Improved creaminess of low-fat yoghurt: The impact of amylomaltase-treated starch domains

Amylomaltase-treated starch (ATS) is an excellent creaminess enhancer in yoghurt. Small amounts of ATS raised the creaminess perception of low-fat yoghurt (1.5%) to that of full-fat yoghurt (5%). In this way, a reduction in fat-related energy value could be achieved from 45 to 21.5 kcal/100 g product. The functionality of ATS in set yoghurt resulted from discrete domains of ATS that resemble the microstructural behaviour of fat particles. The microstructure of the yoghurt is dominated by the protein and the ATS domains are enclosed in or bound to this protein network. The perceived creaminess resulted from in-mouth melting of these ATS domains due to a combined effect of their physical melting and hydrolysis by amylase present in the saliva.     

Rheological and sensory properties of stirred yoghurt with inulin‐type fructans

This study concerns physicochemical and sensory analysis of stirred yoghurts, in which skim milk powder was partly replaced by different inulins. The composition of basic solutions contained 12% skim milk powder and 4% inulin, while reference yoghurts contained 16% SMP or whole milk powder. Rheological and sensory analysis showed that one‐quarter of milk powder could be substituted by long‐chain inulin in low‐fat stirred yoghurt. Short‐chain inulin and oligofructose can potentially be applied in the production of drinking yoghurt. Sensory evaluation showed that milk fat cannot be successfully substituted by inulin.     

Understanding creaminess

Our research has concerned creaminess in low-fat dairy products of different types, covering the range from liquids (acidified milk drinks), over weak gels (vanilla yoghurts, plain stirred yoghurt) to semi-solids (cream cheese). We have studied both physical background for creaminess and sensory perception of creaminess. The intention has been to understand general aspects of creaminess that applies to the whole range of product categories studied, but also to explore differences between different types of dairy products. The goal has been to collect a coherent mass of knowledge linking different types of measurements with multivariate data analysis. The present paper presents an overview of our findings and discusses them, as well as drawing upon others’ work to cover what we have not studied.     

Effect of microfluidization of heat-treated milk on rheology and sensory properties of reduced fat yoghurt

The effects of microfluidization at 150 MPa (MFz) and conventional homogenization at 20/5 MPa (CH) of heat-treated milk on the rheology and sensory properties of non- (0.1%) and low- (1.5%) fat stirred yoghurts were compared. Homogenization conditions clearly affected the sensory properties of reduced-fat yoghurts, but the effect was highly dependent on fat content. MFz of heat-treated milk yielded products with very different sensory profiles from the conventional yoghurts. For non-fat yoghurts, MFz of heat-treated milk enhanced the perception of buttermilk and soft cheese flavours, and natural yoghurt aroma and flavour, but also increased the intensity of undesirable mouthfeel characteristics such as chalkiness, mouth-dryness and astringency. For low-fat yoghurts, MFz significantly improved creaminess and desirable texture characteristics such as smoothness, cohesiveness, thickness, and oral and spoon viscosity. These differences in sensory profiles, especially textural properties, were partially related to rheological properties, particularly flow behaviour. MFz of heat-treated milk resulted in non- and low-fat yoghurts with higher yield stress, more pronounced hysteresis effect and higher viscosity than those of CH yoghurts of similar fat contents. These findings suggest that microfluidization may have applications for production of high-quality yoghurt with reduced-fat content.     

Sensory memory and food texture

Memory for texture plays an important role in food expectations. After fasting overnight, subjects (41 women, 35 men, age 19–60 years) received a breakfast including breakfast drink, biscuits and yoghurt. Subsequently, they rated their hunger feelings every hour, and returned for a taste experiment in the evening. When unexpectedly confronted with five texture variations of each breakfast item, they were asked to recognise the samples they had eaten earlier. Signal detection showed that subjects could recognise the drinks and yoghurts, but not the biscuits. In a second test with newly coded samples, subjects rated liking and compared their perception of the sample with the remembered target on different attributes. Memory was not related to liking and it was poor for fat (biscuits and yoghurt), but good for thickness (drinks and yoghurt) and crispiness (biscuits). Levels of fat were not remembered as such, but showed some indirect distinctiveness in related attributes as crispiness, thickness or crumbling (biscuits) and thickness or creaminess (yoghurt).     

Eliciting the Sensory Modalities of Fat Reformulated Yoghurt Ice Cream Using Oligosaccharides

In the present work, fat reduction of Greek strained yoghurt ice cream (YIC) was carried out in three proportional milkfat levels i.e. 30, 50 and 70% using three types of oligosaccharides namely long-chain inulin, oligofructose and maltodextrin 12 DE. Greek strained yoghurt was blended with ice cream mixes in ratios of 1:3 and 1:1. The physico-chemical, textural and thermal characteristics of the YIC mixes and their obtained frozen end products were determined. The sensory modalities (olfactory, gustatory, tactile and oro-tactile) of the YIC were monitored following 2 and 16 weeks of quiescent frozen storage at ?25 °C. Milkfat reduction impaired significantly (p?<?0.05) the perceived creaminess and mouthcoating sensation stimuli, whist it intensified the oral tissue friction associated sense stimuli such as astringency, wateriness and coarseness. Long-chain inulin- and maltodextrin-based samples received the highest scores for creaminess, mouthcoating, gumminess, hardness and iciness. The increase of the yoghurt to ice cream mix ratio escalated the friction/recrystallization-associated sensations e.g. astringency, sourness, coarseness and wateriness. Notwithstanding yoghurt supplementation reinforced the pseudoplasticity and macroviscosity of the ice cream mixes, it suppressed their aeration capacity leading to heavy-bodied ice creams. However, no significant effects of yoghurt supplementation level on the colligative and meltdown rate of the YIC formulations were identified. Partial least squares coupled discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) revealed that fat reformulation of YICs using oligosaccharides results in a substantially diversified sensory profile. Generally, a 50% fat reduction of YICs using long-chain oligosaccharides appears to be a technologically tangible solution.     

Modifying the microstructure of low-fat yoghurt by microfluidisation of milk at different pressures to enhance rheological and sensory properties

The effects of microfluidisation of milk at different pressures, prior to heat treatment, on structural and sensory properties of low-fat stirred yoghurt, were investigated. Low-fat yoghurts prepared from microfluidised milk were compared with low-fat (1.5%) and full-fat (3.5%) control yoghurts made with homogenised (20/5 MPa) milk. The microstructure of low-fat yoghurts prepared with microfluidised milk consisted of smaller and more uniform fat globules, well incorporated into more interconnected fat-protein gel networks, compared with those of control yoghurts. This modification in microstructure caused significant changes in gel particle size, sensory profile and rheological behaviour. Microfluidisation increased the gel particle size, gel strength and viscosity; marked beneficial effects were found at higher pressures (50–150 MPa). Microfluidising milk at 50–150 MPa increased the gel strength by 171–195% and viscosity by 98–103%, creating low-fat yoghurts with creaminess and desirable texture properties similar to, or better than, full-fat conventional yoghurt.     

Physical characteristics of yoghurts made using exopolysaccharide-producing starter cultures and varying casein to whey protein ratios

This study investigated the physical characteristics of set and stirred yoghurts made at 9% (w/w) total solids with various casein (CN)-to-whey protein (WP) ratios and with exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing starter cultures (capsular or ropy) during storage. The yoghurt was evaluated for composition, firmness and syneresis of set yoghurt, and for the flow curve and the area of hysteresis loop between the upward and downward curve of stirred yoghurt. Viable counts of starter bacteria and concentrations of lactic acid and EPS in the yoghurt were also determined. EPS concentration did not decrease during storage for 28 d. Firmness and syneresis of set yoghurt decreased when the CN-to-WP ratio was reduced from ratio 4:1 to 1:1 and when EPS starter cultures (especially ropy EPS) were used. Stirred yoghurt with a CN-to-WP ratio of 3:1 and made using ropy EPS-producing starter cultures had a higher shear stress and hysteresis loop area than yoghurt made using capsular EPS- or non-EPS-producing starter cultures. The results suggested that the physical characteristics of set and stirred yoghurts can be improved by varying CN-to-WP ratio and by the use of EPS-producing starter cultures.     

