Whey beverage with acai pulp as a food carrier of probiotic bacteria

Abstract

This research aimed to evaluate the commercial potential of a whey-based dairy beverage containing acai pulp as a food probiotic carrier, as determined by physical-chemical (pH, titratable acidity, total solids, ash, protein, fat and carbohydrates) and sensorial properties (overall acceptance). The analyses for the approximate composition, pH and titratable acidity of the whey beverages indicated no apparent statistical differences (at 5% level) between the control product and that containing cai pulp. In regard to probiotic viability, while the control dairy beverage showed a reduction of one log cycle (106 – 105 CFU/mL) in the population of Bifidobacterium longum Bl-05 and Lactobacillus acidophilus La-14 after 21 days of storage, the beverage containing acai pulp showed significantly higher counts (107 and 108 CFU/mL) for both micro-organisms studied (p<0.05). The sensory analysis supported the commercial potential of the acai-containing probiotic whey beverage, with 70% of the scores corresponding to ‘extremely better than the standard’ and ‘slightly better than the standard’