The invention provides a powdered composition that upon mixing with milk or water and processing in a soft ice cream machine forms a natural yogurt soft ice cream containing live natural yogurt bacilli comprising about 0.3 to 15% of an edible acid, about 0.5 to 12% of one or more natural polysaccharide gums, about 0.03 to 90% sweetener, 0 to 4.0% cold water soluble gelatine, 0 to 7.0% of a pretreated starch, 0.2 to 8% of a dried natural yogurt powder containing live bacilli, about 0 to 50% of a dried milk powder, 0 to 4% food color, 0 to 4% food fruit flavours, 0 to 5% yogurt flavour and about 0 to 5% dehydrated fruit powders.