Comparison of the effects of high-pressure microfluidization and conventional homogenization of milk on particle size,water retention and texture of non-fat and low-fat yoghurts

The effect of high-pressure homogenization using a Microfluidizer^® on texture, water-holding capacity, and extent of syneresis on stirred yoghurts was compared with that of conventional homogenization. The effect of homogenization condition on particle size was also assessed in milk and in yoghurt. Stirred yoghurts were prepared from recombined milk samples (0 and 1.5% fat) heat-treated (95 °C, 2 min) and then treated by conventional valve homogenization at 25 MPa or microfluidization at 150 MPa. Homogenization conditions influenced the particle size in milk, gel particle size, and textural quality of stirred yoghurts in a manner dependent upon fat content. Milk microfluidized at 150 MPa had smaller particle size than homogenized milk, but resulted in larger particles in yoghurt. Microfluidization of low-fat milk modified the microstructure of yoghurt, giving more interconnectivity in the protein networks with embedded fat globules, but with similar texture profiles and water retention compared with yoghurt made from conventionally homogenized milk.     

Rheological,microstructural and sensory characterization of low-fat and whole milk set yoghurt as influenced by inulin addition

The effect of inulin addition (0–4%) upon texture and microstructure of set yoghurt with different levels of fat (0.2%–3.5%) was investigated. A two-factor experimental design with four treatments was used for data analysis. Skimmed milk with various inulin and cream concentrations was standardized to 4% protein content, homogenized, heated to 92 °C and fermented at 42 °C until a pH of 4.6 was reached. The chemical composition, pH, consistency and microstructure properties of the yoghurts were analysed after 6 days of storage at 5 °C. The statistical analysis showed that inulin and fat significantly affected the rheological and sensory results. Higher yield stress, “firmness” and “creaminess” values were observed in yoghurt produced with higher inulin additions, whereas the pH value was not affected. A significant correlation was found between yield stress and sensory determined firmness (r = 0.91). The microstructure examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was only slightly affected by the concentrations of inulin in the range studied, possibly due to weak protein interactions between the inulin and the milk protein network.     

Improved mapping of in-mouth creaminess of semi-solid dairy products by combining rheology,particle size,and tribology data

The effects of fat, protein, and casein to whey protein ratio on lubricating properties of stirred yogurt were determined and the relation of those to the sensory properties graininess, viscosity, and creaminess was assessed. Results demonstrated decreased friction effects with increasing fat and protein level, and decreasing proportion of whey protein. The predictive ability of in-mouth viscosity (r² = 0.91) and in-mouth creaminess (r² = 0.97) could be improved by combined assessments of rheological, particle size, and tribological characteristics. Graininess was not affected by friction data. To this end, the applicability of generated models has been tested. This study depicts a better understanding of the key drivers for creaminess and enables food manufacturers to develop fat-reduced dairy products without compromise on sensory properties.     

Structural properties of stirred yoghurt as influenced by whey proteins

The effect of whey protein addition on structural properties of stirred yoghurt systems at different protein and fat content was studied using laser diffraction spectroscopy, rheology and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The composition of heated milk systems affected micro- and macroscopic properties of yoghurt gels. Particle size increased as a function of increasing whey protein content and decreased as a function of increased fat level. Firmness (elastic modulus) and apparent viscosity of manufactured yoghurt samples increased as a function of increased interparticle interactions, mainly caused by self-aggregation of whey proteins or aggregated whey protein-coated fat globules, respectively. The resistance towards shear-induced disruption of yoghurt gels increased with an increasing proportion of casein protein in the protein mixture, whereas products with high whey protein level revealed lower resistance behaviour towards shear-forces. CLSM images illustrated that the presence of large whey protein aggregates and lower number of fat globules lead to the formation of an interrupted and coarse gel microstructure characterised by large interstitial spaces. The higher the casein fraction and/or the fat level, the less interspaced voids in the network were observed. However, it is evident that the addition of whey proteins reinforces firmness properties of low-fat yoghurts comparable to characteristics of full-fat yoghurt.     

