History | Nutritional Value | The Child and Yoghurt | Yoghurt and Diet | Reading the Label

History of Yogurt

“The gift of the Gods” for Moses, “a valuable medicine” for the Romans. Yoghurt is one of the oldest foods known to man and has been a basic nutritional product in south-eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of the Far East for thousands of years. Greek doctors were familiar with yoghurt and knew about its healthy properties, while we have references to yoghurt by Herodotus who lived in the 5th century, as well as in the 1st century and the 2nd century b.c., by the renowned doctor Galino who praised the laxative and and cleansing effect of yoghurt on the intestines. Yoghurt was also known to the Romans. The scholar and natural scientist Plinios, who lived in the 1st century a.d. was one of its most avid consumers.

Yoghurt was widely respected by the Arab world in the Middle Ages. A scientific book that appeared in Damascus in 633 praises its therapeutic properties.

It is unquestionable that yoghurt existed many years before man wrote about it. It is likely that its discovery was accidental. It is believed that it first appeared in the Middle East, in an area now
part of Turkey or possibly in neighbouring Persia.

There are many theories concerning how it was first created. One in particular places its discovery around about the Neolithic Period (approximately 10,000 b.c.), when man first to milk animals. Some clay vessel full of milk that just happened to get heated for several hours in a corner, just turned into a yoghurt “bowl”. The warm climate of the Middle East, in combination with the lack of hygienic conditions offered an ideal environment for the yoghurt bacillus to appear and to multiply naturally. It is believed that yoghurt subsequently spread from the Middle East to more distant regions with the development of trade and the waging of wars.

The import of yoghurt to Western Europe is said to have occurred in the 16th century. An Armenian doctor cured the French king Francis I, who suffered from melancholy and intestinal problems with this unique food, whilst others state that a Jewish healer from Constantinople arrived on foot with a flock of sheep and goats. It seems that this fact became the reason why the French named yoghurt “the milk of eternal life”.

Yoghurt was little known in Western Europe and America even up to the 1920’s and 1930’s. The preparation for its commercial production began with a prominent French bacteriologist of Russian origin, Dr. Metsikov, Director of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1908. Metsikov’s research on the early ageing in man led him to a study of the lifestyle of eighty- seven year olds (as opposed to forty eight in the United States). His observations led him to the conclusion that their robustness and long life was due to yoghurt. Subsequently, yoghurt was propagated widely after the First World War with the tide of Greek immigration to countries in the West. They made the yoghurt themselves and served it to customers in their restaurants. Nevertheless, the authentic recipe is quite removed from the yoghurt of today: the milk from the cow, the ewe or the buffalo was well boiled (until it lost 30% of its water) and was left to ferment naturally in clay vessels for a period of time.

The yoghurt we eat...

In reality yoghurt is the result of the action of live microorganisms, which possess the ability to change the environment in which they grow – in this particular case the milk – to another product with its own characteristic properties. The milk microorganisms that exist in yoghurt are largely responsible for the transformation of lactose to lactic acid, giving the milk a thick texture and a sour taste. At the same time, it makes the fat in the milk more easily digestible and neutralizes the pathogenic bacteria in our gastro-intestinal system. The Nobel Prize winning doctor, Elia Metsikov discovered this latter property of yoghurt in 1908 during his research of the sepsisof the large intestine. Thus yoghurt came to be considered as a medicine for dealing with the bacteria that cause this specific problem.

A statement by the founders of FAGE that summarizes the entire philosophy of the company. This statement became the driving force, the raison d’etreand the mission of the company. Whatever takes place at FAGE, is based on this premise and uncompromising principle. In this way, FAGE has managed, today, to be a company whose name constitutes a guarantee and is trusted by consumers in Greece as well as abroad.

