**6. Conclusion**

In this chapter, we reviewed the volatile flavor compounds in yogurt products. In addition, we discussed yogurt starter cultures, major aromatic compounds, and modern instrument analysis of yogurt flavor. Currently, yogurt sales are among the fastest growing in the dairy industry. Consequently, a greater knowledge of enhanced manufacturing procedures and consumer preferences would be highly useful in helping the yogurt industry to improve on its current products and develop additional innovative products. For example, the use of advanced techniques such as synthetic fiber solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry could help to identify a large number of aromatic compounds in yogurt. This would open up the possibility for more comprehensive exploration of the importance of specific strains in obtaining desired sensory qualities. Moreover, it would support the selection of production strains and the flavor producers. On a more advanced level, such analyses could allow us to develop rapid methodologies for quality control and authenticity of lactic acid products based on the aroma-metabolite profile of the starter cultures in the final product. There remains a lack of sufficient data related to the importance of specific process parameters and strain specificity for aroma formation in lactic acid products. As a result, qualitative and quantitative analysis of volatile aromatic compounds should merely be the first step toward achieving this goal. By determining the relationship between key flavor compounds and the sensory properties of yogurt, we will have a better understanding of how yogurt flavor is affected by the presence of critical flavor compounds. This will enable us to facilitate the production of more uniform yogurt products for enhanced consumer acceptance.