乳清蛋白-黄油乳液凝胶对低脂酸奶理化特性及品质的影响

乳液凝胶是一种新型的脂肪替代物,乳清蛋白和黄油是乳品中常用的原、辅料,利用乳清蛋白和黄油制作的乳液凝胶在乳制品加工中具有良好的应用前景。制备不同蛋白和脂肪含量的乳清蛋白-黄油乳液凝胶颗粒(whey protein-butter emulsion gel particles,WPI-EG),研究其对低脂酸奶理化特性及感官品质的影响,通过分析酸奶的持水力、质构、流变、微观结构及感官评价等指标,评价WPI-EG在低脂酸奶中的作用。结果表明,WPI-EG(5.5%蛋白质,7.9%脂肪)改善了酸奶的质构特性,硬度、稠度、黏聚性及胶着度显著增加,持水力增强。添加WPI-EG的实验组低脂酸奶的表观黏度显著高于对照组低脂酸奶。电镜结果显示,随着添加的WPI-EG中蛋白质和脂肪质量分数的增加,酸奶网络结构更加紧密。5.5%PR感官评价得分较高,具有较好的香气、润滑感和组织状态(酸奶中的WPI-EG添加量为10.9%)。研究显示,特定蛋白和脂肪含量的WPI-EG在酸奶中能够作为脂肪替代物和稳定剂,显著提升低脂酸奶的品质。     

The effects of using transglutaminase,exopolysaccharide‐producing starter culture and milk powder on the physicochemical,sensory and texture properties of low‐fat set yoghurt

This study focused on the effects of transglutaminase (TGase), exopolysaccharide (EPS)‐producing starter culture or skim milk powder addition on some properties of low‐fat set yoghurt. The incorporation of TGase to yoghurt did not affect the acidity of the experimental samples. However, the proteolytic activity of the starter culture significantly decreased in TGase‐treated yoghurt. Addition of TGase to yoghurt with a low dry matter content (11.08%) resulted in low serum separation and gel firmness and viscosity close to those of yoghurt with a higher dry matter content (14.81%). According to the sensory results, it would be possible to produce an acceptable product with a low dry matter and low fat content using TGase. The results shown that the use of EPS‐producing starter cultures for the purpose of improving the texture properties of low dry matter content yoghurt could not be recommended.     

低聚果糖对低脂凝固型发酵乳品质的影响研究

利用低聚果糖作为脂肪替代物,低聚果糖按照1%、2%和3%的比例加入到低脂凝固型发酵乳中,考察低聚果糖对低脂凝固型发酵乳酸度、硬度、黏度、持水率、脱水收缩率、颜色和感官评价等的影响。结果表明,冷藏过程中,低聚果糖的添加可以有效改善低脂凝固型发酵乳pH值偏高、滴定酸度偏低的问题;增加低脂凝固型发酵乳的硬度,利于凝固型酸奶发酵过程中的成型;降低低脂凝固型发酵乳的黏度;增加持水率和降低脱水收缩率,提高低脂凝固型发酵乳的稳定性;避免由脂肪氧化产生的变红趋势。在感官评价方面,低聚果糖可以改善低脂凝固型发酵乳的颜色和外观,但在整体接受度、风味和气味方面与全脂发酵乳仍有差距。     

