Research Progress on Quality Characteristics of Yoghurt and Its Fermentation Enhancement Technology: A Review

ABSTRACT Yoghurt is a popular nutrient‐rich food consumed worldwide. It is a functional food, and thus, has many health benefits. As a consequence, its consumer‐market is gradually expanding. However, the production of yoghurt is associated with several problems such as post‐acidification, heat treatment, flavor, cost and technical barriers. To overcome such challenges, various fortification approaches such as the addition of probiotics and prebiotics (as biofortification methods), additives and nutrients (as chemical fortification methods) have been applied. Besides, ultrasound‐assisted or high‐pressure homogenization‐assisted fermentation have been utilized to improve the rheological, textural, flavor and nutritional attributes of yoghurt. This review summarizes the current production processes of yoghurt and their shortcomings, with an emphasis on innovative fermentation fortification techniques.