https://doi.org/10.17113/ftb.62.02.24.8259

article in press

The Physicochemical, Textural, Microbiological and Sensory Properties of Skimmed Buffalo Milk Yogurt with Tragacanth Gum During Storage

Sema Özmert Ergin^1*, İlhan Gün², Recep Kara³, Ali Soyuçok² and Aslı Albayrak Karaoğlu⁴

¹Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Health Sciences Faculty, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Burdur, Turkey

²Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Food Agriculture and Livestock Vocational School, Department of Food Processing, Burdur, Turkey

³Afyon Kocatepe University, Veterinary Faculty, Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey

⁴Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Agriculture Livestock and Food Research Application and Research Center, Burdur, Turkey

Article history:

Received: 14 June 2023

Accepted: 27 May 2024

Keywords:

buffalo milk; yogurt; tragacanth gum; texture; microbiological properties

Summary:

Research background. In the food industry, research interest in the functional effects of natural polysaccharides derived from plants has increased in recent years. Tragacanth gum (TG) is utilised in dairy products for its stabilising, thickening, fat-replacing, and prebiotic effect-enhancing properties. In the manufacture of buffalo clotted cream, however, skimmed milk is viewed as a substantial commercial loss. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the potential of TG in the production of yogurt made from residual buffalo milk containing varying concentrations of TG (0.5, 1 and 1.5 g/L milk).

Experimental approach. Skimmed buffalo milk with various TG concentration was pasteurisation and after cooling at 45 °C. Starter culture was added to each samples. All samples were fermented until 4.80±0.2 pH value. Gross composition, acidity, water activity, water holding capacity, whey seperation, organic acid, volatile aroma compounds, total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeast and mold, Lactococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. counts, sensory and textural properties were analyzed during 15 days storage.

Results and conclusions. The results demonstrated that the use of TG enhanced the dry matter content, water-holding capacity, and protein content of the samples, while whey separation decreased as the amount of gum used increased. The addition of gum enhanced the yogurt's textural qualities and hardness. In terms of consistency, it was found that the sample containing 1 g of TG was the most reliable. In the control group, the total aerobic mesophilic bacteria count was highest on the first and last days of storage. According to the results of the sensory evaluation, the sample with 0.5 g TG was the most preferred.

Novelty and scientific contribution. Research has shown that using stabilizers at varying ratios improves the quality of yogurt made from fat-free buffalo milk, which is a byproduct of industrial manufacturing. As a result, it is recycled and the product's value is enhanced, instead of becoming industrial waste.