Sensory properties of probiotic yogurt is comparable to standard yogurt

Received 5 September 2005; received in revised form 10 April 2006; accepted 21 April 2006.

Abstract

Consumers are becoming more interested in incorporating healthy foods into their diet. Both Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 are probiotic agents with proven therapeutic properties. Dairy products such as yogurt are a good vehicle to transfer these beneficial microorganisms to consumers; however, to date, little work has been done on measuring the acceptability of probiotic dairy products compared with regular yogurt. Consumer taste panels were conducted to evaluate and compare the sensory properties of probiotic and standard yogurt. The results showed that the appearance, flavor, texture, and overall quality of probiotic 1% fat yogurt were comparable and similar to standard 1% fat yogurt (control). The standard yogurt with higher fat content (3.25%) was rated better (P < .05) than the low-fat yogurts. These findings indicate acceptability of probiotic yogurt containing L rhamnosus GR-1 and L reuteri RC-14 among consumers.

Keywords: Probiotic yogurt, Consumer preference, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1, Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14, Appearance, Flavor, Texture

a Department of Human Ecology, Brescia University College at the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6G 1H2

b Canadian Research and Development Center for Probiotics, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 4V2

c Department of Microbiology and Immunology, the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6G 1H2

d Department of Surgery, the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6G 1H2

Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 519 661 2111x28227; fax: +1 519 679 6489.

PII: S0271-5317(06)00074-1

doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2006.04.004

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