Starter cultures for butter and sour cream – the desired taste and structure
There is a huge variety of fermented milk products all over the world that are produced by mesophilic fermentation. They vary in taste and texture due to the levels of milk density, starter cultures used, and the applied process.
The starter cultures for butter and sour cream are highly concentrated mesophilic cultures offering convenience and flexibility in the production of mesophilic products. Starter cultures are available as cultures for direct inoculation (DVS®) in the form of both frozen pellets and lyophilized (freeze-dried) granules.
When compared to the bulk starter, the use of DVS cultures has some main advantages:
- Convenience and cost reduction – no need to prepare a bulk starter in the plant. The culture can be used directly from the freezer, so production planning is much more flexible.
- Security – lack of bulk starter means less risk of phage infection, which could lead to a delay in fermentation, low quality, and/or scrapped products.
- Consistent action, while in bulk starter, can lead to undesirable and uncontrollable changes in the ratio between strains; in DVS starter cultures, the ratio is controlled and constant.
- Flexibility – DVS cultures can be used in specific combinations in order to produce a variety of fermented milk products.
- New and interesting cultures – DVS allows the creation of cultures with specific ratios between the strains, which is reflected in a broad portfolio of DVS cultures.
The range of mesophilic cultures provides different flavor and viscosity profiles, making it possible to produce fermented products with the desired taste and texture.
