Preparation of fruit-on-the-top sundae-style yogurt

A process for filling containers with fruit-on-the-top sundae-style yogurt comprising the steps of:

• introducing into a container a bacteriologically inoculated liquid milk fraction containing a gum stabilizing agent;
• placing the container having the inoculated liquid milk fraction in a sterile environment;
• incubating and subsequently refrigerating the liquid milk fraction in the sterile environment so that fermentation of the milk fraction produces yogurt and refrigeration solidifies the gum stabilizer in the yogurt;
• introducing a fruit fraction layer into the container to cover a top surface of the solidified yogurt, wherein the fruit fraction has a greater specific gravity than the liquid milk fraction, the solidified yogurt having sufficient gel strength to self-support the fruit fraction layer;
• forming an edible barrier on the top surface of the yogurt before the fruit fraction is introduced for inhibiting intermingling of the fruit fraction and the yogurt at the interface between them, the edible barrier being selected from the group consisting of hydrogenated animal fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils;
• and
• applying a removable lid to the top of the container to provide yogurt with a fruit fraction topping immediately beneath the removable lid.

A process for filling container with fruit-on-the-top sundae-style yogurt comprising the steps of:

• providing a container having a removable lid which closes one end of the container and having an opening at an opposite end of the container for providing access to the interior of the container, the container being inverted so the lid is positioned at the bottom of the container and the opening is foremost;
• introducing a fruit fraction through the opening and into the interior of the inverted container to form a fruit fraction layer supported on the inside surface of the lid;
• introducing through the opening of the inverted container and into direct contact with the fruit fraction a bacteriologically inoculated liquid milk fraction containing a gum stabilizing agent for filling the interior of the container above the fruit fraction layer, the specific gravity of the fruit fraction being greater than the specific gravity of the liquid milk fraction;
• sealing the opening of the container;
• incubating and refrigerating the contents of the sealed, inverted container so that fermentation of the milk fraction produces yogurt;
• and
• positioning the container in an upright position with the lid foremost after the refrigerating step, the yogurt having sufficient gel strength following refrigeration to self-support the fruit fraction layer above it when the container is in the upright position, to provide a container of fruit-on-the-top sundae-style yogurt wherein the yogurt self-supports a top fruit fraction layer that is immediately beneath the removable lid of the container.

A container of fruit-on-the-top sundae-style yogurt comprising:

• a container having a removable lid;
• yogurt in a gelled condition in a lower portion of the container;
• a fruit fraction layer in the upper portion of the container immediately inside the removable lid and overlying the yogurt, the fruit fraction having a higher specific gravity than the yogurt, the yogurt having sufficient gel strength to support the fruit fraction layer;
• and
• an edible barrier film at the interface between the yogurt and the fruit fraction for inhibiting intermingling of the fruit fraction and the yogurt at the interface, the edible barrier being selected from the group consisting of hydrogenated animal fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils.