Lo yogurt it is a healthy, digestible food, rich in calcium. «It can be brought to the table every day (up to 3 servings of 125 g each if you do not drink milk). But it must be chosen paying attention to the intake of fats and sugars », warns Diana Scatozza, dietician.
«In judging the products of our lab I discarded the most "greedy" ones, good but not very suitable for daily consumption. Those without aromas and sweeteners, prepared with quality ingredients, are awarded ”.
The first difference
«First of all I evaluated the starting milk», explains the food technologist Giorgio Donegani.
"In some products (the cheapest) it was declared to be EU production, in others the country with or without the indication of the region, in others still of biological origin and in two "hay": a particular milk, recognized by the European Union as a Guaranteed Traditional Specialty (Stg), because it is obtained only in small herds where the cows are fed in the most natural way, with grass and hay. I then examined the packaging: the choice of glass greatly affects the price, not the characteristics of the content».
To the test of the palate
“So I opened the jars and observed that there were not many compact lumps, difficult to mix with the rest », continues the expert.
«I rewarded the yoghurts rather dense and those that are too liquid are penalized: in the mouth the sensation must be creamy, not watery. As for the flavor, it must be fresh, typically sour, with no abnormal notes of cheese or oxidation. As usual, I finally considered the cost ».
The extra advice
«One thing I want to say is that yogurt has an added value represented by the lactic ferments it contains. The bacterial load is decreasing day by day, so my advice is to buy and consume products that are far from the expiration date»Concludes Dr. Donegani.
WHITE YOGURT, THE 4 BEST:
Days Consortium: € 1,09 the package with 2 jars of 125 g (€ 4,36 / kg).
The strong point. The creaminess.
The ingredients. Organic whole milk and live lactic ferments.
The judgment. Contained in glass jars, when opened it is quite full-bodied, without lumps. In the mouth it is pleasantly creamy and with a fresh, typical flavor, without abnormal notes.
The price is quite high, both for the biological origin of the milk and for the type of material chosen for packaging.
I nutrienti in 100 g: 4 g of fat (of which 2,8 g saturated), 4,6 g of carbohydrates (all sugars), 4,3 g of proteins, 0,15 g of salt, 71 calories.
Black Elk: € 1,69 the package with 2 jars of 125 g (€ 6,76 / kg).
The strong point. The hay milk.
The ingredients. Organic whole Stg hay milk from South Tyrol, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus.
The judgment. When the plastic jar is opened it is full-bodied and when tasted it reveals the right creaminess and a more intense and personal taste than that of the other products in the test. The price is high, but justified by the cost of producing hay milk.
I nutrienti in 100 g: 4,4 g of fat (of which 3,3 g saturated), 5,4 g of carbohydrates (of which 4,4 g sugar), 3,7 g of protein, 0,10 g of salt, 76 calories.
Cascina Bianca: € 2,10 the package with 2 jars of 125 g (€ 8,40 / kg).
The strong point. The super-ferments.
The ingredients. Yogurt intero bio, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium Lactis.
The judgment. It contains two more enzymes: a lactobacillus and a bifidobacterium. It is sold in glass jars with screw caps. It has a balanced, fresh, but not very distinctive taste. The high cost is due to the packaging and organic ingredients.
I nutrienti in 100 g: 4 g of fat (of which 2,9 g saturated), 4,3 g of carbohydrates (all sugars), 3,4 g of proteins, 0,10 g of salt, 67 calories.
Esselunga: € 0,69 the package with 2 jars of 125 g (€ 2,76 / kg).
The strong point. The price ratio.
The ingredients. Whole yogurt (whole milk, live lactic ferments: Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus).
The judgment. It is proposed in the classic plastic jar. It is appropriately creamy and has a distinctive and fresh taste. Considering the South Tyrolean origin of the milk (not organic), the good sensory profile and the low cost have an excellent quality-price ratio.
I nutrienti in 100 g: 4 g of fat (of which 2,9 g saturated), 4,4 g of carbohydrates (all sugars), 4 g of protein, 0,10 g of salt, 133 mg of calcium, 73 calories.
Our food lab: Giorgio Donegani, food technologist; Diana Scatozza, dietician; Roberta Piazza, journalist.