Yogurt’s high nutritional value establishes it as an essential, irreplaceable daily food that perfectly combines pleasure with something that does you good:

Yoghurt’s high nutritional value establishes it as an essential, irreplaceable daily food that perfectly combines pleasure with something that does you good:

q Yoghurt contains a high amount of proteins, vitamins, minerals (chiefly zinc) and of course calcium.
Its calcium content renders it valuable to all children over seven months old, expecting and breast-feeding mothers, athletes, teenagers and the elderly, as well as those suffering from, or keen to prevent osteoporosis.
It is beneficial to smokers and those who consume large amounts of alcohol, as it protects the stomach membrane.
It constitutes one of the lightest and healthiest foods that one may eat when suffering from influenza, even with a high temperature.
It maintains the balance of the intestinal flora as well as the mouths mucus for those on long-term antibiotic treatment.
It combats diarrhea that may result from gastrointestinal infections, due to the neutralizing effect of its bacillus on the germs causing the infections.
With its soft, watery texture, it combats chronic constipation, encouraging a “lazy” bowel to contract, whilst its bacillus restores the intestine’s balance, and rids it of any collected toxins.
It contributes to the treatment of certain types of dermatological conditions that are due to a deficiency, or poor absorption of vitamin B complex via the intestine.
It strengthens the natural regenerative process of skin cells as well as hair and nail growth.
It strengthens the body’s immune system.

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The child and yoghurt
Yoghurt is a child’s best friend. It is recommended by pediatricians as a basic part of the daily diet for all ages due to its high nutritional value; it is easy to eat, tasty and easily digested.

It contains all the nutritional components of milk and may be givenas one of the first semi-solid foods to infants from the sixth month onwards as it is light and easily digested. (Up to that point the infant has only been breast or bottle-fed.)
After the 18th month it is ideal as a second breakfast or evening meal, on it’s own or served with fruit, honey, bread or biscuits.
In cases of gastroenteritis, yoghurt can replace milk whilst still providing the necessary nutrients.
It can meet the requirements for a child’s daily water intake since it is considered to be a a semi-solid food with high water content.
Yoghurt is popular with children and teenagers as it can be served as a dessert, without containing sugar, fat or calories. At the same time, it may be enriched with attractive additives such as fruit, chocolate, cereal, muesli, dried plums, biscuits, honey, walnuts, sweet preserves.

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Yoghurt and diet

Yoghurt is one of the best dieting aids. Amongst all the dieting foods, it is worth noting that skimmed yoghurt contains approximately 38 calories as opposed to an egg with 80 calories, 132 calories for a medium apple, 100 for a boiled potato, 230 for a portion of grilled chicken, 126 for 100g of tuna in water.
While it is true that plain yoghurt and milk have the same nutritional value and the same number of calories, it is a fact that yoghurt is more filling. In addition, yoghurt can perfectly replace foods such as fresh cream or mayonnaise and sour cream that have a much higher number of calories, making it easier to control weight.

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Reading the Label

DATE OF EXPIRATION

It is of utmost importance, as the lactobacillus that gives the yoghurt its beneficial properties must be alive up until the time of consumption. It is preserved active at a temperature of 2-6 degrees C for more than 30 days.

LIVE

A category of yoghurt which the manufacturer guarantees contains active lactobacillus that remains alive even after the expiration date, on the condition that it is preserved in the refrigerator at the correct temperature.

PROTEINS

A characteristic of the proteins found in yoghurt is the fact that they contain all of the essential amino acids in satisfactory quantities which is why they are of suchgreat biological value to man.

FAT

The proportion of fat in yoghurt depends on the fat content of the milk used. Thus, we can make semi-fat or non-fat yoghurt without affecting the active ingredients of the yoghurt. On the contrary, the calcium and protein content is increased.

CARBOHYDRATES

Lactose is the only carbohydrate to be found in milk. From a biological point of view it is used by the human organism as a source of energy but in order for it to be absorbed it must first be broken down into glucose and galactose. During its fermentation, lactose bacteria produce mainly lactic acid, thus acquiring a special importance for people who have a problem metabolizing lactose.

VITAMINS AND MINERAL SALTS

From a dietary point of view it is interesting to note the large calcium and phosphorus content of yoghurt, in comparison with other foods, that are essential for the growth and protection of the bones, especially for growing children and teenagers. It is a valuable source of the mineral elements zinc and iodine. Yoghurt also contains the vitamins A, Thiamin and Riboflavin, as well as vitamin B12. Additionally, the lactobacillus possesses the ability to produce vitamin B complex. The content of these elements in theyoghurt depends on the quality of the milk used, the processing it has undergone its preservation conditions.

LACTIC ACID

As mentioned above, yoghurt makes the carbohydrates accessible even to those who have an intolerance to milk. It is this that gives yoghurt its characteristic odour and sour taste. The most important factor is that it prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria within the yoghurt and protects it from contamination against infection, from the date of manufacture up to the expiration date.