Effects of Synthetic Erythritol and Inulin on the Physicochemical Properties and Sensory Acceptability of Strawberry Frozen Yoghurt

Wong, Qian Ling (2024) Effects of Synthetic Erythritol and Inulin on the Physicochemical Properties and Sensory Acceptability of Strawberry Frozen Yoghurt. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

This study investigated the effects of erythritol (a sugar substitute), and a combination of erythritol and inulin (a prebiotic fibre) on the physicochemical properties (texture, colour, viscosity, first dripping, melting rate, complete melting, titratable acidity, pH and total sugar content), total bacteria count, lactic acid bacteria count, S. thermophilus count, and sensory acceptability of strawberry frozen yoghurt. For physical properties of strawberry frozen yoghurt, substitution by erythritol and addition of inulin had no significant effects (p > 0.05) on most of the textural attributes (except hardness and gumminess) and viscosity. However, substitution by erythritol and addition of inulin had significant effects (p < 0.05) on colour, first dripping, melting rate and complete melting of strawberry frozen yoghurt. Besides, substitution by erythritol and combination of erythritol and inulin had no significant effects (p > 0.05) on most of the frozen yoghurt’s chemical properties (pH, titratable acidity), except for total sugar content. Strawberry frozen yoghurt with erythritol had significantly (p < 0.05) lower total bacteria count, lactic acid bacteria count and S. thermophilus count compared to the control, while the combination with inulin only decreased the total bacteria count, but showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) on lactic acid bacteria count and S. thermophilus count compared to the control. In terms of sensory, substitution of sugar by erythritol causes a significant difference (p < 0.05) in only sourness and sweetness. Based on overall liking scores, the data shows less sweet options with erythritol substitution were more preferred. The combination of inulin with erythritol received the highest mean liking scores, suggesting inulin which possesses health benefits not only reduces sweetness, but also improves the overall sensory experience