General Mills, Inc.

Timothy T Johnson

Ellen M Silva

James E McGuire

Mayank T Patel

Maeve C Murphy

Gary W Stoddard

Amy Konkoly

Nutritionally improved cultured dairy products, such as milk beverages and yogurt products, include a fine powdered calcium phosphate salt of reduced particle size having a mean diameter &lE;6&mgr;m in amounts sufficient to provide a total calcium content of 0.25% to 0.75%. A method for producing the calcium fortified products is also provided wherein an fine powdered insoluble calcium salt is admixed with a milk blend prior to fermentation. A yogurt can then be prepared by conventional fermentation. Both stirred style and cup set style yogurt products can be prepared.

Calcium fortified products and methods of preparation

Refrigerated cultured dairy products such as yogurt having enhanced anti-mold stability are prepared by including minute quantities of a cultured dairy ingredient having been cultured with a propionic acid forming culture. The propionic bearing cultured dairy ingredient such as whey is added to a milk base that is then heat treated prior to inoculation and fermentation with a yogurt culture. Premature protein coagulation that can occur during the heat treatment step is minimized by adding minute quantities of a calcium sequestrant to the milk base.

Dairy products and method of preparation

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St. Anthony Village, MN, United States of America

Timothy T Johnson