This Brief reviews the chemistry behind the production of yoghurt through acidification of milk. It quantifies the changes in physical and chemical properties of yoghurt during fermentation with microbial organisms (such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus). It has been found that this symbiosis has an optimal development at a temperature of ca. 45C with the transformation of lactose into lactic acid and small amounts of acetaldehyde, diacetyl and volatile acids. This Brief explains the chemical and physical results of the fermentation process, such as precipitation...

This Brief concerns the influence of chemistry in the modern food and beverages industry. The world of traditional foods has been soundlessly but increasingly interconnected with the chemical industry in the last century. Different areas are considered in a multidisciplinary approach:

- the production of chemical additives and of non-food components needed in the food industry (e.g. packaging materials)

- the regulatory perspective of the whole food production chain

- commercialization of food commodities

- the problem of food safety from the viewpoint of official...