果胶、黄原胶、海藻酸钠、耐酸性CMC对丝素酸奶乳酸菌数的影响

采用两因素三水平析因试验设计,考察了4种常用的酸奶稳定剂(果胶、黄原胶、海藻酸钠、耐酸性CMC)对搅拌型丝素酸奶乳酸菌数的影响。结果显示:果胶、黄原胶、海藻酸钠、耐酸性CMC对丝素酸奶的乳酸菌数均有极显著的影响(P<0.01),其中黄原胶、海藻酸钠和丝素对乳酸菌数有极显著的交互作用(P<0.01),果胶和丝素对乳酸菌含量有显著的交互作用(P<0.05),耐酸性CMC和丝素对酸奶的乳酸菌数无显著的交互作用(P>0.05)。4种稳定剂中,黄原胶和海藻酸钠可提高搅拌型丝素酸奶的乳酸菌数,其中添加1%丝素和0.03%海藻酸钠的酸奶的乳酸菌数最高,达到1.20×1011mL-1;其次为添加1%丝素和0.05%黄原胶的酸奶,乳酸菌数为1.07×1011mL-1。     

浅议酸乳加工中的质量控制

影响酸牛乳质量的因素很多,涵盖了从原料、菌种、加工直至消费前贮存运输整个过程,本论文主要研究酸乳加工过程(包括热处理、均质、管道输送和贮存等因素),从酸乳感官(外观、口感、粘度)和保质期(可接受酸度、持水性等)等方面着手,寻求适宜的加工工艺,为乳品厂设计和选择合理的工艺参数,改善品质提供科学的依据。     

The rebodying of stirred yoghurt: interactions between proteins

The aim of the present study was to identify the nature of bonds established between protein particles after stirring that are responsible for the texture improvement of stirred yoghurts, called rebodying. Using a constant model yoghurt at pH 4.4, the effects of changes in the physicochemical conditions at stirring were studied on the subsequent rebodying. Short term rebodying was measured as the changes in viscoelastic properties at 4 degrees C during 20 h after stirring, while long-term rebodying was measured as the viscosity changes during 28 d storage at 4 degrees C. Moreover, stirred gels obtained from either set gels that were allowed time or not for ionic equilibration were compared. Increasing or decreasing ionic strength did not change the properties of stirred gels. Calcium chloride addition significantly decreased G'0 h, G'20 h and tan20 h but did not induce changes in the gel microstructure as observed by confocal scanning microscopy. Yoghurt rebodying could not be explained by fulfilling ionic equilibrium. Moreover, N-ethyl maleimide addition had no effect on the stirred yoghurt. Attractive electrostatic and disulphide interactions were not involved in the gel rebodying and increasing calcium concentration in the set gel limited rebodying.     

黑木耳多糖凝固型酸奶发酵工艺优化

以黑木耳多糖(Auricularia auricular polysaccharide,AAP)和纯牛奶为原料,嗜热链球菌、保加利亚乳杆菌和干酪乳杆菌组成的混合菌为发酵剂,研究AAP凝固型酸奶的最佳发酵工艺。以感官评价为指标,单因素实验探究蔗糖添加量、AAP添加量、明胶添加量、发酵时间、发酵温度、发酵剂接种量对AAP凝固型酸奶的影响,进一步采用响应面试验设计对AAP凝固型酸奶的发酵工艺进行优化,并对其酸奶品质进行评价。结果表明:AAP固体酸奶的最佳发酵工艺参数为0.33%明胶、7.0%蔗糖、3.0%发酵剂、0.1% AAP、发酵时间6.9 h、发酵温度42℃。在此最优工艺下进行验证实验,得到的AAP凝固型酸奶的感官评分为(9.30±0.08)分,与预测值吻合;将其与普通酸奶的感官评分(8.83±0.12)分、持水力(63.83%±2.69%)和质构特性比较,AAP酸奶的持水力(72.14%±3.58%)和质构特性显著提高,感官评分更优;此外,AAP酸奶的游离氨基酸和胞外粗多糖显著(P<0.05)升高,脂肪含量(2.35±0.25 g/100 g)显著(P<0.05)低于普通酸奶(4.16±0.39 g/100 g),具有更高的营养价值和保健功效。因此,AAP凝固型酸奶具备开发成为一种新型功能性酸奶的潜力。