ABSTRACT
Fermented dairy products have been consumed for centuries. In the Indian subcontinent, they are considered an important part of the diet as a highly nutritious, therapeutic, and healthy food as proven by Ayurveda, the old science of medicine (Thirtha 1998). The microbial action and spoilage of raw milk during storage is the basis for the origin of fermented milks. In the earliest days of mankind, spontaneous acidication processes relied on lactic acid bacteria naturally present in milk as adventitious contaminants that grow and produce the lactic acid required to coagulate the milk and improve the keeping qualities and the hygienic status of processed foods. Sometimes the lactic acid bacteria are accompanied by yeasts or molds that give special features to the fermented products (Kandler 1983; Wouters et al. 2002).
11.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 259 11.2 Microorganisms Used in Fermentation ........................................................260 11.3 Types of Fermented Dairy Products and Their Manufacture....................... 261 11.4 Chemical Changes during Processing That Have an Effect on
