March 11/Food Weekly News -- "Comparative studies on yogurts made from cows', ewes' and goats' milks with respect to mineral concentrations are limited and warrant further investigation," explain scientists from Antakya, Turkey. "The objective of this study was to analyze the gross chemical composition as well as the concentration of essential minerals in concentrated (torba) yogurts made from cows', ewes' and goats' milk compared with those in regular yogurts and wheys."

"The elements were determined by simultaneous inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Ewe torba yogurt was significantly higher in calcium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, zinc, cobalt, copper and iron concentrations compared with goat and cow torba yogurts. It is recommended that torba yogurts made from different types of milk may be considered an important source of phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, selenium and zinc over the regular yogurts and wheys," wrote Z. Guler and colleagues.

The researchers concluded, "Whey samples are also an excellent source of lactose as well as sodium and potassium."

Guler and colleagues published their study in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition ("The essential mineral concentration of Torba yoghurts and their wheys compared with yoghurt made with cows', ewes' and goats' milks." International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2009;60(2):153-164).

For more information, contact Z. Guler, University of Mustafa Kemal, Faculty Agriculture, Dept. of Food Engineering, Tayfur Sokmen Campus, TR-31034 Antakya, Hatay, Turkey.

From the March 16, 2009, Prepared Foods E-dition