Assessment of beverages made from milk, soya milk and whey using Iranian kefir starter culture

Ingredients, Processing, and Fermentation: Addressing the Organoleptic Boundaries of Plant-Based Dairy Analogues

Consumer interest and research in plant-based dairy analogues has been growing in recent years because of increasingly negative implications of animal-derived products on human health, animal wellbeing, and the environment. However, plant-based dairy analogues face many challenges in mimicking the organoleptic properties of dairy products due to their undesirable off-flavours and textures. This article thus reviews fermentation as a viable pathway to developing clean-label plant-based dairy analogues with satisfactory consumer acceptability. Discussions on complementary strategies such as raw material selection and extraction technologies are also included. An overview of plant raw materials with the potential to be applied in dairy analogues is first discussed, followed by a review of the processing steps and innovative techniques required to transform these plant raw materials into functional ingredients such as plant-based aqueous extracts or flours for subsequent fermentation. Finally, the various fermentation (bacterial, yeast, and fungal) methodologies applied for the improvement of texture and other sensory qualities of plant-based dairy analogues are covered. Concerted research efforts would be required in the future to tailor and optimise the presented wide diversity of options to produce plant-based fermented dairy analogues that are both delicious and nutritionally adequate.

Development of arrowroot flour fermented by kefir grains

The present study aims to produce arrowroot flour fermented by kefir grains, in addition to assessing the physicochemical, nutritional, and microbiological characteristics. Fermented arrowroot flour was produced at room temperature (approximately 25 to 28 °C). Fermentation was conducted in batch (6 kg of the substrate and 10% of kefir grains were added with homogenization every 3 hr). Samples were evaluated every 12 hr for both fermentation processes (fermentation process 1: 24 hr and fermentation process 2: 48 hr). The flours were evaluated for physicochemical, nutritional, and microbiological qualities, using a completely randomized design, considering only the variation in the duration of both fermentation processes (from 24 to 48 hr). The fermentation process positively modified the physicochemical, nutritional, and microbial characteristics of the flours. An increase in antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ : control flour [CF] = 18.9 ± 0.13; arrowroot kefir flour [24 hr of fermentation; AKF1] = 15.36 ± 0.14; and arrowroot kefir flour [48 hr of fermentation; AKF2] = 13.84 ± 0.15), protein percentage (CF = 3.08 ± 0.12; AKF1 = 4.87 ± 0.33; and AKF2 = 6.00 ± 0.07), and organic acid (lactic, acetic, and propionic acids) production was observed, as well as modification in color (browning), the conformation of starch structures, and carbohydrate reduction. These results suggested that the "arrowroot kefir flours" open a new perspective for introduction in the market as a new product that can be used as food in nature or food ingredient for making bread, biscuits, pasta, and others, showing microbiological safety and functions properties. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The fermented flours present improved nutritional characteristics due to the fermentation process, such as higher antioxidant activity and protein levels. Regarding the population growth and societal demand for healthier food, one possibility is to provide a fermented flour with added nutritional value and raise knowledge about the arrowroot. Thus, these flours can be used in various food items or as an ingredient in food preparations for consumers that desire a healthy diet.

Carbonated Dairy Beverages: Challenges and Opportunities

Yogurt drinks have seen a 66% increase in consumption in the United States over the last five years. Even though there has been an increase in yogurt drink consumption, the market share of drinkable dairy beverages remains small. Carbonated dairy beverages have become increasingly popular in recent years, and innovations in this area could help drive increased consumption of these beverages. Currently traditionally carbonated dairy beverages, like kefir, are the most popular carbonated dairy beverages on the market. Carbonation at appropriate levels in dairy products, especially dairy beverages, has been shown to improve the sensory attributes, quality, and shelf life of these products. Probiotics, which are added to yogurt drinks for their health benefits, are not harmed or negatively affected by carbonation. Several methods have been developed to carbonate dairy beverages in a manufacturing setting, although these methods have not been widely applied to commercially available products. The increased consumption of dairy beverages and the benefits of carbonation upon these beverages means that there are opportunities to develop widely accepted and popular carbonated dairy beverages. The objective of this article was to review available literature on carbonated dairy beverages and to discuss the challenges and opportunities in this area.

In situ riboflavin fortification of different kefir-like cereal-based beverages using selected Andean LAB strains

Cereal-based functional beverages represent social, economic, and environmental sustainable opportunities to cope with emerging trends in food consumption and global nutrition. Here we report, for the first time, the polyphasic characterization of three cereal-based kefir-like riboflavin-enriched beverages, obtained from oat, maize and barley flours, and their comparison with classical milk-based kefir. The four matrices were successfully fermented with commercial starters: i) milk-kefir and ii) water-kefir, proving the potential of cereal ingredients in the formulation of dairy-like fermented beverages with milk-kefir starter behavior better in these matrices. In the light of their potentiality, seven riboflavin-producing Andean Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) were tested for tolerance to food stresses commonly encountered during food fermentation. Moreover, the LAB strains investigated were screened for spontaneous riboflavin overproducing derivatives. Lactobacillus plantarum M5MA1-B2 with outstanding response to stress, was selected to improve riboflavin content in an in situ fortification approach. The combination of L. plantarum M5MA1-B2 riboflavin overproducing strain with milk kefir starter in oat, lead to cover, for one serving of 100 g, 11.4% of Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Besides, addition of L. plantarum M5MA1-B2 improved performance of water kefir in oat and maize matrices. Proton Transfer Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) analysis provided the on-line Volatile Organic Compounds profiles supporting the best combination of starter, LAB and cereal matrix for novel functional foods development.