Comparative studies on the qualities of seven brands of vanilla-flavoured stirred yoghurts produced within the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana

Yoghurt is the main fermented and well-patronized dairy product produced commercially within the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. As far as the nutritional composition are concerned, some of the produced yoghurts are either not labeled or inadequately labeled. The aim of the study was to assess and compare the nutritional, physicochemical, microbial and sensory qualities of seven commercialized brands of yoghurts in Kumasi. The brands were coded as Y1, Y2, Y3 up to Y7 and the qualities were analyzed. There were significant differences (P 0.05) in the qualities of the seven brands. The protein content ranged from 2.08 to 3.10% while the fat contents ranged from 0.24 to 0.59%. The energy contents were also from 229 to 338 kJ/100 ml of yoghurt. The total coliforms were from 0 to 9.30×10 cfu/ml and yeast counts also ranged from 8.40×10⁵ cfu/ml to 14.00×10⁵cfu/ml. These variations could be attributed to the differences in the compositions of the raw materials used and the methods of production. Apart from Y3 which had no coliforms, the microbial levels of the other products did not meet Codex Allimentarius standards for fermented milk products. Comparative study on the sensory evaluation by 30 untrained panelists showed that product Y3 was the least acceptable product while product Y6 turned out to be the most acceptable product followed by product Y5.