice crystals, and then stored in a cold place to be shipped.

Frozen yogurt can be made in a soft serve freezer much the same way as soft ice cream. Frozen yogurt mix is sold in either powder form that needs to be mixed with water or liquid form ready to pour into a soft serve machine. A mix with high or low fat content can be chosen, and the amount of air introduced into the soft serve frozen yogurt is variable. The higher the fat level, the more air the yogurt can absorb; and the more air goes into the mix as it freezes, the creamier the product will taste.

Uses
Frozen yogurt is served in a large variety of flavors and styles. It also has sugar-free, thus healthier alternatives. Frozen yogurt shops usually offer a multitude of toppings, from fruit to nuts, popular cookie brands and candies. Some companies offer a more tart version considered closer to the original recipe, whereas others focus on making their own taste more like ice cream.

Other uses of term
In May 2010, Google released their operating system, Android 2.2, codenamed Froyo. Each major release of Android is named in alphabetical order after a dessert or sugary treat.