Shelf life extension for yogurt production in circumstances of regular power outages - Eritrean Yogurt Study

Due to many parts of Africa suffering from interrupted electrical supply, and hence a broken cold chain, a solution for shelf life extension for perishable foods is needed. An industry that is one of the hardest hit and in most need of shelf life extension is the dairy industry - in particular during yogurt production. It is anticipated that resolving the issue of interrupted electrical supply is improbable in the near future. In Eritrea, yogurt production is at ambient temperatures – approximately 28 oC. After production, the yogurt will go into the fridge with a view to being sold the next day. Electricity supply is unpredictable and can be disrupted for 6 – 12 hours a day. The aim of this study was to determine if the shelf life of yogurt produced in Eritrea under these less-than-ideal conditions could be improved by using natural additives. This study showed that the use of Codex Alimentarius-approved ingredients (native starch, mTGase, Natamycin, and Nisin) when added to the yogurt in the presence of a regularly interrupted electrical supply, produced microbiologically and organoleptically stable yogurt for up to 28 days.