Vitamin C Concentration, Syneresis and Consumer Perceptions of a Fermented Dairy Product Upon Fortification with Cucumber and Raspberry

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2009

Publication Title

Georgia Journal of Science

ISSN

0147-9369

Abstract

Yogurt, buttermilk, and other fermented probiotic dairy products are good sources of calcium. Complementing the nutritional value of these products, cucumbers and raspberries contain vitamin C, a nutrient noted for its antioxidant properties and potential role in the prevention of chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study is to fortify a fermented dairy product with a 50% (w/w) cucumber/raspberry puree to naturally increase vitamin C in the product while retaining textural quality and consumer acceptability. Low-fat fresh and dry milk, sugar, yogurt culture, and either 10 or 50% pureed cucumber/raspberry mixture (w/w) (replacing an equal amount of distilled water in the controls) are combined and fermented (8h, 50°C) prior to analysis. Following extraction, vitamin C concentration in the fermented products is quantified spectrophotometrically by the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine method. Syneresis will be measured to evaluate textural quality while 100 consumers will evaluate color, odor, creaminess, flavor, aftertaste, and overall acceptability of the fermented dairy products using a hedonic scale (9=like extremely, 5=neither like nor dislike, 1=dislike extremely). The results and implications of these analyses will be discussed. This study is funded in part by a grant from the Georgia Southern University Honors Program.

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