People who often drink yogurt will notice the instructions on the packaging—yogurt must be stored at 2°C to 6°C. However, reporters found in several supermarkets in Beijing that not all yogurt is stored in refrigerated cabinets; much of it is placed outside them. Especially during holidays, some supermarkets even bundle single-serving yogurts together in transparent packaging and sell them outside the refrigerated cabinets.
There is no doubt that the yogurt placed outside the refrigerated cabinets is exposed to temperatures far exceeding 6°C. So, under storage conditions higher than the recommended temperature, is the nutritional value of the yogurt affected?
Wang Huaibao, Vice Chairman of the China Dairy Association, told reporters that the main component of yogurt is active lactic acid bacteria, which can prevent protein fermentation, reduce gas production in the intestines, and thus alleviate symptoms such as bloating and indigestion. Under normal conditions, the survival period of active lactic acid bacteria is dormant in an environment of 0°C to 4°C. However, as the ambient temperature rises, the bacteria will rapidly reproduce and die quickly. At this point, the yogurt drink becomes a sterile acidic dairy product, and its nutritional value will be greatly reduced. Yogurt containing active lactic acid bacteria has a short shelf life, generally around two weeks, and must be stored at 2°C to 6°C; otherwise, it is prone to spoilage.
It seems that the yogurt placed outside the freezers in supermarkets no longer meets the 2°C to 6°C refrigeration requirement, so its taste and nutritional value cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, when purchasing yogurt, consumers should not only check the expiration date but also pay attention to the "temperature."
In addition, Vice Chairman Wang reminded consumers to note two points when drinking yogurt: first, avoid drinking it on an empty stomach. Drinking yogurt on an empty stomach weakens its health benefits, whereas consuming it two hours after a meal is better for its health functions. Second, avoid heating yogurt. After heating, yogurt not only loses its unique flavor but also the beneficial bacteria in it are killed, greatly reducing its nutritional value.