Method of making a yoghurt beverage and product thereby

A method of producing a predominantly yoghurt beverage, which is storage stable for more than six months and contains about 89 percent of a yoghurt milk product, from a yoghurt milk product, and, optionally, fruit juice, fruit essence, or fruit concentrate, and which is substantially in the absence of pectin and sugar, wherein said yoghurt milk product is prepared by fermenting milk until the mass has reached a pH value conventional for yoghurt, comprising:

• (a) mixing about 89 percent of said yoghurt milk product with relatively minor amounts of ingredients selected from the group consisting of water, sugars, pectin, flavors, and colors, and, optionally, fruit juice, fruit essence, or fruit concentrate;
• (b) homogenizing said mixture;
• (c) subjecting said homogenized mixture to a heat treatment wherein the temperature of said mixture is raised to between 45.degree. and 55.degree. C. while said mixture is being agitated and while maintaining a temperature difference, between said mixture and the heating medium used to raise the temperature of said mixture, of no more than 10.degree. C.;
• (d) subsequently cooling said homogenized heat-treated mixture to a temperature of between 25.degree. and 35.degree. C. while maintaining a temperature difference, between said mixture and the medium used to cool, of no more than about 10.degree. C.;
• (e) performing a second homogenization of said cooled mixture at the temperature reached in step d;
• and then
• (f) packaging said mixture by a method selected from the group consisting of:
• pasteurizing, cooling, and aseptically packing said mixture in the appropriate package;
• and packing said mixture in the appropriate package followed by pasteurizing said mixture while in said package and then cooling said mixture in said package.